The Lava Tree State Monument may be one of the most beautiful sights in Pahoa, but ironically enough, its origins can be traced back to a Kilauean volcano erupting in 1790, with lava rushing out and devouring forests and capturing trees in its fiery limbs. Today, visitors can explore the lava hardened forest, which seems to be frozen in time (no pun intended). Although the forest has already grown back since the 18th century disaster, remnants of the tragedy still remain, which include enormous and amazing lava shells that seem more like abstract sculptures. There are towering trees everywhere, with gigantic flowers and vines trailing down from their branches. The sheer height and magnificent of these trees can certainly make one wonder of how powerful the eruption had been that it was able to take down trees of their ilk.