Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve
Nature preserve
3,815 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Volcano
Few parks or trails are on the map in Volcano
43% of Volcano’s land is conserved, about 7,269 acres. 81 acres are parks and preserves, 108 per 1,000 residents. 5.0 miles of mapped trail cross Volcano, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
43%
7,269 acres · of 26.7 sq mi of land
Trails
5.0 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
81 ac
108 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
30%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.0 mi
Highest peak
6,291 ft
Puʻukīpū
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Managed by National Park Service
1,322 acres
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
ʻOlaʻa Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
894 acres
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yet
Upper Waiākea Forest Reserve
Nature preserve
226 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve3,815 acres
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park1,322 acres · National Park Service
DirectionsʻOlaʻa Wilderness894 acres · National Park Service
Upper Waiākea Forest Reserve226 acres
ʻŌlaʻa Forest Reserve123 acres
Kīlauea State Recreation Area7 acres
Who protects it
7,269 conserved acres
43% of Volcano’s land. Who manages Volcano’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources3,724 ac
Private owners3,147 ac
State Department of Land317 ac
National Park Service74 ac
State parks7 ac
State Conservation Area · 3,724 acWatershed Protection Area · 3,147 acState Resource Management Area · 317 acNational Park · 74 acState Park · 7 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pu'u Maka'ala Natural Area Reserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 3,382 | Restricted |
| Olaa-kilauea Watershed Partnership Watershed Protection Area | Private owners | 3,147 | Closed |
| State Department of Land State Resource Management Area State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 317 | Open |
| Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 224 | Restricted |
| 'Ola'a Forest Reserve State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 119 | Restricted |
| Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park National Park | National Park Service | 74 | Open |
| Kilauea State Recreation Area State Park | State parks | 7 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Volcano
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Volcano
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Volcano
Puʻukīpū6,291 ft elevation
DirectionsPuʻulalaʻau5,518 ft elevation
DirectionsNa Lua Mahoe4,596 ft elevation · In Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Puu Oo Volcano Trail0.9 mi
Biking & sports
3.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Volcano: April to August
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 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 11.2 | 11.0 |
| High (°F) | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 71 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 68 |
| Rain (in) | 8.8 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 9.2 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 8.2 | 10.6 | 11.4 |
June is the driest month (5.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 74 °F). 11.4 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Volcano →
Next door
Volcano and its neighbors
Volcano has the second most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcano | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Volcano Golf Course | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mauna Loa Estates | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mountain View | 38% | 1.0 | under 1 | under 1% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Volcano
Are dogs allowed on Volcano’s trails?
Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Volcano?
3.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Volcano?
76,819 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Volcano or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 391 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Volcano 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 →