Kapaau

20.2339° N, 155.8019° W

Up bright and early this morning to do something we’ve never done while on The Big Island (well, anywhere for that matter)…. ATV Riding! From Kona, it was about a 45 minute drive to Highway 201 and then another 40 minutes or so to the small town of Kapaau. The journey along the Kohala Coast is always a beautiful drive with stunning views of turquoise waters on one side and the dramatic volcanic mountainside on the other. In the past there has been toppling coral graffiti along the highway —- tourists used white coral rocks to create statues or messages agains the black backdrop of lava. This was frowned upon by the local community and appears to be cleaned up. If you look closely amongst that black lava you will see little black rams. It seemed to me there were more this year or perhaps it was because I started making a game of finding them as they were camouflaged!

We did our tour with the company ATV Outfitters. There are a few other ATV groups to choose from but, I chose this one because I like the companies philosophy of hospitality and inviting their guests in as ‘Ohana (family). ATV Outfitters is owned and operated by a husband and wife team like Kevin and I — Bill and Sandie Wong who are lifetime Kohala residents. There are several tour options to choose from — we chose the Deluxe Ocean and Waterfall Adventure.

No need to worry if you’ve never driven an ATV. After you’re fitted with a head sock, helmet and goggles, there is also a lesson on driving + maneuvering the vehicle.

After the training, we headed down a rocky trail towards the beach. We found ourselves driving through a lush rainforest and along red clay until it opened up to a serene view of a hidden cove and beach. Our tour guide, Keanu, and his crew were fantastic! While at the beach they told us a bit of history about the beach and this particular area of the North Kohala Coast. They gave us ample time to take in the beautiful scenery and take pictures.

Next, we made our way to the opposite side of the highway up, up, up into the mountain. It was amazing to see how the weather changed! As we were leaving the beach it began to pour rain from the clouds but, as we made our way up the mountain, we drove into a warmer, dry area. Along the way, we drove through orchards of macadamia nuts, guava and papaya. At the top of the mountain we took time for a light snack and a moment to take in the views.

While we stood atop the mountain, Keanu shared that this former sugarcane field (and much of North Kohala) has tunnels running underground and we were standing on one. This ditch system was created in the early 1900s as a way to redirect water to the sugar cane plantations. The last of these were used for sugar in 1975 — today they are used for eco-tourism as there are kayaking tours that navigate their way through this system of tunnels and flumes.

Finally, we hopped back in our vehicles and headed off to a hidden waterfall.

We could hear the chatter of the waterfall ahead in the distance as we hiked down a steep rocky slope. Everyone took their time taking in the lush green rainforest as we held onto the rope that guided us down the trail. It had rained much of this week along the Kohala Coast and you could smell and feel the clammy moisture in the air. And, as we made it to the bottom of the slope, the waterfall appeared!

Finally, we made the climb back up the slope, to our ATV and back to ATV Outfitters headquarters. This was a fun experience for our family —- and a bit out of the norm of what we usually do. We loved it —- perhaps next time we’ll try another different activity like riding the hidden tunnels and flumes on this northern tip of Kohala! If you’re interested in the flume adventures, you can find it here. Let us know if you go and how it was!

Happy Travels!