Hikers arriving on Hawaii's Big Island could one day chose to embark on trails that weave across the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano, under a plan by federal, state and private agencies.

A system, to include more than 350 miles of interconnected trails, is being considered by Kamehameha Schools, the National Park Service and the Nature Conservancy, among others. The trails would take visitors through unexplored native forests, pasture lands and lava fields, and link the lower peaks of Kilauea and Hualalai, according to a $180,000 feasibility study by Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaii Tourism Authority.