Of course, no special equipment other than some sturdy shoes and a bottle of water--and maybe a camera--is needed for one of the Big Island's best adventures. Hiking and walking on the island's many miles of well-maintained and spectacularly beautiful trails is still one of the favorite pastimes of travelers wanting to get away from it all. From hiking through a lava tube to zigzagging down a lush valley to scaling a 13,000-footer, the Big Island offers visitors who want to put on their walking shoes the chance to see natural beauty unlike anywhere else in the world. In a hike of just a few miles, you can travel thousands of years back in time to what seems like the very creation of the world by crossing Halemaumau crater at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Or, for those who prefer to witness a more human history, hikes along the Kona-Kohala coast offer glimpses into Hawaii's rich cultural past by visiting several archeological sites such as ancient housing settlements, fishponds and petroglyph fields. Waterfalls, streams and forests are abundant on the east and north sides of the islands for those who appreciate the island's native flora and fauna.