Moloka'i - Hawaii - page 812

Kalaupapa Overlook LOOKOUT
MAP
The Kalaupapa Overlook provides a scenic overview of the Kalaupapa Peninsula from
the edge of a 1600ft cliff.
It's easy to get the lay of the land from up here now that vegetation has been cleared.
You'll get a good feel for just how far you'll travel if you descend the nearly 1700ft on
the trail. Interpretive plaques identify significant landmarks below and explain
Kalaupapa's history.
The village where all of Kalaupapa's residents live is visible, but Kalawao, the origin-
al settlement and site of Father Damien's church and grave, is not. Kalaupapa means 'flat
leaf,' an accurate description of the lava-slab peninsula that was created when a low
shield volcano poked up out of the sea, long after the rest of Molokaʻi had been formed.
The dormant Kauhako Crater, visible from the overlook, contains a little lake that's
more than 800ft deep. At 400ft, the crater is the highest point on the Kalaupapa Penin-
sula. A lighthouse stands erect near the northern tip of land. It once boasted the most
powerful beam in the Pacific but now holds only an electric light beacon. The best light
for photography is usually from late morning to mid-afternoon.
There's a vague trail of sorts that continues directly beyond the last plaque at the over-
look. The path, on a carpet of soft ironwood needles, passes through diagonal rows of
trees planted during a Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) reforestation project in the 1930s.
Simply follow this trail for 20 minutes or so until it peters out.
Kauleonanahoa CULTURAL SITE
MAP
Kauleonanahoa (the penis of Nanahoa) is Hawaii's premier phallic stone, standing proud
in a little clearing inside an ironwood grove, about a five-minute walk from the parking
area. The legend goes that Nanahoa hit his wife Kawahuna in a jealous rage and when
they were both turned to stone, he came out looking like a dick, literally.
Reputedly, women who come here with offerings of lei and stay overnight will soon
get pregnant. There's no mention of what happens to men who might try the same thing
with some nearby stones that have been carved into a female counterpart to the main
rock.
Before the trees were planted, the stone, which has had some plastic surgery through
the years to augment its effect, was a striking pinnacle atop the ridge.
Sleeping