Puʻukoholā Heiau

https://www.nps.gov/puhe/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%CA%BBukohol%C4%81_Heiau_National_Historic_Site Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is located on the northwestern coast of the island of Hawaiʻi. The site preserves the ruins of the last major Ancient Hawaiian temple, and other historic sites. The temple was built entirely by hand with no mortar, in less than a year. The red stones were transported by a human chain about 14 miles long, from Pololū Valley to the East. Construction involved thousands of people. How many places in America can you walk in the footsteps of a king? Where else has a stranded sailor risen up to become a great chief over an entire island? Where else can you experience the culminating event of a people, foretold from centuries past? Where else can you stand on a beach and watch as sharks pass over a submerged temple? Experience all this and much more – only at Pu'ukoholā Heiau! From Keahole (Kona) International Airport: Head east on Keahole Airport Rd. Turn left at traffic light onto HI-19. Follow HI-19 to Spencer Beach Park Rd. (26.1 mi) Turn left onto HI-270 (0.4 mi) Turn left onto Spencer Beach Park Rd. (0.3 mi) Destination will be second right on Spencer Beach Park Rd. (Approximately 32 minute drive 27.5 mi) Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site Our Visitor Center is ADA accessible and offers wall exhibits with both English and Hawaiian Language interpretive information in our open lanai area. We also offer a FREE Audio tour available for Smart Phones (Data/Service Provider fees may apply). Restrooms and drinking water fountains located outside of Visitor Center. Museum exhibits and Park Store are open daily from 7:30am-5:00pm located in the visitor center. The park is on the island of Hawai'i, one mile south of Kawaihae off Hwy 270. Turn left on to Spencer Beach Park Road from Hwy 270. Turn 2nd Right in to visitor center parking lot. Visitor Center located on the right. Puʻukoholā Heiau Ceremony by Herb Kane Painting of historic ceremony at Puʻukoholā Heiau Ceremony at Puʻukoholā Heiau, Painting by Herb Kane Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site Banner A Lele (offering tower) set below Pu'ukoholā Heiau NHS Pu'ukoholā Heiau on a clear hot and sunny day in the district of Kawaihae. Sunrise Sunrise over Pu'ukoholā Heiau in mid September. Sunrise with a bright orange red glow rising above Pu'ukoholā Heiau. War God Kū and His Warriors War god Kū and His Warriors Warriors dressed in traditional attire presenting war god Kū on top of Pu'ukoholā Heiau during Ho'oku'ikahi Ceremony. Ho'oku'ikahi Ceremony Ho'okupu offerings placed on Lele Ho'okupu offerings placed on top of the lele during Ho'oku'ikahi ceremony. Trail Paved half mile loop trail Paved half mile loop trail (starting from the visitor center) will takes you to the base of Pu'ukoholā Heiau, passing Mailekini Heiau to Pelekane Bay, and right a long the coastal trail back to the visitor center. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, Hawaii Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. Pu‘ukoholā Heiau 2020 WORLDFEST FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS In 2020 Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) won eight awards at WorldFest Houston. Many of these can be viewed over the summer through our upcoming film festival in celebration of HFC’s 50th Anniversary. (Note: The Special Jury REMI Award is given for a ranking of A+ and recognizes the top films in each category.) Green trees grow in red dirt canyons unde a cloudy sky. Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display at a visitor center Quaternary Period—2.58 MYA to Today Massive ice sheets advanced and retreated across North America during much of the Quaternary, carving landscapes in many parks. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve contains geologic evidence of lower sea level during glacial periods, facilitating the prehistoric peopling of the Americas. The youngest rocks in the NPS include the lava of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the travertine at Yellowstone National Park, which can be just a few hours old. fossil bone bed and murals of mammoths Cenozoic Era The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths. fossils on display in a visitor center Native Plant Restoration The Kalaupapa Fire ignited on January 9, 2020 and burned just over 20 acres in Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE). NPS facilities were damaged by the fire, as were natural and cultural resources. The park has been the planting pili grass (Heteropogon contortus) to rehabilitate the cultural landscape within PUHE. In 2020, the focus of burned area emergency response/emergency stabilization (BAER/ES) work was to stabilize existing planting and in-situ nurseries. Puʻukoholā Heiau as seen from the battlefield area of PUHE. Ka‘oana‘eha Ka‘ōana‘eha was born into the royal family that consolidated power over a unified Kingdom of Hawai‘i at the end of the eighteenth century, but her role in opposing Christian missionization following the collapse of the kapu (meaning both sacred and restricted) system meant that she died out of favor with her powerful family. A yellow illustration of Kawaihae Bay depicting boats, homes, and a mountain range Series: Women's History in the Pacific West - Pacific Islands Collection Women's biographies from Hawai'i and Guam Map of parks in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface Restoring native species post-fire at Pu’ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site Following the 2020 Kalaupapa Fire at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (PUHE), Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) enabled the park to take various efforts to repair damage including continued efforts of restoration of pili (Heteropogon contortus) – a native grass species important to the cultural landscape, controlling non-native species and rehabilitating interpretive landscaping with native species. A worker digs in the soil above a building while the blue ocean spans the background. Travel Blog: The Pacific Islands Writing Prompt: Travel Blog written by Audrey Nelson for "A Day in the Life of a Fellow" Article Series. Audrey is a NPS Workforce Management Fellow, in partnership with Northwest Youth Corps Map of the Pacific Islands Project Profile: Collect Seed for Resilient Pacific Islands The National Park Service is collaborating with a range of partner organizations to coordinate native seed collection for ecosystem restoration and rare species conservation in Pacific Island parks. Seeds will be collected and curated for use in species reintroduction and conservation efforts, post-fire restoration, and to develop sustainable seed supply chains for island parks. a plant nursery with various native plants Young’s Homestead and Hale of Kaʻōanaʻeha Pu'ukoholā Heiau NHS contains the remains of one of the first western-style houses on the Hawaiian islands: the John Young Homestead. The park also contains the traditional style home of Kaʻōanaʻeha, Young’s wife. These radically different homes co-existed in a multiethnic and multicultural family. They were built during a time of cross-cultural exchange in Hawai'i and represent the power and autonomy between the chiefly class of Native Hawaiians and missionary women. Black and white photo of deteriorating hut transitions to grass hut with palm roof Series: Home and Homelands Exhibition: Work What does it take to build a home? These women lived and breathed hard work, building their homes in difficult circumstances. Several were settlers who benefitted from stolen Indigenous lands. Some shared their knowledge of the land. They all had pride in their work. They all put their hands in the soil to claim resources and build homes. Whether wielding a kapa beater to create cloth or planting a tree to sustain a family for generations, these women created futures for their communities. Thick white paper peeled back to reveal collage of women. Lava Flow Forms Young lava flows also have structures and textures that reveal information about their eruptions. Basaltic lava flows come in two major forms: Pāhoehoe and ‘A‘ā. photo of ropey and blocky lava Dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on how dragonfly mercury studies uncover unexpected atmospheric delivery pathways: Janssen, S.E., C.J. Kotalik, J.J. Willacker, M.T. Tate, C. Flanagan Pritz, S.J. Nelson, D.P. Krabbenhoft, D. Walters, and C. Eagles-Smith. 2024. Geographic Drivers of Mercury Entry into Aquatic Foods Webs Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes in Dragonfly Larvae. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02436 close up of dragonfly larvae on white spoon Project Profile: Inventory and Monitoring of Pacific Island Historic & Cultural Resources Impacted by Climate Change The National Park Service will address impacts to archeological and ethnographic resources and cultural landscapes at Pacific Island parks from climate related sea level rise, storm frequency, flooding, and erosion. A dark, rocky beach landscape with palm trees scattered throughout, amidst blue skies. Project Profile: Apply Early Detection Rapid Response to Eradicate Goats in Hawaii Parks The National Park Service will protect and restore ecosystems by detecting and removing invasive feral goats from national parks in Hawai’i. The project will support detecting and mapping goat populations to inform removal plans. The project employs rapid response removal techniques (such as trapping, fencing, and live removal) to yield immediate results for the affected natural and cultural resources in these parks. A black and white goat with large horns peaking out behind a tree. Project Profile: Prevention/Islands: Traveler Education The National Park Service will lead a collaborative effort with Department of the Interior bureaus and other partners to promote behaviors that will decrease the risk of spreading invasive species on islands. Education and outreach products will be developed with the goal of reaching the largest audience of island visitors possible. Half above and half underwater view of thick mangrove roots growing. Project Profile: Restore Biocultural Hawaiian Ecosystems The National Park Service (NPS) will restore Hawaiian montane rainforests and anchialine pools to protect cultural and natural resources in sensitive coastal areas. The NPS will prevent feral pigs and invasive fish from entering anchialine pools and remove invasive species to protect the unique and culturally important natural ecosystems. In the montane rainforest, removing invasive plants and preventing new establishments will improve forest health. Coconut palms surrounding an anchialine pond. Project Profile: Produce Plant Materials for Pacific Island Parks The National Park Service (NPS) will expand native plant material production and storage to prevent the introduction of harmful pathogens or organisms to the Hawaiian Islands. This effort will secure appropriate seed storage capacity, produce individual plants for revegetation, and obtain locally adapted seed from partner organizations to support restoration needs. The project will result in protection and restoration of plants important to native Hawaiian people and culture. Kalaupapa National Historical Park viewed from the trail.