Green Lake, Kapoho

For as much rain as this side of the island gets, I’m told that there is not a single river in the entire Puna district, which gives you an idea of how porous the volcanic soil is. An extinct caldera with a crater lake, the steep walls around Green Lake were once heavily terraced and cultivated by the Hawaiians, but have long since been overgrown by dense jungle. Only about 130 yards across at the most, this little pond is the largest natural body of fresh water on the entire Big Island of Hawaii.

Photo circa 2005.