Google Street View Captures Hawaiian Beaches, Spectacular Scenery

by Todd R. Weiss

On the Pololu Valley Awini Trail on the Big Island, the spectacular cliffs and ocean views are stunning, with rich colors and amazing natural light. Visitors can park their cars and walk out onto the trail at the end of Highway 720 to begin their explorations, according to the HVCB.

This is an up-close look at the Pololu Valley Awini Trail, where visitors can walk and take in all of the lovely scenery along the coast on the Big Island.

The Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs, known as “kii pohaku” in Hawaiian, are lava rock carvings made by Native Hawaiians, according to the HVCB. The largest group of these artifacts is found in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where more than 23,000 images are visible. Here are some of the lava outcrops that can be observed along the path to the petroglyphs field.

This is one of the thousands of petroglyphs carved in the solidified lava. The image of two people and related designs can be observed.

Here are other design-intensive petroglyphs carved into rock outcroppings near the ocean.

This image captures a dramatic sunset on the beach in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, where visitors can choose from several trails that lead to sacred temples and two must-see Hawaiian fishponds that show the engineering acuity of Native Hawaiians, according to the HVCB.

At the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, visitors can relax and play on the smooth sands of this gorgeous paradise. Hapuna Beach is considered as one of the Hawaiian Island’s finest beaches, according to the HVCB, with excellent conditions for swimming, bodyboarding, sunbathing and snorkeling.

Here a quiet, colorful and tranquil bay is shown on the north end of Hapuna Beach—the perfect place to enjoy some solitude and reflection in this gorgeous landscape.

Healthy-sized waves break and crest along Hapuna Beach, providing lovely views and challenging water conditions for visitors.

Not all of Hawaii is beaches and waves. In the Kau Forest Reserve, a critical watershed is present that provides fresh water for residents, according to the HVCB. The forest includes a native ecosystem for endangered indigenous birds and plants. There are no designated state-managed hiking trails in this forest, so visitors are able to see it through Google Street View.

On the challenging 11-mile Crater Rim Trail in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, visitors can explore an active volcano and see spectacular views like this one of the rim of the crater. Much of the trail is closed due to volcanic activity in Halemaumau crater, according to the HVCB, but visitors are able to see lots of wildlife and amazing scenery.

Huge, hardened lava rock flows are also visible along the Crater Rim Trail, as seen in this dramatic image.

This huge volcano crater dominates this scene on the Kilauea Iki Trail in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where good hiking shoes will be needed by those who want to take on the challenging trail, according to the HVCB. The trail descends 400 feet to the crater floor, where steam vents and the Puu Puai cinder cone are also visible.

Here is another view along the Kilauea Iki Trail, where a field of hardened lava stretches into the horizon.

In the Pu’u wa’a wa’a Cinder Cone State Park, Hawaii’s largest cinder cone can be found, the result of lava that cooled into the shape of a cone after it was ejected from a volcano.

In the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, the flora and fauna of a native Hawaiian forest can be explored, provided you have reservations when you visit, according to the HVCB. In this image, it doesn’t look like a lush forest that one might expect to find in Hawaii, but appears to be a dry forest that might be found in Africa.

Located in Akaka Falls State Park on the northeastern Hamakua Coast of Hawaii, the 442-foot-high Akaka Falls provides a breathtaking backdrop for a visit to the area, as shown in this spectacular image. Visitors travel through a lush rain forest to reach the falls, according to the HVCB, where they can also visit the nearby 100-foot Kahuna Falls.