Lava Tree State Monument

Entering this park beneath its tight-knit canopy of monkeypod trees is an otherworldly experience. A short, easy loop trail passes through a tropical vision of Middle Earth, full of ferns, orchids and bamboo, and highlighting unusual 'lava trees', which were created in 1790 when a rain forest was engulfed in pahoehoe (lava) from Kilauea's East Rift Zone.

The lava enveloped the moisture-laden ohia trees and then receded, leaving lava molds where the destroyed trees once stood. These mossy lava shells now lie scattered like dinosaur bones, adding to the park's ghostly aura. Then, in late afternoon, the love songs of coqui reverberate among the trees.