Hawaii, the 50th state admitted to the union, sits isolated in the Pacific Ocean—some 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland. The archipelago of 137 islands contains an incredible diversity of wildlife, climates, and landscapes—lush jungles, beaches, active volcanoes, and much more. Gathered here are a few glimpses into the varied features of Hawaii, and some of the animals and people calling it home.
This photo story is part of Fifty, a collection of images from each of the United States.
Keala Ching, Kumu ("teacher") for the Nā Wai Iwi Ola Foundation, leads the group in chant and dance on a hula paʻa in sight of a lele ("altar") on Mauna Loa. The sunrise ceremony took place on the island of Molokaʻi at Kaʻana, Hawaii. #
Part of the rugged Nā Pali Coast along the northwestern shore of Kauai #
A rainbow is seen over the city of Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island. #
Lava streams into the ocean from the Kīlauea volcano, generating huge clouds of steam. #
Hikers descend the Stairway to Heaven trail overlooking the windward side of Oahu, Hawaii, on March 2, 2019. (Note: This caption previously stated that accessing the trail from Kaneohe is illegal. In fact, any access to this trail is illegal, and trespassers could face serious fines.) #
Local Hawaiian surfers paddle to the lineup and watch another riding a wave on the west coast of Oahu. #
A yellow hibiscus flower blooms in Maui. #
A view of Waikiki Beach and Honolulu from the summit of Diamond Head crater on the island of Oahu. #
A U.S. marine stands in front of the USS Missouri during a ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 2019, at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. #
A horse stands near a stream in Waipiʻo Valley on the Big Island. #
The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility sits above the clouds atop 13,796-foot Mauna Kea. #
Sunset along the Nā Pali Coast #
A green sea turtle swims past some of the 2,300 athletes who await the start signal for a 140.6-mile journey at the 2016 Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kailua-Kona. #
Long vines cover trees on the edge of the forest along Manoa Falls trail in Oahu. #
Cattle graze in the mountains in Waimea, on Hawaii's Big Island. #
A windswept tree grows in a barren volcanic landscape. #
People watch as lava erupts from a Kilauea volcano fissure in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 24, 2018. #
Waves crash into Nā Pali Coast, as seen from Keʻe Beach in Kauai. #
A monkey pod tree canopy, seen near Honolulu. #
The remains of an old locomotive and tender, brought to the island of Lāna‘i by the Maunalei Sugar Company in 1899, and abandoned not long after, when the company went bankrupt #
A street in the former missionary town of Lahaina, now popular with tourists visiting Maui. #
Oceanside street vendors in Kailua-Kona #
A humpback whale breaches in the sunset light, with Lāna‘i in the background. #
Taro fields sit at the base of mountains near Hanalei, on Kauai. #
Waipoʻo Falls flows into Kauai's Waimea Canyon. #
Light illuminates clouds as people watch the sunrise in Haleakalā National Park. #
Japanese surfer Wakita Takayuki rides the barrel during a late-afternoon free-surf session at the legendary Banzai Pipeline on the north shore of Oahu. #
The otherworldly landscape at the summit of the Haleakalā volcano on Maui #
The cascading spray of Akaka Falls, photographed at Akaka Falls State Park, near Honomu, on the Big Island. #
The John A. Burns Freeway enters the Tetsuo Harano tunnels to pass through the Koʻolau Range near Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu. #
The sun rises over the beach on the north shore of Oahu. #
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