The Hāmākua Coast drive, called the Hāmākua Heritage Corridor, starts in Hilo and ends at the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout. It runs along sea cliffs and through valleys and tropical rainforest, past old plantation towns and waterfalls, on a coast once planted in sugar cane. Near the start, take the Onomea Scenic Drive, a detour off Hawaiʻi Belt Road. Farther north, turn west onto ʻAkaka Falls Road for ʻAkaka Falls State Park, with ʻAkaka Falls and Kahuna Falls. State Parks reported part of the ʻAkaka Falls trail closed by fallen trees in October, so check its notices before you go. World Botanical Gardens has an overlook of Umauma Falls, a tiered waterfall. Drive carefully through the hairpin turns, then stop at Laupāhoehoe Point, which a tsunami once devastated, and at the Laupāhoehoe Train Museum, which honors the old Hawaiʻi Consolidated Railway. Kalōpā State Recreation Area has picnicking and hiking in native forest; day use is open while its camping and cabins stay closed. Honokaʻa has a Saturday morning farmers market and small restaurants and cafés. The drive ends at the Waipiʻo Valley Lookout, with a view of waterfalls and a black sand beach between high valley walls.
Part of the ʻAkaka Falls trail was closed by fallen trees as of mid October; check State Parks notices.
