North Kohala Loop - looking for tips on route and timing

Hello,

My husband and I are thinking about driving the North Kohala loop on one of our afternoons on Big Island, and want to make sure our plan is feasible. We will be leaving from Keauhou after lunch on a Saturday (we have a snorkel tour scheduled that morning).

We figured we%26#39;d drive to Hawi, look around a bit and have ice cream at Tropical Dreams. Then continue on to the Pololu Valley Overlook and hopefully (if time permits), hike down to the beach. Drive back, catch the sunset from Hwy 250 or the road into Kawaihae. Then have a late, casual meal in Kailua-Kona on the way back to our hotel (Huggo%26#39;s on the Rocks?).

Do these drive times sound right?

- Keauhou to Hawi: 1:30-1:45

- Hawi to Pololu Valley Overlook: 00:45

Which route should we take to maximize scenery and/or minimize drive time?

- Hwy 19 or Hwy 190 from Keauhou to Waimea?

- Hwy 270 in the daylight and Hwy 250 at sunset or vice-versa?

Is it going to be really rushed to try and do this in an afternoon/evening?

North Kohala Loop - looking for tips on route and timing

LifesADance,

Do these drive times sound right?

- Keauhou to Hawi: 1:30-1:45

Maybe it is just me, and I am slow today. I assume you don’t mean 15 minutes, right? So about 1 – 1.5 hours seems right to me. With traffic it can take longer to get through Kona, so yours is conservative but good estimate.

- Hawi to Pololu Valley Overlook: 00:45

Sure, I recall it did not take that long, but I wasn’t watching the clock the last time I was there.

Going north I would take 190 to Waimea then 250 to Hawi. Coming back I would take 270 to 19. I usually go opposite of this, but since you plan on coming back at twilight, 250 is safer in the broad daylight, IMO.

Yes, if you eat lunch late it will feel rushed, when do you get back from snorkeling? If you eat and early lunch and hit the road by noon, I see no reason why it cannot be done. Another option is to get a picnic and/or eat in Waimea or even in Hawi to save time.

Keep in mind the climb down into Pololu is easier and faster than the climb up, and it is easy to lose track of time down there. Plan accordingly. Pretty valley though.

I like Huggos and Bubba Gumps for what you are looking for.

Good luck and happy travels!

North Kohala Loop - looking for tips on route and timing

Thanks, echo!

Hehe... yes, I intended 1:30-1:45 to mean 1.5-1.75 hrs, not 15 minutes. :)

We%26#39;ll be on a snorkel tour that finishes at noon, so I%26#39;m thinking we won%26#39;t be able to get on the road until 1 PM at the earliest. A picnic lunch is a good idea.

My #1 priority for the afternoon/evening is to see a beautiful sunset - are there views coming back along 270? It will also be our only chance to see Pololu Valley, and that%26#39;s pretty high on my priority list too... too much to do, too little time! :P

We did that loop on our last day with no time problem. It took about 5 hours if you hike down into Pololu, closer to 4 if you just go to the lookout. (In fact another day we drove up 250 to Kapa%26#39;a just for the scenery and were glad to do it again.) Be sure to pay your respects to Kamehameha in Kapa%26#39;a.

The only thing is that the gate at Lapakahi State Park (a worthwhile stop to be sure) closes at around 3:30 so you still might want to consider going UP on 270 and down 250.

I suggest eating dinner at Cafe Pesto in Kawaihae on your way back down 270/250 or detouring into Waimea for good restaurants (but less wonderful sunset). The timing should be good for sunset and then you will be hitting Kona well into the evening and the traffic will be diminished.

If you ever get a chance to travel across the island at that end--on 19, from Kawaihae to Honoka%26#39;a, maybe if you are going up to Waipio--I recommend taking a detour just east of Waimea town (just east of the posted Farmers Market site there is a turnoff on the south side of the road) onto the Old Mamalahoa ';highway';. It rolls through beautiful pastures and ranchland, lava tube caves, and then as you go east, into rainforest/jungle scenery.

BTW the red antique shop in Kealekekua had better Tropical Dreams flavors on tap than the place in Hawi!!

Also--we really enjoyed a stop going up 270 at Pu%26#39;ukohola Heiau, where Kamehameha sort of fulfilled his destiny. I really think you will enjoy it more going up 270, stop there and also at Lakapahi, then on to Hawi, Kapa%26#39;a and Pololu. If you go up on 250 you will not be able to stop at these very beautiful and interesting Hawaiian heritage sites coming back down 270, as they close the gates late in the afternoon. Also going UP 270 you will enjoy a great view of Maui along the way.

Then on the way back go down 250 (strictly a nice drive, not much to stop for) to Waimea and then take 19 to the coast, to Kawaihae for sunset dinner, and then go back through Kona in the evening.

aloha,

I have lived in North Kohala and driven 270/250 on a regular basis, and I agree with echolynch not to drive over the mountain for the sunset and then down in the dark. It%26#39;s a narrow curvy road being driven by locals who are in a hurry. It also gets very foggy at times and can rain at dusk, so you have no guarantee of a sunset.

The best sunsets along there are at Mahukona, if you feel cool about fitting in with the locals. View of Maui is a bonus. 270 is easy to drive so if you leave at sunset you have an easy post-sunset drive down to Kawaihae.

Route from Keauhou to maximize scenery -- well I would take the road up to the upper highway (Mamalahoa) and bypass Kailua-Kona, which will get you to Waimea faster than the coast. You%26#39;ll have more time to hike down to Pololu if you don%26#39;t do a sit down lunch. If you want to try local plate lunch you could pick it up at the hole in the wall to the right of Matsuyama%26#39;s supermarket on the Upper Highway.

From Waimea take 250, I would bypass Tropical Dreams until the way home and instead take the Kynnersley fork down to Kapa%26#39;au (not Hawi) which will save you ten minutes on your way to Pololu. You can pick up treats in Kapa%26#39;au at Kohala Rainbow Cafe if you want. On your way back from Pololu, then stop in Hawi for the ice cream and head down for the sunset to Mahukona if it%26#39;s that time of day.

If you are running early (doubtful) you could stop in farther south at Hapuna or A-Bay for a sunset, but I doubt you will be. Sunsets at Kawaihae harbor are OK but the view isn%26#39;t panoramic.

Have dinner at Cafe Pesto if you do get there at dusk and are hungry ... they have no view but if it%26#39;s dark, no matter.

This does sound like a long day. I am lazy myself and after a snorkel tour in the am I would content myself with Pololu lookout and skip the hike. but that%26#39;s me.

You can get the exact sunset time for your date off the web, just google for sunset and the location. Depending on the time of year, not all sunset spots give you a view of sun dropping into water, unless the spot has a 180 degree view, because the sun moves a long way north and south, so consider that. You didn%26#39;t say when your trip is in this post ... can%26#39;t miss with Mahukona though.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

We ended up having a quick lunch at Lava Java in Kailua-Kona, and then heading up 190 through Waimea and then 250 to Hawi. We enjoyed the mountain road but probably missed out on some of the distant scenery because it was rainy and cloudy. We stopped in Kapa%26#39;au to see the King Kamehemeha statue and then went to Pololu Valley. We hiked down to the beach and were glad we did because it%26#39;s much prettier from below (and even from halfway down the trail) than it is from the overlook. The round trip hike took us maybe 40 minutes including stopping to breathe and to take pictures. We spent about half an hour at the beach which was enough for my husband but I could have stayed a little while longer. I%26#39;m not sure if the drive would have been worth it without the hike, but that%26#39;s just me.

After Pololu, we stopped in Hawi for Tropical Dreams ice cream. Then we headed down 270 as the sun was setting. Great view of Maui in the distance just outside of Hawi. The cultural sites were closed by that time, but we did stop to look at Pu%26#39;ukohola Heiau from Kawaihae Harbor (great sunset spot there too!). We continued to Hapuna Beach for the actual sunset. Then back to Kailua-Kona along Hwy 19, where we had a very enjoyable dinner of pupus and fruity drinks at Huggo%26#39;s on the Rocks - toes in the sand and live Hawaiian music. Appropriate end to a long, but satisfying day.

I believe we left Kailua-Kona around 2 PM and were at Hapuna Beach by about 6:30 PM (sunset was at 6:45). It was a little rushed, but not too bad. With only 3 days on Big Island, that%26#39;s what happens. :)