One Day at Volcanoes National Park on Big Island with a Toddler

Traveled in May 2024

Taking a trip to Volcanoes National Park with a toddler might sound like a challenge, but it turned out to be an amazing adventure for the whole family. We were staying on the Kona side of the Big Island during our trip and visited Volcanoes National Park as a day trip. We almost skipped this because of the long drive, but we are so glad we didn’t! With so much to see and explore – from cool lava tubes to beautiful rainforests – there’s plenty to keep little ones entertained. Here’s how we made the most of our day at Volcanoes National Park with a toddler!

Let me start by staying that one day is not enough to do justice to Volcanoes National Park because there are so many unique hikes to explore. Many people will stay a couple days in Kona and a couple days in Hilo to make the most of their time. But when traveling with a toddler, it can be easier to just stay in one location rather than moving accommodations. With only one day to see the highlights of the Volcanoes National Park and nearby areas, this route is a good place to start.

We like driving on our own for the flexibility, but if the long drive seems daunting you could consider a guided tour that will pick you up in Kona and take you to all the same sights.

How to Get There

Volcanoes National Park is on the Hilo side of the Big Island. Hilo and Kona are on opposite coasts of the Big Island, and it takes about 2 hours to drive between the two coasts. There are 2 routes connecting the two coasts: the Hamakua coast road, which is more scenic because it hugs the north coast, and the Saddle road, which cuts right through the middle of the island and is a faster drive. For this day trip, we took the Hamakua coast road to the Volcanoes National Park so that we could stop by Akaka Falls on the way. And we drove the Saddle road on the way back for a quicker drive home.

From our condo at Waikoloa Beach Resort, we took highway 19 north towards Waimea. To get to the Hamakua coast road, continue on highway 19 past Waimea, where the highway skirts the coast all the way to Hilo.

The Saddle road is highway 200. It leaves Hilo and cuts straight across the middle of the island. You will pass Waikoloa Village on your way back to the Waikoloa Beach Resort area.

Note that the highways are basically 1 lane going in each direction, so if there are a lot of cars or you get stuck behind a slow car, the drive time can take longer. We did this day trip on a Sunday morning, and found the traffic to be much lighter than usual.

Recommended Hikes with a Toddler

Akaka Falls State Park

From our condo in Waikoloa Beach Resort, it took us about 1.5 hours to get to Akaka Falls State Park via the Hamakua coast road. If you’re hungry, you can stop by Tex Drive-In on the way for their famous malasadas.

Akaka Falls is a 0.4 mile paved hike with 650 steps down to the waterfall. The hike down has some real Jurassic Park vibes, minus the possibility of death by dinosaur.

Volcanoes National Park

From Akaka Falls, it takes about 1.5 hours to get to Volcanoes National Park. You will pass through Hilo on the way. If you have time, 2 Ladies Kitchen in Hilo was highly recommended by friends for their strawberry mochi (closed Sun Mon). It was closed on the day we visits so we drove straight through Hilo to the national park. 

There is something awe-inspiring about being in the presence of an active volcano. On a day trip, this route that we took hit the highlights of the Volcanoes National Park. This route is heavy on views and light on strenuous hiking that is doable with a toddler.

• Stop at the entrance gates of the national park to pay for park entrance fees.
• Take the first left turn to the Thurston lava tubes. The Thurston lava tubes are underground tunnels created by lava flows. There is a loop trail that will take you through the tunnels and back to the parking lot. This tunnel is fun for kiddos to run through.
• After exiting the Thurston lava tubes, cross the street and look for the Kilauea iki overlook trail. This is a short trail with great views of the Kilauea iki crater. It shares the same parking lot as the Thurston lava tubes.
• Stop at Kilauea visitor center if you want ranger advice on what else to see. We crossed the street to Volcano House to marvel at the active volcano from the lobby overlook.
• Drive to one of the parking lots along the Crater rim trail for an easy paved ¼ mile walk along the top of the crater. We parked at the Kilauea Overlook.
• We stopped at the Steam Vents at Kukamahuakea on the way out. It’s a quick and easy stop to experience the steam from an active volcano.
• Drive back to Waikaloa resort area via the Saddle road (2 hrs). If you want to pick up dinner on the way back, we recommend stopping by Pueo’s Osteria in Waikoloa Village for some amazing pizza.

Reality Check of Visiting Volcanoes National Park with a Toddler

The drive from Kona to Volcanoes National Park and back is a long one. This means you may need to push nap time later than usual. Which may lead to an overtired toddler. And parents know that can be unpleasant. To avoid that situation, we had to skip some things that we would have done if traveling without a toddler (like malasadas, sadly). We also had to stop for a short unexpected car nap in the middle of our time at the park.

The tight timeline also meant that we weren’t able to stop for a proper lunch. So we gave up on having a nutritious lunch for a day. Our toddler made do with a good breakfast and subsisted on snacks during the trip. He survived unscathed and probably enjoyed it more.