Fast Facts
- Population
- 44,186 (2020 census)
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- Rainfall
- About 120–127 inches a year — 4th wettest US city
- Getting here
- Fly into Hilo, then drive — the volcano is on this side of the island
What to Know Before You Arrive
Hilo is the practical base for the eastern Big Island. It is “often the air travel destination and accommodation location of choice” for visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and, when Kīlauea is active, its lava flows — because both are on this side of the island. Flying into Kona and driving over is a much longer day than most visitors expect.
The mountain above the town is the other reason to be here. Mauna Kea is one of the two shield volcanoes Hilo sits beneath and is “the highest point in the Hawaiian Islands,” and most of the observatories on its summit are based down in Hilo rather than on the mountain. The research town and the summit are two parts of one operation.
The bay has been rebuilt twice. Hilo's bayfront was destroyed by tsunamis in 1946, after an Aleutian Islands earthquake, and again in 1960, after an earthquake in Chile. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was established in 1949 in direct response, and Hilo is home to Hawaii's only tsunami museum, which focuses mainly on the 1946 event. The open green space along the bayfront today is a consequence of those years rather than a design choice.
The Road Trip Stop
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is the anchor, and the entrance fee is $30* for a private vehicle — a pass that “admits the passholder and up to 14 passengers of a single, private (non-commercial) vehicle.” It is $25* for motorcycles and $15* per person arriving on foot or by bicycle.
Work out the pass, and bring a card
- The park does not accept cash. That is the detail most likely to catch someone out at the gate.
- If you are doing more than one Hawaii park, buy the Tri-Park pass. At $55* it covers Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and is valid for twelve months from the month of purchase. Two parks and it has almost paid for itself; three and it clearly has.
- Ages 15 and under enter free on the per-person rate, and anyone 16 or older needs their own pass if arriving without a vehicle.
- Check what is actually active. Kīlauea's behaviour changes, and the lava flows that draw visitors are not a permanent feature. The park’s Alerts & Conditions page lists current park notices and links to a volcano status page, which the park says gives the current status of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
From the Park Service
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Entrance fee
- $30 private vehicle · $25 motorcycle (7-day) · $15 per person. 3 commercial and tour-operator rates are listed separately by the park.
- Park hours
- Open around the clock, every day. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day including holidays.
- Reservations
- Permits must be reserved through the Backcountry Office, 808-985-6178
- Visitor centres
- Welcome Center · Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Open 9:00AM - 4:45PM daily.
- Campgrounds
- 2 in the park, about 25 sites in total. Fees from $10 to $15.
- Parking
- 10 mapped car parks and trailhead pull-offs
- Passport stamp
- Kahuku Visitor Contact Station · Kīlauea Visitor Center · Welcome Center
- Webcams
- 20 live views on the park’s own site
National Park Service Data API, pulled 2026-10-12
Neighborhoods
The bayfront
Open green space along Hilo Bay, the ground rebuilt after the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis.
Downtown Hilo
Kamehameha Avenue is called “downtown Hilo's primary street” in the National Park Service's National Register form for the S. Hata Building (dated 1912), which also records a connected wood-framed commercial structure built in 1919. The Hilo Farmers Market, at Kamehameha Avenue and Mamo Street, describes itself as being in the “heart of historic downtown Hilo”.
The university and observatory district
Where the Mauna Kea observatories keep their base operations, away from the summit.
The Puna side
The District of Puna lies on the windward (east) side of the island, borders the South Hilo district to the north and sits on a volcanic rift zone of Kīlauea. Pāhoa, a census-designated place in Puna, is about 17 miles south-east of Hilo in a straight line.
The Food Stop
Downtown Hilo's farmers' market is the Hilo Farmers Market at 20 Mamo Street, which says on its own site that it is open 7 days a week from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with Wednesday and Saturday as its big market days with 150+ vendors. We were unable to confirm a specific Hilo restaurant for this guide, and this guide does not name a business without checking that business's own site. One practical note for an evening at the volcano: Volcano House, which the National Park Service lists inside the park with a dining room, snack bar and lounge, posts hours on its own site for The Rim restaurant (dinner 5:00pm – 8:30pm, reservations required) and Uncle George’s Lounge (11:00 am – 9:30 pm, with food until 9:00 pm); check the operator’s site for current hours and reservations before planning around them.
Been here a while
Places that have been serving a long time. All were still trading when we last checked. Each name links to its source.
- Cafe 100Named for its founder's WWII 100th Battalion; did not invent the loco moco (Hilo's Lincoln Grill is credited, 1949) but is credited with popularizing it
3 breweries within 10 miles of Hilo, 2 of them brewpubs with a kitchen.
See all 3
- Ola Brew Co - Hilo1177 Kilauea Ave, Hilo
- Ola Brew Co - Kona74-5598 Luhia St Ste A, Kailua Kona
- Hilo Brewing Co275 E Kawili St, Hiloproduction site*
*Check before you go. This list says what the source records as open and where it is — nothing more. Opening hours, whether a kitchen is serving, and whether anywhere suits your family are not in this data and change without notice. A production site may have no public room at all. Please confirm with the venue.
Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)
The Home Teams
No MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL or MLS team plays in Hilo. The University of Hawaii at Hilo competes at college level, and the Merrie Monarch hula competition is the town's largest annual event by a wide margin.
Day Trips
| Destination | Time | Distance | How we got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Parkguide | 52 min | 31 mi | routed |
| South-west up the saddle to the caldera, the craters and whatever Kīlauea is doing. | |||
| Mauna Kea | 1 hr 30 min | 44 mi | routed |
| Via the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road) to the Maunakea Access Road at Milepost 28, according to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo; the summit is about 26 miles west of Hilo in a straight line. The university's Maunakea Visitor Information Station, at 9,200 feet, lists daily hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and says four-wheel drive is required above it because the road to the summit is unpaved, rough and quite steep. It also advises that, because of altitude sickness, pregnant women, people in poor health and anyone under 13 should not go above the station. The station's page carries current road and weather information; check it before attempting the summit. | |||
| The Hāmākua Coast | 1 hr 20 min | 49 mi | routed |
| North-west along the cliffs and gulches toward Waipiʻo Valley, about 44 miles in a straight line, through old sugar country. The valley road itself has been closed to general access under a county emergency rule renewed about every two months since 2022, with exceptions for county residents, licensed tour operators and Native Hawaiians exercising traditional rights; the lookout at the top stays open. | |||
| Puna and the lava coast | 45 min | 24 mi | routed |
| South-east into the Puna district, where, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, a lava flow from Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption entered the ocean at Kapoho Bay, and the eruption added 875 acres of new land near the island's eastern extent. Kapoho is about 21 miles south-east of Hilo in a straight line. Access changes with volcanic activity. | |||
| Akaka Falls State Park | 27 min | 14 mi | routed |
| North-west of Hilo, about 11 miles in a straight line, ʻAkaka Falls State Park has a 0.4-mile paved loop footpath through lush tropical vegetation to viewpoints over Kahuna Falls and ʻAkaka Falls, which the state parks division says plunges 442 feet. Hours are daily 8:30am to 5:00pm; non-residents pay $5.00* per person and $10* per vehicle for parking, paid by credit card. The division's park notices (dated 13 October 2026 when checked) list a partial trail closure at the park; check them before going. | |||
1 of these is a place the Hub has its own guide to — marked guide and linked from the name.
Routed figures are computed over map data at free-flowing speeds, between map points rather than street addresses, so a real drive runs longer.
Distances routed by OSRM and places geocoded by Nominatim, over map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
*Fees subject to change, please check dlnr.hawaii.gov for updated information.
Wineries Nearby
1 producer we have checked near here. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is.
Volcano Winery
Winery near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; also grows tea.
- HoursDaily 12-5pm
- Toursyes - vineyard, winemaker and tea tours (book 24h ahead)
- Reservationswalk-in
- Foodyes - charcuterie boards, coffee, tea
- Phone(808) 967-7772
- Childrenwine tastings 21+; children under 12 free on Ali'i vineyard tour
35 Pii Mauna Dr, Volcano, HI 96785
*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. Each of these says something about children, in their own words above. Where there is no Children line, we did not find a policy — that is not the same as children being welcome, and several tasting rooms are 21 and over.
Zoos Nearby
Within 60 miles of Hilo, nearest first.
Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & GardensHilo
- Hours
- Daily 10-4
- Admission
- Adult $13 (18 and older) · Child $5
- Reservations
- Not required
County-run. Last entry 3:30 p.m.; the zoo recommends arriving before 3:15 p.m. and allowing at least an hour. CLOSED the first Thursday of every month, plus Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The petting zoo opens Saturdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. only. 800 Stainback Highway, about five miles south of Hilo and 6.2 miles from the Port of Hilo cruise terminal. Fully ADA accessible. The gift shop sells drinks, snacks and ice cream. Phone (808) 959-7224. Note: hilozoo.org is the Friends of the Zoo site, not the county's own page.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. None of these carry an accreditation we were able to confirm, which is not the same as none being accredited — we check against one register, and plenty of good municipal, state and university places are in no register at all. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.
Annual Events Nearby
Within 60 miles of Hilo, nearest first.
What is on, and when
Merrie Monarch Festivalcultural festivalHilo
- Usually
- Spring (week after Easter), over several days
- Held at
- Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium
- Since
- 1964
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
Practical Road Trip Info
Pack for rain, not for a beach holiday. Around 120 to 127 inches a year is a different climate from the Kona side of the same island.
Bring a card for the park. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes does not take cash.
Fly into Hilo if the volcano is the point. It is the natural base for the eastern side; arriving at Kona adds a long drive in both directions.
Volcanic activity is not a schedule. What is visible changes; check the park's alerts rather than relying on photographs from previous years.
The Local Debate
Family-Friendly
Rainbow Falls
An official page giving the walk from the car park to the Rainbow Falls viewpoint could not be found, so the claims of a very short walk and of no hike are unconfirmed. The state parks division describes Wailuku River State Park as offering “viewpoints of geologic and scenic interest along Wailuku River”, lists a scenic viewpoint among its facilities and no hiking trail, and lists falling rocks, a hazardous cliff, flash flood and submerged objects as hazards; check the division's page before planning around a short stop.
Ages 15 and under free at the park
On the per-person rate, under-16s enter Hawaiʻi Volcanoes free.
The Pacific Tsunami Museum
A short indoor stop on a wet afternoon, explaining why the bayfront looks the way it does.
Akaka Falls
The state parks division describes a 0.4-mile paved loop footpath that “requires some physical exertion” and includes multiple steps in places (not wheelchair accessible); entry is free for ages 3 and under. Its park notices (dated 13 October 2026 when checked) list a partial trail closure, so check them before going.
Plan Your Visit
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Private vehicle
- $30.00 — admits the passholder and up to 14 passengers of a single private, non-commercial vehicle*
- Motorcycle
- $25.00, valid 7 days; admits up to 2 motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers*
- Per person
- $15.00 for one bicyclist, hiker or pedestrian without a vehicle; ages 15 and under exempt; 16 and over need their own pass*
- Tri-Park Annual Pass
- $55.00 covering Haleakala, Hawaii Volcanoes and Puuhonua o Honaunau; valid 12 months from the purchase month; US citizens and residents*
- Payment
- The park does not accept cash
- Link
- nps.gov/havo
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
We checked fees, operating status, opening hours, closures and reservations on 2026-10-12. These change without notice — confirm with nps.gov, tsunami.org, dlnr.hawaii.gov, merriemonarch.com, stateparksadmin.ehawaii.gov, hilo.hawaii.edu, hilofarmersmarket.com, hawaiivolcanohouse.com and hawaiicounty.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 33 claims, 32 checked against the source on 2026-10-12
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park entrance fees: private vehicle $30.00, which “admits the passholder and up to 14 passengers of a single, private (non-commercial) vehicle”; motorcycle $25.00 valid 7 days admitting up to 2 motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers; per person $15.00 for “one individual bicyclist, hiker, or pedestrian visiting without a private vehicle”, with ages 15 and under exempt and individuals 16 and older needing their own pass; the park does not accept cash | Fees & Passes — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass $55.00 covering Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, “Valid for 12 months from purchase month”, available to US citizens and residents; page last updated 18 December 2025 | Fees & Passes — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-12 |
| Population 44,186 at the 2020 census; elevation 20 ft | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Hilo is “the fourth-wettest city in the United States”, behind Whittier, Ketchikan and Yakutat, all in Alaska; about 126.72 inches a year at Hilo International Airport for 1981–2010, and 120.39 inches for the 1991–2020 normals | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Hilo is “often the air travel destination and accommodation location of choice” for visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Kīlauea's lava flows when active, since both are on the east side | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Mauna Kea is one of the two shield volcanoes Hilo overlooks and is “the highest point in the Hawaiian Islands”; most of the observatories on its summit are based in Hilo | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The bayfront was destroyed by tsunamis twice — in 1946 following an Aleutian Islands earthquake and in 1960 following a Chilean earthquake; the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was set up in 1949 in response; “Hilo is home to Hawaii's only tsunami museum”, mostly dedicated to the 1946 event | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long celebration with three nights of competition in ancient and modern hula, held annually after Easter, described as “the world's preeminent hula competition and festival&rdquo | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| The park's Alerts & Conditions page lists park notices and links to a volcano status page giving the current status of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (checked 2026-10-15) | Alerts & Conditions — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The station lists daily hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., an elevation of 9,200 ft on the Maunakea Access Road (Milepost 28 off the Daniel K Inouye Highway), a requirement for 4-wheel drive vehicles above the station, and advice that pregnant women, persons in poor health and ages under 13 should not go above it (checked 2026-10-15) | Maunakea Visitor Information Station — University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| General admission $15; seniors (ages 65+) $10; military $10; Hawaiʻi residents free on the first Saturday of every month (checked 2026-10-15) | Hours and Admission — Pacific Tsunami Museum | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Open 7 days a week from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 20 Mamo St, Hilo; big market days Wednesday and Saturday with 150+ vendors (checked 2026-10-15) | Market Hours & Days — Hilo Farmers Market | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Non-Hawaii residents pay $5 entry and $10 per non-commercial vehicle for parking, credit card only; the fee covers both Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots; Hawaii residents free with Hawaii ID (page updated 1/16/26; checked 2026-10-15) | Wailuku River State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The drive-time fields on the five day trips and the drive-time figure in the rating.detour note are banned by house rule 1 and need replacing with direct miles; direct miles are supplied in this return | No source accepted yet | Not confirmed |
| Open every day, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, at 130 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo (checked 2026-10-15) | Hours and Admission — Pacific Tsunami Museum | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Most festival-week activities are free; tickets are needed for the three-day hula competition and are requested by mail, postmarked November 16th, 2026 or later, for the festival week of March 28th-April 3rd, 2027; maximum of two tickets per person; no blocks of tickets sold to tour groups or travel agencies; listed prices include $35.00 general admission (Friday and Saturday) and $60.00 reserved seating, sections E through J (all 3 nights) (checked 2026-10-15) | How to Buy Tickets — Merrie Monarch Festival (official site) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The market describes itself as nestled in the heart of historic downtown Hilo and lists its physical location as 20 Mamo St., Kamehameha Avenue & Mamo Street (checked 2026-10-15) | Home — Hilo Farmers Market | Checked |
| Registration form for the S. Hata Building, 318 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo: the building sits on downtown Hilo's primary street, Kamehameha Avenue; its parapet bears the date 1912; it is connected to a two-story wood-framed commercial structure built in 1919 | S. Hata Building — National Register of Historic Places registration form (NPS) | Checked |
| Volcano House is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and offers a dining room, snack bar, lounge and gift shop; page last updated 18 February 2025 (checked 2026-10-15) | Lodging — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The Rim at Volcano House: dinner 5:00pm-8:30pm, reservations required; Uncle George's Lounge: 11:00 am-9:30 pm, food until 9:00 pm; address 1 Crater Rim Drive, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (checked 2026-10-15) | Dining — Hawaii Volcano House (operator) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots: daily 7:00am-5:30pm; gates lock at 6:00pm (checked 2026-10-15) | Wailuku River State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The park offers viewpoints of geologic and scenic interest along Wailuku River; the 80-foot Rainbow Falls is renowned for the rainbow formed from its mist many mornings; both park sections are accessed via Waiānuenue Avenue, downtown Hilo, the Rainbow Falls area on Rainbow Drive (checked 2026-10-15) | Wailuku River State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked |
| Wailuku River State Park activities: sightseeing; facilities: restroom, trash cans, water fountain, scenic viewpoint; hazards: falling rocks, hazardous cliff, flash flood, submerged objects; no hiking trail listed (checked 2026-10-15) | Wailuku River State Park — park data feed behind the DLNR page | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| A 0.4-mile paved loop footpath through lush tropical vegetation to scenic vista points over Kahuna Falls and ʻAkaka Falls, which plunges 442 feet; the loop requires some physical exertion and includes multiple steps in places (not wheelchair accessible) (checked 2026-10-15) | ʻAkaka Falls State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked |
| Non-residents pay $5.00 per person entry and $10 per non-commercial vehicle for parking, credit card only; ages 3 and under free (checked 2026-10-15) | ʻAkaka Falls State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Open daily, 8:30am to 5:00pm (checked 2026-10-15) | ʻAkaka Falls State Park — Hawaii State Parks (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| Park notice dated 10/13/26 lists a partial trail closure at ʻAkaka Falls State Park; the division directs visitors to its Park Notices site for closures and access updates (checked 2026-10-15) | ʻAkaka Falls State Park — Hawaii State Parks park notice (DLNR) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| The Hāmākua Coast is the region between Hilo and Waipiʻo; rainfall from the prevailing trade winds produces steep erosional valleys and cliffs; small communities sprang up around sugarcane plantations through most of the 20th century | Hāmākua — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Continued emergency rule based on the declaration effective September 3, 2026: Waipio Valley Road shall be closed, subject to limited exceptions for vehicular access by Hawaiʻi County residents, permitted licensed/insured tour operators and Native Hawaiians claiming customary rights; pedestrians, uncovered vehicles and horseback access prohibited; closed in significant weather events (checked 2026-10-15) | Mayor's Waipiʻo Valley Road Continued Emergency Rule No. 2 and Emergency Rule No. 1 — County of Hawaiʻi | Checked monitored · 2026-10-15 |
| A channelized lava flow from fissure 8 entered the ocean at Kapoho Bay on June 3, 2018; the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption added 875 acres of new land near the eastern extent of the Island of Hawaiʻi | 2018 lower East Rift Zone Eruption and Summit Collapse at Kīlauea — USGS | Checked |
| Puna is on the windward (east) side of the island, shares a border with South Hilo district to the north, and is located on a volcanic rift zone of Kilauea | Puna, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Pāhoa is a census-designated place in the District of Puna | Pāhoa, Hawaii — Wikipedia | Checked |
| Straight-line distances from Hilo to Pāhoa, Mauna Kea, Waipiʻo Valley, ʻAkaka Falls State Park and Kapoho are computed from the coordinates published on their Wikipedia pages | Hilo, Hawaii — Wikipedia (coordinates, for straight-line distances) | Checked |
Road Trippin’ with the Harts
The Highway Heads books turn the miles between stops into a game the whole car can play.
See the booksLive Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Hilo, not drive time.
- Hilo International (ITO) — 3 miles
- Waimea Kohala (MUE) — 42 miles
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) — 62 miles
Explore the Full Road Trip
Return to the Highway Heads map and discover the next family-ready stop.
Explore the Map