Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs
Historical place · Hawaii County ·

Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs

Historical place · Hawaii County ·

Archeological site with 23,000 petroglyphs in hardened lava, rugged hike

Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs by null

Information

Chain of Craters Rd, Pāhoa, HI 96778 Get directions

Information

Static Map

Chain of Craters Rd, Pāhoa, HI 96778 Get directions

+1 808 985 6000
nps.gov
@hawaiivolcanoesnps
𝕏
@Volcanoes_NPS

Features

wheelchair accessible entrance

Last updated

Nov 27, 2025

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@travelleisure
27,057 Postcards · 5,402 Cities

One of the Most Scenic Drives in the U.S. Has Rainforests, Barren Lava Fields, and Stunning Ocean Cliffs

"A field of over 23,000 images at the Puʻuloa Petroglyphs can be reached via a 1.4‑mile round‑trip hike from a parking area on Chain of Craters Road, making it the largest concentration of petroglyphs in Hawaii." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com.  Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/chain-of-craters-road-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-11776747
Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs
@afar
25,132 Postcards · 3,700 Cities

"I Lava You There are several hidden treasures among the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. The one that I found most fascinating was a short (0.7 mile) hike from the Chain of Craters road to the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs. I was most fascinated that this land has been lava coated—and recoated—for ages and yet these petroglyphs still managed to escape centuries of fresh molten lava. I also thought this image, etched in the rock, was the likeness of a couple and imagined some ancient Hawaiian man carefully carving out the images and comically telling his wife: "I lava you a lot."

The Human History of Big Island, Hawaii
Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs
@afar
25,132 Postcards · 3,700 Cities

"I Lava You There are several hidden treasures among the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii. The one that I found most fascinating was a short (0.7 mile) hike from the Chain of Craters road to the Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs. I was most fascinated that this land has been lava coated—and recoated—for ages and yet these petroglyphs still managed to escape centuries of fresh molten lava. I also thought this image, etched in the rock, was the likeness of a couple and imagined some ancient Hawaiian man carefully carving out the images and comically telling his wife: "I lava you a lot."

Wood grain pattern
If You Only Have Three Days on the Big Island
Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs

Delaney L.

Google
Despite the hot and sunny day and legs sore from another hike, the 1.4 (round trip) rocky scramble to see the petroglyphs at the end of chain of craters road was so worthwhile! The boardwalk had lots of informative signs and my husband and I loved that on our return hike, we noticed plenty more petroglyphs on and around the trail that we had not seen on the way out. Very cool. Would be a challenging hike for small kids or those needing a flat/paved trail as the terrain is quite rocky from the lava flows.

Adam R.

Google
Amazing, incredible. To think that ancient Hawaiians would bring the umbilical cords of their newborn children here to pray for their healthy and successful lives, and carve figures into the stone- magical. The landscape too is inspiring and rugged. Probably one of the best experiences in the park!

Sharon S.

Google
This hike is roughly 1 1/2 miles round-trip. At the end is a boardwalk circling through a field of ancient pertrogliphs. I found the path easy to follow with the many rock stacks along the way.

Evan S.

Google
This 1.5 mile roundtrip walk/hike is a must-do when visiting Volcano. The trek out there has no coverage, so bring a lot of water with you and take breaks to take in the stark scenery. This is worth your time if you’re able bodied. While described as mostly flat, that is not really the case. Once you reach the circular boardwalk at the end you’ll realize the hike was well worth it! What an interesting and historic place to be. On your walk back to your car you will notice petroglyphs dotted along the path. Really just incredible!

Anastasia F.

Google
The trail was completely empty when I was here which was SHOCKING because this was my favourite place in the park. So many cars driving by and not stopping to check it out. Do yourself a favour and go here! The hike is quick and this is such a special place.

Chad T.

Google
An easy-ish hike to see some cool petroglyphs. Roughly 40 minutes round trip, most of the walk is over older lava flows and black sand. The petroglyphs show up in the last 5 minutes of the hike and are heavily concentrated around the boardwalk at the end but that is not all of them. If you look around a little you will find many others dotting the area (see images for examples). Definitely worth the hike to see these incredible pieces of history.

Jon

Google
I love looking at historical artifacts like this, so it was a must do on our list. There is a short but rocky walk to the site of the petroglyphs, so closed toed shoes that support your ankles might be a good idea. The ground (lava rock) can be very uneven, so the walk may take a little more time than expected. Upon reaching the site, you will find a wide variety of petroglyphs, with some of them being difficult to see because they have been eroded over the years. It was still worth the short hike to see them. If you appreciate this type of thing! Also, prepare yourself for wind, sun, and rain as we experienced all of the above on our trip!

James W

Google
As part of the Volcanoes National Park, this is one of the sites you want to go see. It shows a lot of the history of the people when they first came to the Hawaiian islands, and the early East carvings are from centuries ago. There's a parking spot off of the chain of craters Road where you can enter the trail The petroglyphs tell a story of people and their lives. Many of them are tribute to new births and families. Read all the signs as you go it'll explain what the petroglyphs mean. Take pictures, but not nothing else. Also, for Heaven's Sake, don't try and draw your own glyphs or initials in the stone, which many people have along the trail leave this historic site with the respect that is given to it by the park service. Stay on the boardwalk as you view the glyphs. It took us about 40 minutes to walk into the site at an easy pace. There is no incline, but it is jagged and rugged, not inducing to mobility impaired people. You will want to follow the trail markings since it is somewhat winding and all the terrain looks very similar and you could easily get lost.