Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex
Managed by County of Hawaii
160 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Waiakea Mission Station-Hilo Station · Photo: W Nowicki · CC BY 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hilo
24% of Hilo’s land is conserved: 8,387 acres
The biggest trail networks: Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex (1 mi), Wailoa River State Recreation Area (0.8 mi), Liliʻuokalani Gardens (0.6 mi). 38 miles of mapped trail cross Hilo, 0.7 per square mile of land. 75% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #19 of 93 in Hawaii. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
8,387 acres · of 53.6 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
666 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
75%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
4.3 mi lanes · 1.4 mi paths
Highest peak
1,060 ft
Puʻuloa
Lakes & rivers
6
6 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hilo?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hilo have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hilo is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #19 of 93 in Hawaii. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hilo’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical HI town 14% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · HI 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land13 acres of park per 1,000 residents (666 acres) · HI 4 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home75% of residents within a half mile of a park · HI 83% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 80%
LessMore
Hawaii towns of 2,500+ (93)Ahead of 80%
Hawaii towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Hilo’s 24% is ahead of 71% of Hawaii towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% of them.
Water is 10% of Hilo’s area (6 of 60 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 22%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wailoa River State Recreation Area
Park
148 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Liliʻuokalani Gardens
Managed by County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation
16 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ainaola Park
Managed by County of Hawaii
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Onekahakaha Beach Park
Managed by County of Hawaii
3 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 34 parks & preserves
Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex160 acres · 1 mi of trail · County of Hawaii
DirectionsWailoa River State Recreation Area148 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLiliʻuokalani Gardens16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsAinaola Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · County of Hawaii
DirectionsOnekahakaha Beach Park3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · County of Hawaii
DirectionsCarlsmith Beach Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWailuku River State Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPanaewa Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRichardson Beach Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · County of Hawaiʻi
DirectionsLokahi Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWaiakea Uka Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · County of Hawaii
DirectionsGilbert Carvalho Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsUniversity Heights Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Hawaii County Parks and Recreation
Kuhio Kalanianaole Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsClem Akina Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWaiākea Forest Reserve323 acres
Hilo Forest Reserve11 acres
Mo'oheau Park10 acres · County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation
DirectionsKeaukaha Beach Park9 acres · State of Hawaii
DirectionsMachado Acres Park7 acres
Hilo Bayfront Park6 acres · County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation
DirectionsReeds Bay Beach Park5 acres
DirectionsKaumana Lani Neighborhood Park5 acres
Malama Park4 acres
DirectionsMohouli Park3 acres
DirectionsAhualani Park3 acres
Kealoha Beach Park3 acres
DirectionsWaiuli Beach Park2 acres
DirectionsWaiolena Beach Park2 acres
DirectionsWaiakea Waena Playground2 acres
DirectionsLincoln Park1 acres
DirectionsKeikiland Park1 acres · County of Hawaiʻi
DirectionsKalakaua Park1 acres
DirectionsKaipalaoa Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
8,387 conserved acres
24% of Hilo’s land. Water is left out: Hilo has 53.6 square miles of land and 6.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hilo’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State Department of Land7,235 ac
County845 ac
State natural resources334 ac
Other state land175 ac
State parks145 ac
Not recorded8 ac
State Resource Management Area · 7,235 acLocal Other or Unknown · 634 acState Conservation Area · 334 acState Park · 313 acLocal Recreation Area · 170 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 36 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Department of Land State Resource Management Area State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 7,235 | Open |
| County Land Local Other or Unknown Local Other or Unknown | County | 634 | Unknown |
| Waiakea Forest Reserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 323 | Restricted |
| Pana'Ewa Recreational Complex Local Recreation Area | County | 170 | Open |
| Wailoa River State Recreation Area State Park | State parks | 130 | Open |
| Wailuku River State Park State Park | State parks | 36 | Open |
| Hoolulu Park State Park | Other state land | 28 | Open |
| Liliuokalani Park And Gardens Local Park | County | 22 | Open |
| Carlsmith Beach Park State Park | Other state land | 19 | Open |
| Unknown Park State Park | Other state land | 14 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
42 places to go in Hilo
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hilo
6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Hilo
2 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Hilo
Dr. Ruth E. Oda PlaygroundIn Lincoln Park
DirectionsKaumana Baptist Keikiland
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hilo
Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Hilo
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hilo
Rainbow Falls LookoutIn Wailuku River State Park
DirectionsSite of Shinmachi
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Hilo
Puʻuloa1,060 ft elevation
DirectionsKupapaʻu Hill482 ft elevation
DirectionsPuʻuhonu397 ft elevation
DirectionsHālaʻi335 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Hilo
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.4 mi
off-road bike paths
11 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
44Tennis
23Baseball
12Soccer
11Basketball
5Pickleball
2Volleyball
2Beach volleyball
2Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →17 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
U.S. Post Office and Office BuildingBuilding · listed 1974
About itRev. D. B. Lyman HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itW. H. Shipman HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itDistrict Courthouse and Police StationBuilding · listed 1979
About itS. Hata BuildingBuilding · listed 1991
About itVolcano Block BuildingBuilding · listed 1993
About itKamehameha HallBuilding · listed 1993
About itHilo Masonic Lodge Hall-Bishop Trust BuildingBuilding · listed 1994
About itA. J. Williamson HouseBuilding · listed 1997
About itWaiakea Mission Station-Hilo StationBuilding · listed 2002
About itThomas Guard HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itEdward H. and Claire Moses HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About it5 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hilo: April to July
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.1 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 12.6 | 13.1 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 10.9 |
| High (°F) | 79 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 80 | 79 |
| Rain (in) | 7.9 | 10.2 | 12.7 | 9.4 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 14.4 | 12.1 |
May is the driest month (7.0 in) and September the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 14.4 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Hilo →
Next door
Hilo and its neighbors
Hilo has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo | 24% | 0.7 | 13 | 75% | A− |
| Wainaku | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hilo
Where can I hike in Hilo?
The longest trail networks: Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex, 1 miles; Wailoa River State Recreation Area, 0.8 miles; Liliʻuokalani Gardens, 0.6 miles; Ainaola Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hilo is conserved land?
24% of its land, against a typical 14% for a Hawaii town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hilo’s trails?
Pana‘ewa Recreational Complex and Wailoa River State Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hilo?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.3 of painted or protected lanes, 1.4 of off-road paths and 11 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hilo?
14,225 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hilo or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,050 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hilo have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #19 of 93 in Hawaii. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hilo neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →