Distance: 0.5 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 0'
Elevation Gain: 25'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0
Round trip time: 15 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on South Point Road
Difficulty: Easy
This was a travel day, going from super wet Hilo to sunny Kona. We wanted to take the southern route to see a different part of the island. The first stop was Punalu'u black sand beach. I expected the sand to be hotter than regular sand but it wasn't. There were a few turtles sunning on the beach in an enclosed area and we saw a few heads pop up in the water. There were no restrooms at the beach, but there was one a short walk away at the camp site. It was a super nice beach and a draw for a lot of tourists, even through it was pretty far out of the way.
Next, we drove to South Point. The last ten miles or so are on a very narrow road, one lane at points. There were more people headed there and coming back than I would have guessed. We parked at the end of the road and walked a quarter mile on dirt and sand to reach the southernmost point in the United States. The point is well south of the Florida Keys. The shore was filled with shells, the rocks jagged, and the sea rough. Local fishermen were lined up along several sections. There was a jump off point on the western side where the sea was calm, but neither of us wanted to make the 40' leap, even with a ladder to get back up. We spotted a couple of snorklers on the western side bobbing in the swell.
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