Hawaii Hike and Explore

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: The emphasis will be on relatively short day hikes, ranging from 1 to 5 miles in length. The pace of the trip is designed to be moderate. You will be hiking in varied terrain and weather conditions. More challenging routes can be provided, depending on group desires. You will carry a small day pack with your lunch, water, and other gear that you want accessible during the day.

WEATHER: Temperatures in the interior can range from 40F at night to 85F during the day, with average temps ranging between 65-85F. You will experience a wide range of weather during your trip, including some rain especially on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

YOUR GROUP: The group size is typically 7-11 participants, plus one or more Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds, and abilities, including persons with disabilities. Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can.

ACCOMMODATIONS: We will stay in locally run Hawaiian lodges, cottages and hotels. Typically there are 2-3 people per room, matched by gender or requests to room together. In most rooms, solo travelers have single beds and couples share beds.

SINGLE TRAVELERS: If you are traveling alone, you will feel at home with a welcoming group. If you would like to have your own room throughout the trip, you may purchase a single supplement for an additional fee. Please email or call us if you would like this option.

MEALS: We’ll enjoy a variety of meals, some served in local restaurants and others we prepare for ourselves. When cooking together, we’ll work with fresh fruits and vegetables to create great meals with local ingredients. While we will share happy hours together, purchase of alcoholic beverages is not included in the trip fees.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: Wilderness Inquiry will provide all group equipment. You will need to provide your personal gear as outlined in the packing list. If you are new to outdoor activities, you do not need to spend a lot of money. Wilderness Inquiry can usually arrange for you to borrow most items.

COVID VACCINATION: All participants (and our staff) are required to be fully vaccinated and up-to-date (including the booster). Please see our website for the most recent information. https://www.wildernessinquiry.org/covid19/

HEALTH PRE-SCREENING: We encourage you to self-screen for any signs of illness prior to your trip’s departure. Please contact Wilderness Inquiry if you are exhibiting signs of illness or have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the 2 weeks prior to your trip departure date.

SAFETY WHILE ON TRAIL: All participants and staff must wear a well-fitted mask while riding in a Wilderness Inquiry van or participating with Wilderness Inquiry transportation. Masks are not required outdoors although some individuals may choose to wear a mask. Please respect these choices. Please ensure proper hygiene including, but not limited to, hand-washing and/or sanitizing before eating and after using the restroom. Individuals that become ill or test positive for COVID-19 during a Wilderness Inquiry experience are responsible for their own transportation and expenses to depart the trip. 

The interior of Hawaii’s Big Island harbors some of the world’s most spectacular volcanoes. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park achieved park designation in 1916, relatively recently in the island’s history. National Park status protects the results of 70 million years of volcanic activity. The park covers 333,000 acres of surface area and almost 14,000 vertical feet, ranging from sea level to the summit of Mauna Loa, the earth’s largest volcano. Measured from the ocean’s floor, it ranks as the tallest mountain on earth, rising about 36,000 feet high. Measured from just sea level, Mauna Loa still reaches an impressive 13,667 feet and makes up half the area of the island of Hawaii. Mauna Loa erupted most recently in 1984, but it remains active beneath the earth’s surface, and a number of other volcanoes in the park also amaze and delight visitors.
Kilauea, perhaps the earth’s most active volcano, also erupts in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. One of the island’s youngest volcanoes, Kilauea has a red-hot magma tap that reaches nearly 37 miles into the earth’s interior. Accessibility to the ongoing eruptions of Kilauea Volcano and the periodic eruptions of Mauna Loa offers the opportunity for the scientist and casual observer alike to witness the formation of an array of astounding geologic features including new cinder cones, glowing pit craters, rivers of lava, and fountains of spatter. The park even runs a 24-hour eruption hotline (808-985-6000) so visitors can track volcanic activity. To stay up to date on volcanic activity, visit this site: http://volcanogallery.com/hawaii.htm.
These mountains are also home to many Hawaiian myths and legends. Kilauea is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. According to local legends, she caused eruptions long before Europeans arrived on the island and first saw the volcano in 1823.
The significant elevation changes represented on the mountains in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park create a number of distinct climate zones and ecosystems in the islands, habitat for numerous native species like carnivorous caterpillars, happy face spiders, and birds like the colorful Hawaiian honeycreepers. The native flora and fauna on the islands evolved in relative isolation, with limited competition and few predators, so they were ill-equipped to compete with more aggressive species introduced by early Polynesians and Westerners. The islands harbor thousands of species, but nearly half of the 2,400 surviving native plant species remain endangered. Marine animals have fared better, with Hawaiian monk seals, dolphins, and whales in abundant supply year-round, and migrating humpback whales in sight seasonally. Congress designated nearly 131,000 acres of the National Park as the Hawaii Volcanoes Wilderness in 1978, as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Recognized worldwide for its outstanding values, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987) and International Biosphere Reserve (1980).
In addition to natural beauty, you will be able to experience some of the fascinating cultural history of the islands. Polynesians discovered the islands about 1,600 years ago, sailing across 2,400 miles of open ocean in large double-hulled canoes. The Polynesians settled on the islands, giving them the name of Hawaii. After immigration from the Polynesian islands ended, a unique Hawaiian culture developed with a rigid caste system. While some people believe that Spanish sailors visited Hawaii in 1627 and described a volcanic eruption in their ship’s log, Captain James Cook usually takes the credit as the first European to visit Hawaii. He arrived in 1778, named the islands the Sandwich Islands, after Britain’s Earl of Sandwich, but was killed the following year in a Big Island land dispute near Kona. Hawaii’s 19th century history followed an accelerated colonial pattern. One king united the Islands in 1810, but thereafter saw a constant influx of missionaries, explorers, farmers, diseases, and exotic species, all changing the traditional Hawaiian way of life. The U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898 during the Spanish-American War, and Hawaii became a U.S. Territory in 1900. The area played a pivotal role in World War II before becoming the nation’s 50th state in 1959.