Birthed by molten lava and chiseled by millennia of rainfall, the rugged terrain of Hawaiʻi island creates the perfect backdrop for exploration and adventure. Taking just half a day, this course will take you through quaint country towns, to spectacular waterfalls, and locations imbued with rich cultural history.

Starting your day in Waimea, head east along Hawaiʻi Belt Road, which will take you through a rural area of farmland interspersed with homes. As you progress along the route, you’ll notice more trees cropping up alongside the roadside indicating that you are nearing the historic town of Honokaʻa. At the first major intersection, turn left onto Pakalana Street and find Tex Drive-In, a local institution known for its deep-fried malasadas.

Opened in 1969, Tex Drive-In’s specialty is malasadas, a fried pastry that originated in Portugal. After frying, the yeast dough is tossed in sugar and is best served while still warm. At Tex Drive-In, you can stock up on their square-shaped malasadas that are served “plain,” just coated in sugar, or filled with custard, chocolate, or haupia (coconut) cream. While at Tex Drive-In, you can also grab a cup of Kona coffee, hot chocolate, or POG (Passion Fruit, Orange, Guava) juice before hopping back on Hawaiʻi Belt Road to get to your first waterfall.

Once back on Hawaiʻi Belt Road, a thirty-minute drive will bring you to one of the most magnificent groups of waterfalls on the island. Umauma Falls, translating to “constantly flowing,” is a unique cluster of three cascading rapids that create a tiered grouping of waterfalls. Once on the property of The Umauma Experience, you can drive along a paved road to a lookout centered in a lush, tropical garden to view the waterfalls. Over 14 waterfalls can also be seen from above on the zipline tours that are offered. Through a series of nine long lines, suspension bridges, and treetops, guests can zoom through the air at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour high above the flowing waters. The zipline tours last between one-and-a-half to three hours, depending on the group. If you opt for the self-guided walking tour of the gardens and falls, allot at least 45 minutes to stroll their grounds.

The Umauma Falls Experience; 31-313 Mamalahoa Hwy., Hakalau, HI 96710; (808) 930-9477; Open Monday – Saturday from 8 am – 5 pm; umaumaexperience.com.

When you are ready to head to your next destination, head back to Hawaiʻi Belt Road traveling south through the former plantation town of Hakalau, located along the Hāmākua Coast. After a ten-minute drive, be on the lookout for Honomu Road. This road will take you inland to the sleepy town of Honomu with a strip of eclectic stores housed in original, wooden buildings. The end of Honomu Road connects with ʻAkaka Falls Drive which will take you directly to ʻAkaka Falls State Park.

After parking your car, look for the trailhead leading to the falls located just off the parking lot. A paved walking path will take you on a 0.4-mile loop footpath meandering through wild orchids, bamboo forests and low-lying ferns. Along the path, you will first see Kahūnā Falls, a cascading, 100-foot waterfall. Just beyond Kahūnā Falls is the magnificent ʻAkaka Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in the state. The 442-foot waterfall plunges into a steam-eroded gorge and can be seen from multiple points along the walking path.

The waterfall was named after the Chief of Honomu Village, a strong and handsome warrior named ʻAkaka. He resided in the area around the waterfall with his faithful wife. One day, his wife departed to visit her family and Chief ʻAkaka used this time to visit his sweetheart, Lehua, who lived on the north side of the gulch. His wife returned home unexpectedly and rather than hurry home, ʻAkaka traveled to the south side of the gulch to visit his other sweetheart, Maile. His wife called to her husband who continued to flee but she was able to track him down due to the fragrance emanating from the sweetgrass that adorned his neck. Once home, ʻAkaka was ashamed of deceiving his loyal wife and decided the only thing he could do was throw himself over the cliff. His wife followed, trying to stop him from jumping, but she was too late. Legend tells that if you visit ʻAkaka Falls on a still, moonless night, you can hear his loyal wife who continues to call for her husband.

ʻAkaka Falls State Park; End of ʻAkaka Falls Road (Highway 220); Open daily from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm; www.dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/akaka-falls-state-park/ .

When you are ready to head to the final waterfall of this road trip, retrace your path until you are again on Hawaiʻi Belt Road. Traveling further south, you will pass through the towns of Pepeʻekeo and Pāpaikoʻu. The four-mile stretch between these two towns is renowned for the green foliage alongside the highway so, if weather permits, be sure to unroll your windows and take in the fresh, country air. Once you enter the town of Wainaku, near Hilo Bay, look for Waiānuenue Avenue which will take you through a business district of Hilo. After a five-minute drive, veer right onto Rainbow Drive, a two-lane road that leads directly to Wailuku Falls State Park.

Visible from the parking lot, the width of this waterfall is one of its major draws. During rainy seasons, the width of Rainbow Falls can measure around 100 feet making it one of the widest waterfalls in the state. The water of this fall originates from the Wailuku River and takes a dramatic, 80-foot plunge over a lava cave that is said to be the home of Hina, the mother of the Hawaiian demi-god, Māui.

The park is open year-round during daylight hours but the most popular time to visit Rainbow Falls is on sunny mornings when the mist reflects creating rainbows in all directions. For some, a visit to Rainbow Falls is a quick, fifteen-minute stay to view the waterfall from the lookout located just off of the parking lot. Others set aside about thirty minutes to walk a short, 0.1-mile out-and-back hike to an additional lookout for a better view of the falls.

Rainbow Falls at the Wailuku River State Park; 2-198 Rainbow Drive Hilo, HI 96720; Open daily during daylight hours; www.dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/wailuku-river-state-park/ .

Once you are done viewing Rainbow Falls, make your way back to Kaumana Drive which leads you mauka (towards the mountains). After a ten-minute drive, turn left onto South Wilder Road which intersects with Puainako Street. From Puainako Street, you will veer left which leads to Saddle Road.

Carved from lava rock in the 1940s, Saddle Road traverses the width of Hawaiʻi Island. Stretching for over fifty miles, Saddle Road is known for many distinctive attributes such as numerous one-lane bridges, a rugged landscape of lava rock, and an elevation gain of over 6,000 feet resulting in low-hanging fog. As you coast from Hawaiʻi’s East to West sides, you will travel between Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano on Hawaiʻi island and the highest point in the state, and Mauna Loa, one of the largest active volcanoes on the planet.

Saddle Road will converge with Hawaiʻi Belt Road leading you back to Waimea making your circuit complete and concluding your day exploring Hawaiʻi island’s rugged and varied terrain.

North Kohala Waterfalls by Air

Take to the skies to view the beautiful scenery of North Kohala and a chance to see waterfalls not accessible on foot. North Kohala, the site of Hawaiʻi Island’s oldest volcano and birthplace of Kamehameha the Great, features a grouping of some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. However, many of these waterfalls are tucked away in remote valleys making them largely inaccessible by land. Sunshine Helicopters gives you a birds-eye view of these valleys and an opportunity to take in over a dozen roaring falls on a 40-45 minute helicopter ride. Their Kohala Coast and Waterfalls Tour takes you directly over majestic valleys such as Pololū, home of Kapoloa Falls, a stunning, five-hundred-foot fall that descends in front of the velvety green mountainside. Paradise Helicopters, the largest locally owned and operated helicopter company in the state, will take you soaring over North Kohala on their Kohala Coast Waterfalls tour. This 60-minute narrated helicopter tour will take you over areas such as Waipiʻo Valley, a sacred space to the Hawaiian people that is now closed to non-residents. Their tour will allow you to view waterfalls such as Hiʻilawe Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state measuring approximately 1,600 feet.

Sunshine Helicopters; 62-100 Kaunaoa Drive Kamuela, HI 96743; (866) 501-7738; sunshinehelicopters.com

Paradise Helicopters; 73-341 Uu Street Kailua-Kona, HI 96740; (866-876-7422; paradisecopters.com.