Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park

74-4968 Queen Kaahumanu Highway

Hawaiians once lived in harmony with the land: farming, fishing, and harvesting fruit. Today, the state imports 80 to 90 percent of its food. Visit Kaloko-Honokōhau to catch a glimpse of the Big Island’s ancient agricultural traditions, which residents are working hard to revitalize. The park’s landscape of rugged rock contains more than 200 archaeological sites, ranging from fishponds and elevated planters to petroglyphs, lava-tube shelters, and hōlua (toboggan-like slides). Watch for native species like the fragrant pua pilo flower and the endangered Hawaiian stilt, a subspecies of the black-necked stilt. A sugar-white beach stretches north from Honokōhau’s boat harbor and often attracts sea turtles.

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Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

Islanders once lived in harmony with the land: farming, fishing and harvesting fruit. Today the state imports 80 to 90 percent of its food. Visit Kaloko-Honokohau to catch a glimpse of the island’s ancient agricultural traditions, which Hawaiians are working hard to revitalize. The park’s landscape of rugged rock contains more than 200 archaeological sites, ranging from fishponds and elevated planters to petroglyphs, lava tube shelters and holua (toboggan-like slides, used only by aristocrats). Watch for native species like the fragrant pua pilo flower and the endangered Hawaiian black-necked stilt.

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