Big Island · USA » Sights (78)

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, USA

A kipuka is a forested island surrounded by a sea of lava. This100-acre mesic forest is also known as Bird Park; native birds, such as the 'apapane and the 'elepaio, call from their hiding places in the thick canopy. Drive southwest on Highway 11 from the park to the next right and turn onto Mauna Loa Road. You'll see a sign marked "Tree Molds." Each chimneylike formation was created when molten lava hardened around a tree, burning it away in the process. About 2 mi in, you can take a self-guided mile-long walk around Kipuka Puaulu.