taquitos.net > travel guide > Hawaii's Big Island > Miscellaneous > Saddle Road

Saddle Road (Hawaii's Big Island)

Location: Route 200

Our thoughts: If you need to get from one coast to the other on the Big Island, say Waikoloa to Hilo, and you look at a map, Saddle Road seems like the obvious choice. It cuts pretty much right across the island and by taking it you can avoid driving north on Route 19 to Waimea and down the Hamakua Coast. So you think.

Yet Saddle Road is like a road from the outback (not the Steakhouse) and should be avoided unless you've got a Hummer, unlikely if you're renting from Hertz or Avis. If you try to drive your rental across Saddle Road, your transmission is likely to drop halfway to Hilo. We didn't know this until someone from the hotel gave us the heads up — and thank God he did.

We actually did get to experience the Saddle Road, as part of our guided tour trip up to the Mauna Kea summit. We experienced every twist, turns and bumps of the road inside a multi-passenger van, and were thankful that we didn't actually have to try and drive the road. It's hard to believe that several commuters who live in Hilo actually drive the road to get over to Waikoloa or Kona. Rumor has it the state is working on improving and expanding Saddle Road, so in the future it may be a viable route to and from Hilo for tourists. But for now, stick to Rt. 19 and enjoy the scenic route.

Tip: If you do drive the road, pull over to the side to let more experienced drivers go past you.

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