Footprints and Maunaiki

This out-and-back trek drops you into the Ka'u Desert, one of the most surreal landscapes in the national park system — a barren expanse of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and wind-sculpted terrain that feels more like Mars than Hawai'i. The trail crosses exposed pahoehoe and crumbly ash fields with virtually no shade, passing through a landscape shaped by centuries of eruptions. The main draw is a sheltered exhibit protecting ancient Hawaiian footprints preserved in hardened ash, believed to have been left by warriors and travelers caught in an eruption in 1790. The Maunaiki cinder cone adds a geological exclamation point to the hike. Don't expect lush jungle — this is raw, desolate volcanic terrain at its most dramatic. History buffs and geology nerds will be in their element here.