Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
45.00 ft (13.72 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
1.40 mi (2.25 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Pu'u Loa Petroglyph field in the lower elevations of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is the largest collection of petroglyphs in the state. Most the petroglyphs are concentrated in a small area amongst the past lava flows. 

The trail is marked by a couple small signs along Chain of Craters Road, from which point, a path marked by a line of rock piles traces its way across the flat-ish lava stone for about .7 miles before eventually reaching a boardwalk loop path that encircles many of the visible rock carvings.

Translated as "hill of long life,", Pu'uLloa has about 23,000 petroglyphs representing stages of life, amongst other pieces. It is believed the carvings in the stone also represent human travel throughout the islands upon stone dated from a lava flow between 1200 and 1450 AD.

With the abundance of carvings in this area, walking the boardwalk in the opposite direction after completing a loop tends to make visible more examples that you may have missed the first time around.

The hike itself can be a little bit technical as there is minimal change in elevation, however the surface of the lava tends to roll and undulate.

There is no water or bathrooms at the trailhead, and there is no shade at any point on the hike.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Park entrance fee

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Largest collection of petroglyphs in the state

Cons

No water

Trailhead Elevation

130.00 ft (39.62 m)

Highest point

160.00 ft (48.77 m)

Features

Historically significant
Big vistas
Native artifacts

Typically multi-day

No

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Comments

Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment?
Sign In and share them.