What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm Saturday 8:30am - 4:30pm Sunday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

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Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Official page of Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site on the Island of Hawai'i. How many places in America can you walk in the footsteps of a king?

Where else has a common sailor been stranded on an island, only to rise up to become a great chief and change the course of a people's history? Where else can you experience the culminating event of a people, foretold from centuries past? Only here at Pu'ukohola Heiau...

06/02/2026

Even though Puʻukoholā Heiau is more than 60 miles away from Kīlauea's summit caldera in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, we can still see Pele’s activity from all the way up here.

Yesterday, during Episode 48 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption, park staff at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site captured this photo of the massive volcanic plume rising at sunrise.

Not a bad way to start the day!

NPS Photo / Kahau Agustin

05/13/2026

You may have noticed some new plantings along the south side of the parking lot and access road at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. These native plants, including loulu palms, naupaka, pāʻūohiʻiaka, wiliwili, and ʻilima, are part of an ongoing project to enhance the landscape with native Hawaiian species.

The small plants pictured here are a loulu palm and a wiliwili plant. Loulu is the only palm genus native to Hawaiʻi, while wiliwili is a dry forest tree well adapted to Hawaiʻi’s coastal environments. Mahalo for helping us care for these young plantings by giving them space to grow!

NPS Photo

05/08/2026

Mark your calendars for upcoming community workdays at our sister park, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park!

Join a group of volunteers for a short .5-mile hike and invasive species removal at ʻAimakapā Fishpond to help restore the largest wetland on the Kona Coast.

Thursday, May 14, 8:30am–12pm
Thursday, June 11, 8:30am–12pm
Thursday, July 9, 8:30am–12pm
Saturday, July 11, 8:30am–12pm

RSVP for a day at Kaloko-Honokōhau: go.nps.gov/kahovolunteer

All are welcome!

An email with full details and instructions will be sent to participants who RSVP.

Please remember to bring the following items:

Hat
Water Bottle
Reef-safe sunscreen
Hiking boots
Tabis or other water shoes (can be provided if you don't have your own)
Gloves (can be provided if you don't have your own)

NPS Photo

05/01/2026

Hauʻoli Mei kākou! Happy May!

Join us this month for cultural demonstrations at our Visitor Center:

Tuesdays:
Kōnane (10am-1pm) — Ed Dowling (HPPA) — May 5, 12, 19 & 26
Experience a demonstration of kōnane, learn how to play, and discover the cultural significance of this traditional Hawaiian game.

Wednesdays:
Hulu Aliʻi, Chiefly Featherwork (10am-1pm) — Pōmai Brown — May 6, 13, 20 & 27
This weekly demonstration of feathered capes and cloaks offers a meaningful connection to our kūpuna and the rich history of this sacred place.

Please note: Programs may be postponed, modified, or canceled. Stay up to date on social media or visit our NPS.gov calendar for the latest information.

NPS Photo / PUHE

04/30/2026

Now hiring at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site!

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is hiring a Park Guide to join our team. This is a seasonal position, which offers an opportunity to connect visitors with Hawaiian history, culture, and natural resources.

Seasonal Park Guides welcome visitors at the visitor center, answer questions, and share stories of the significance of Puʻukoholā Heiau. They also orient visitors to park conditions, points of interest, and important safety information.

The job announcement is now open on USAJOBS:
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/866745100

If you have questions about the position or need assistance with the application process, please contact us at [email protected].

NPS Photo / PUHE

04/22/2026

"I ka wā ma mua, i ka wā ma hope."

— A Hawaiian expression often translated as, "Look to the past to guide the future."

NPS Photo / PUHE

04/15/2026

Your roots are showing!

Hala trees along the coast at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site often catch visitors by surprise. The roots grow out from the trunk and extend above the ground, creating a striking pattern that stands out in the landscape.

We're often asked why they look this way. These aerial roots help stabilize the tree in sandy, windy coastal areas. They also allow the tree to slowly expand outward over time, forming groves that can withstand harsh coastal conditions.

During Native Hawaiian Plant Month, the hala (Pandanus tectorius) reminds us of the deep relationship between plants and place. Hala has long been an important plant in Native Hawaiian culture. Its leaves are used for weaving mats, baskets, and lei, reflecting a long tradition of transforming natural materials into items of lasting significance.

NPS Photo / PUHE

04/09/2026

The hillside at Puʻukoholā Heiau has been looking unusually green!

Recent Kona Low storms have been bringing heavy rain across the region, and the slopes have responded quickly with fresh growth and color. In a desert climate more often associated with dry, golden tones, the change is especially striking.

It's also a visual reminder that while the historic heiau stands strong, its surrounding landscape is always changing.

NPS Photo / PUHE

04/06/2026

One lesser-known figure who helped shape Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site was a woman named Kaʻōanaʻeha.

Kaʻōanaʻeha was born around the time of the construction of Puʻukoholā Heiau, into the chiefly family of Kamehameha I — the daughter of Keliʻimaikaʻi and Kalikoʻōalani. She lived for decades on a homestead near this site as the wife of John Young, a British sailor who became a trusted advisor to Kamehameha I and later served as governor of Hawaiʻi Island. Together, they raised six children.

Kaʻōanaʻeha lived at Kawaihae during a period of major political and cultural change in Hawaiʻi. She witnessed the consolidation of power under the early Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and was part of the shifting alliances that shaped leadership and governance across the islands.

This historic image of Kawaihae Bay, printed in 1832, depicts the area while Kaʻōanaʻeha lived here. It shows the same landscape where she spent much of her life and the setting she would have known around Puʻukoholā Heiau.

Illustration by Daniel Tyerman (1832)

04/02/2026

Walking the half-mile loop at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site offers a range of ways to experience this wahi pana.

The coastal trail is part of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, a network linking communities, resources, and places of significance around Hawaiʻi Island. Here, you’re never far from the sound of Pacific waves.

NPS Photo / PUHE

Address

62-3601 Kawaihae Road
Kawaihae, HI
96743

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18088827218

Website

http://www.nps.gov/puhe

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