Outdoor sights in Hawai'i (The Big Island)
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Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
Though it may appear to be desolate lava rock this national park is worth exploring. It covers 1160 acres of oceanfront and includes fishponds, ancient heiau and house sites, burial caves, petroglyphs, holua, and a restored 1-mile segment of the ancient King's Trail footpath. Visit in the early morning or late afternoon (or when it's overcast), as midday temperatures can be unbearable. Trails cross rough chunks of 'a'a lava, so wear good shoes.
At the park's northern end is Kaloko Fishpond. Further south, 'Aimakapa Fishpond, is the largest on the Kona Coast. Separated from the ocean by a stone wall, fish were raised in these ponds until distributed by the ali'i. Mangrove,…
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B
Lapakahi State Historical Park
Lapakahi is part of a marine conservation area and certain sections are sacred. Follow the 1-mile loop trail (unshaded) past the remains of house sites, canoe sheds and fishing shrines. Learn how fishers used lift nets to catch opelu (pan-sized mackerel scad), a technique still practiced today, and how the salt used to preserve fish was dried in stone salt pans. Try 'o'o ihe (spear throwing) and 'ulu maika (stone bowling).
Lapakahi was a remote fishing village 600 years ago. Fish were plentiful, and the cove provided a safe canoe landing year-round. Eventually some of the villagers moved to the wetter uplands and began to farm, trading their crops for fish with those who …
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C
Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs
The gentle Pu'u Loa Trail leads less than a mile to the largest concentration of ancient petroglyphs in the state. At the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs, early Hawaiians chiseled more than 20,000 drawings into pahoehoe lava. Given the setting, it's easy to see why this spot might have been considered sacred.
There are abstract designs, animal and human figures, as well as thousands of dimpled depressions (or cupules) that were receptacles for umbilical cords. Placing a baby's umbilical stump inside a cupule and covering it with stones was meant to bestow health and longevity to the child. The parking area and trailhead are signed between the 16- and 17-mile markers. At the site, st…
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D
Lava Tree State Monument
Entering this park beneath its tight-knit canopy of monkeypod trees is an otherworldly experience. A short, easy loop trail passes through a tropical vision of Middle Earth, full of ferns, orchids and bamboo, and highlighting unusual 'lava trees', which were created in 1790 when a rain forest was engulfed in pahoehoe (lava) from Kilauea's East Rift Zone.
The lava enveloped the moisture-laden ohia trees and then receded, leaving lava molds where the destroyed trees once stood. These mossy lava shells now lie scattered like dinosaur bones, adding to the park's ghostly aura. Then, in late afternoon, the love songs of coqui reverberate among the trees.
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E
Puako Petroglyph Preserve
With more than 3000 petroglyphs, the Puako Petroglyph Preserve is one of the largest collections of ancient lava carvings in Hawai'i and definitely worth a visit. The human figures drawn in simple linear forms are among the oldest examples of such drawings in Hawai'i. Like all petroglyphs in Hawaii, the meaning of the symbols remains enigmatic.
From the mauka end of the Holoholokai Beach parking lot, a well-marked trail leads 1300yd to the preserve. The walk is easy, but good shoes are recommended. Avoid midday as the path is only partly shaded. Stay on the path to avoid damaging the petroglyphs.
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F
Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve
A lava field, Waikoloa Petroglyph Preserve, etched with impressive petroglyphs, many dating back to the 16th century, is located beside the Kings' Shops. Some are graphic (humans, birds, canoes) and others cryptic (dots, lines). Western influences appear in the form of horses and English initials.
From the King's Shops, a five-minute walk along a signposted path leads to the first of the etchings. Stay on the path to avoid damaging the petroglyphs. The King's Shops offers a free, one-hour petroglyph tour at 10:30 daily.
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