Located toward the end of Chain of Craters Road inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs Hike will take you to the home of Hawaii’s most extensive petroglyph field. It is an easy hike on 500-550 years old lava field to a sacred and awe-inspiring gallery of ki`i pohaku (images carved in stone). This hike is a must for anyone who is interested in the history and culture of Hawaii.
STATS:
Where:
Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs Trailhead – Chain of Craters Rd, Pāhoa, HI 96778
Coordinates: 19°17’20.3″N 155°07’47.8″W
Parking:
Limited. Parking is along the shoulder of the road.
Fees:
Since this is inside the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, there is a fee to enter the park. Check out their website for more info.
Restrooms:
There are no restrooms.
Distance: 1.4 miles round-trip
Elevation: 150 ft
Level: Easy
Estimated Completion Time:
1 to 1.5 hours
Ideal Weather:
Cooler day. There are no shades. It can get very toasty there. Be prepared for hot, dry, wet, windy weather conditions.
Ideal Time:
Go there early morning or late afternoon, when the temperature is cooler. It is also better for photos.
Dog-friendly: NO
THE HISTORY:
Pu’u Loa means “hill of long life.” It is a small hill called a volcanic pressure dome. It was created during an eruption of Kāne Nui O Hamo volcano around 600 years ago. Since then, The Hawaiians used stone tools to carve into the thin, hard crusts of the lava flow, which became the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs field. These petroglyphs bore significant meaning for these Hawaiians.
About 16,000 out of 23,000 petroglyphs are these round depressions called puka. These pukas served as ritual vessels for the umbilical cords of newborn children. The elders would place the umbilical cords inside the carved depressions and covered them with rocks. This way, the spiritual energy of Pu’u Loa would honor the children with long lives. Thousands of Hawaiian families are connected to this spot.
THE ADVENTURE:
It was raining cats and dogs that day as we made our drive through the Chain of Craters scenic road. I’m not sure if you can say that we lucked out with the weather or not but the rain definitely helped cool down the otherwise toasty lava fields. I think the weather god was on our side though because it stopped raining as we parked in front of the Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs Hike trailhead. The trailhead is located about 19.6 miles on the Chain of Craters scenic road from the visitor center. It is toward the end of this scenic drive. The trailhead is on the left-hand side if you are coming from the visitor center. Don’t take the Puna Coast Trail on your right-hand side. This will take you down to the ocean and is a much longer hike.
The hike to Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs is quite straight forward. The trail is mostly defined. There are also stacked rocks to mark the trail. Therefore, if you somehow get lost, just follow the stacked rocks. Please do not create new ones. The stacking of rocks can be culturally offensive, disorienting to hikers, and potentially against the law.
Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs hike is mostly level with some rolling walk across the lava flow. Make sure to watch your footing as there are some rocky parts. There were wild guavas and noni trees growing along the trail. As obsessed as I am with food, seeing the wild guavas made me super happy. Everywhere we go, it becomes my hobby to let Dustin know which plants we can eat. We didn’t pick any of the fruits though because this is a hands-off trail. You can’t take any things except your trash with you. It is illegal to deface the petroglyphs in any way. Please be respectful and stay on the designated paths and viewing platforms. Do not touch the rock images or attempt to make rubbings of them.
As you get closer to the boardwalk loop, you can start to see some of the carvings in the rocks. For some reason, I guess we were focusing on getting to the boardwalk, we missed these early carvings when we first got there. It’s one of those things that if you’re actually looking for something, you’ll start to see them everywhere.
The wooden boardwalk loop is about 0.6 miles from the trailhead. The boardwalk loops through the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyph Field. It is a large and dense collection of petroglyphs. There are information panels sprinkled along the loop to help answer what questions you might have. The loop is about 0.2 miles long. From the boardwalk, you can admire the petroglyphs from both sides of the wooden planks. Again, make sure to stay on the path and do not disturb the petroglyphs.
As we walked along the boardwalk, we noticed that there were these little pukas (carved depressions for umbilical cords) everywhere. They come in many forms. Some of them are wider, some are deeper. Some of them are in the middle of circles while others are all in alignment. Dustin and I always tried to guess the meaning of these petroglyphs; especially knowing that even though much of their meaning might be lost, they are definitely very significant to the Hawaiian culture. Once you’re done here, you can follow the Pu’u Loa Petroglyphs hike back where you come from.
If you’re spending some time on the Hilo side of the Big Island, don’t forget to check out the short but beautiful hike, Rainbow Falls or the Onomea Bay trail which located along the Onomea Scenic Drive. If you are adventurous, check out the lava caves, Kaumana Caves. Also, don’t forget to check out our top 10 things to do on the Big Island.
You can also hear Dustin talk about some of our favorite things to do on the Big Island on the Between The Mountains Podcast
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RECOMMEND GEAR:
Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
• Hiking shoes
Hiking shoes are required as it is an uneven trail through a lava field. Vy’s shoes are North Face HedgeHog GTX. Dustin’s shoes are Coleman Tasman Hiking Shoe.
• Snacks
It is a short hike but I recommend bringing some snacks just in case.
• Sunscreen:
The whole trail is exposed. The sun can get very intense because of the black lava rock. PLEASE bring sunscreen. We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter – Zinc Oxide – Coral Reef Safe and All Good Sport Sunscreen Lotion – Coral Reef Safe (3 oz)(2-Pack) or Stream2Sea SPF 30 Reef Safe Sport Tinted Sunscreen.
• Water
Bring more than you think you need. It gets very toasty on this trail. Vy uses the Camelback L.U.X.E. Dustin uses the Clik Small pack (sadly Clik is no longer around)
• Rain gear and jacket
This trail can go from hot to rainy and windy pretty fast. It’s always good to come prepared.
CAMERA GEAR:
• Camera:
Sony a7 III
Gopro Hero 7 Black
• Lenses:
Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens
• Accessories:
Bobber – Floating Hand Grip for GoPro HERO Cameras
