Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit
This massive 2003 addition to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is only accessed from
Ka'u. Once part of the island's largest
ahupua'a
, a traditional land district running from
mountain to sea, its 116,000 acres later served as ranchland. The park is in the process of
slowly developing visitor infrastructure, and a lower section is accessible, with portable
toilets at trailheads. Current options include a scenic drive (12-mile round trip), four hik-
ing trails, weekly guided hikes, monthly reforestation projects, and occasional junior
ranger days. Check
www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/events.html
for the latest schedule.
As you might expect, this is a real get-away-from-it-all adventure. You'll have a huge
and wild piece of the Big Island to yourself. The walking area was once a ranch, but trees
were retained at intervals, so it feels like a vast sloping park. There's a grab bag of sights,
including cinder cones, tree molds, spatter ramparts (from lava fountains), lav flows, a
quarry, an abandoned airstrip, an old radar station and, best of all, a forested pit crater.
You also have a good chance of spotting wild turkeys and big-horned moufflon sheep,
which were introduced during the ranching era. Having said all that, the Kahuku Unit is
no replacement for the main park.
The Kahuku Unit is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday (except the first
Saturday of the month) from 9am to 3pm (the gate is locked at 3pm). The entrance to the
park is located 4 miles west of Waiʻohinu; turn right after mile marker 70. At time of re-
search the park's sign was missing.
Activities
Kahuku Road
SCENIC DRIVE
This 12-mile round-trip drive ascends the full length of the publicly accessible area,
rising 2,145ft. The first 2.5 miles is a leisurely journey along a graded gravel road past
open pastures and the remains of the epic 1868 eruption. Past the Upper Palm trailhead
the road climbs steeply and requires 4WD.
The landscape becomes more wooded and abandoned water tanks and corrals recall
former ranching days. Views stretch to South Point. Look for rare, yellow-flowering ohia
lehua trees. All the trailheads are on this main road.
Puʻu o Lokuana Trail
HIKING
This easy 2-mile loop follows historic ranch roads that lead into a hidden pasture sur-
rounded by trees. After passing some lava tree molds the route wanders around spatter
