We got to hike to the Captain Cook Monument to go snorkeling on the Big Island of Hawaii.

This is a 3.7 mile out and back hike with an elevation gain of 1,272 feet.

There's free parking on the shoulder of the road by the trailhead.

The snorkeling here is amazing!

The Captain Cook Monument is located on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Once we got to the Captain Cook Monument Trailhead, we found that there was free parking on the shoulder of the road.

We walked across the street to the trailhead entrance.

From the trailhead entrance, this hike is a 3.7 mile out and back hike.

It was pretty easy going down, but the climb back up is 1,272 feet in elevation gain.

Make sure you bring plenty of water and foot so you have enough energy to get back up after snorkeling.

When we first started out on the trail, we saw this old abandoned Jeep.

There are 8 marker signs along the way. They are spaced out a little less than a quarter of a mile for each sign. This is helpful to let you know how close you are.

The first part of the hike was in the greener shadier area and then you come out to the lava fields. This is where it gets a lot warmer.

At marker number 8 you will go to the left on the trail. You're almost to the monument.

So we finally made it to the Captain Cook Monument. From the monument, there are some stairs and a short sidewalk to where you get in.

We were hot and ready to get in the water to do some snorkeling.

After snorkeling around the monument, we snorkeled over to the area closer to the cliffs. We saw the biggest eel we've seen so far.

After snorkeling, we got out and ate some lunch that we brought with us. 

We then just relaxed a little and enjoyed the views.

When we rested up and hydrated, we started the climb back up to the parking area.

It took us about 45 minutes to hike down and about 1 hour 45 to hike back up.

Overall, this hike is difficult, but it is totally worth it. We loved snorkeling here and would highly recommend it.

(Click on the map above to go to a Google Maps larger view.)

It is free to hike the Captain Cook Monument Trail. The parking is also free on the shoulder of the road. 

Total Cost: $0

These are the checklist items I recommend:

• Wear hiking shoes or running shoes.
• Bring your own snorkel gear.
• Bring lots of water and food. The hike back up is hard.
• Bring reef safe sunscreen.