Things to do nearKaūmana Caves

Kaūmana Caves owes its existence to one of the most closely watched volcanic events in Hawaiian history. In 1881, a lava flow from Mauna Loa advanced toward the town of Hilo, threatening to engulf it before stopping short. As the surface of the flow cooled and hardened, molten lava continued moving beneath, eventually draining out and leaving behind a hollow tube system. That network of tunnels is what visitors walk through today at Kaūmana Caves County Park, a small but evocative site managed by the County of Hawaii.

The park sits at roughly 1,500 feet elevation in the rainforest belt above Hilo, and the surrounding vegetation is dense and vivid, with tree ferns and native plants framing the sunken entrance. A short stairway leads down to the cave mouth, where two main passages branch in opposite directions. The lower tube is more accessible and spacious, allowing visitors to walk upright for a stretch before the ceiling lowers. The upper tube is narrower and demands more agility.

Both passages reveal the textured interior of a lava tube, with ropy pahoehoe formations, drip features, and walls that shift in color from black to rust-red depending on mineral content. There are no guided tours operating within the caves themselves, so the experience is self-directed and unhurried. The park is free to enter and draws a mix of local families and travelers seeking something beyond the beach. For anyone interested in Hawaii's volcanic landscape at a human scale, Kaūmana Caves offer an intimate and genuinely memorable encounter with the forces that built these islands.