Puʻuloa Petroglyphs Trail

Walk in the footsteps of the kūpuna (elders) to Pu`uloa (hill of long life), a sacred and awe-inspiring gallery of ki`i pōhaku (images carved in stone). These simple etchings document the life and culture of the native Hawaiian people. It brought with hopes of receiving the blessings of a long and prosperous life. This coastal trail traverses a 500-550 year old lava field to one of Hawai`i's most extensive petroglyph fields. A site that has approximately 23,000 petroglyphs, many viewable at a boardwalk constructed for this purpose Difficulty: Moderate Distance and hiking time: 1.4 miles (2.25km) round trip. Approximately 1.0 - 1.5 hours. Trail begins: Pu'uloa parking area on Chain of Craters Road. Safety: Hiking on flow fields can be hazardous due to deep earth cracks, uneven and unstable terrain, and razor-sharp lava. The petroglyphs are very fragile. Stay on the boardwalk. Walking on the lava surface will fragment the delicate petroglyphs and destroy them.