Category Archives: Parks

The path to Thurston Lava Tube

The interior of Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.The path to Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Thurston Lava Tube is one of the more visited spots in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It might not be as compelling as Puapoo Lava Tube, but it’s not far from the road and easily accessed. I tend to visit it whenever I’m in the park.

One thing I like about Thurston is the path to and through the tube. It starts with a drop into dense tropical forest, features a bridge leading to the maw of the tube, and then wiggles through the damp and the eerily lit interior until reaching the light at the other end.
The entrance to Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Hawaiian stilts

A pair of Hawiian Stilts at the Kaloko Fishpond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.A Hawiian Stilt at the Kaloko Fishpond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.
The Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) is known here as the Ae’o. It’s endemic to the islands and endangered to boot, though the population is thought to be increasing. These two were by the Kaloko Fishpond at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. I wonder why they’re called stilts?

Hapu‘u fern

A hapuu fern on the Big Island
Hapu‘u ferns are endemic to Hawaii and can grow to 25 feet high, depending on the type. I like how the fronds uncurl, gradually revealing more details. The golden brown hair is called pulu. I found these in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is one of the places where the fern grows best.

For more information about hapu‘u ferns, go to instanthawaii.com/cgi-bin/hawaii?Plants.hapuu.

A hapuu fern on the Big Island