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NPS Photo/Michael Szoenyi
Contact: Jessica Ferracane/Public Affairs Specialist, 808-985-6018 Hawaii National Park, Hawai'i –Everyone is invited to Find Your Park and participate in the upcoming Kahuku events and guided hikes at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, in August and September 2015. Kahuku is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday of the month, and all events are free. You can explore on your own, or join these upcoming programs:
NPS Photo/J.Ferracane Kahuku 'Ohana Day: Ku'i Kalo. Children of all ages and their families are invited to learn how to ku'i kalo (pound poi). The Hawaiian tradition of ku'i kalo has sustained the people of the Hawaiian Islands for centuries, and practitioner Manuel Rego of Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden will show your family how. The Kahuku 'Ohana Day Ku'i Kalo program is offered 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 22, but the deadline to register is Aug. 6. Call (808) 985-6019 by Aug. 6 to sign up for this program, and a free lunch for keiki. Bring water, sunscreen, hat, and long pants. Sponsored by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, and Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free. Birth of Kahuku. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku. Traverse the vast 1868 lava flow, see different volcano features and formations, and identify many parts of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. This guided easy-to-moderate hike is offered Aug. 8, Aug. 30, and Sept. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free. 
NPS Photo/David Boyle 'Ōhi'a Lehua. Learn about the vital role of 'ōhi'a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the 'ōhi'a tree, and the lehua flower. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is an easy, one-mile (or less) walk. The 'Ōhi'a Lehua program is offered Aug. 9, Aug. 22 and Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free. Pu'u o Lokuana is a short, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu'u o Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka'ū. This hike is offered Aug. 15 and Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended. Free. People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields, and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands –from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered Aug. 16 and Sept. 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free. Hi'iaka &Pele. Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi'iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters coming alive through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. The Hi'iaka and Pele program is offered Aug. 23 and Sept. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Enter the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended. Free. Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered Aug. 29, Sept. 5 and Sept. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free. Kahuku 'Ohana Day: Hū Kukui. Children of all ages and their families are invited to learn how to make their own hū kukui, or Hawaiian top, with native kukui nuts. Park rangers will demonstrate this popular Hawaiian pastime, and then keiki can compete to see whose top spins best. The Kahuku 'Ohana Day Hū Kukui program is offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 19 but the deadline to register is Sept. 3. Call (808) 985-6019 by Sept. 3 to sign up for this program, and a free lunch for keiki. Bring water, sunscreen, hat, and long pants. Sponsored by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, and Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center. Free. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free.
New! Inspiration Hike –Artists in the Park at Kahuku. Come appreciate the beauty of Kahuku and learn how nature can inspire you to connect with your own creativity. Local artists show you how to witness nature's handiwork and see the magic within the landscape. This program requires advance registration and is limited to 15 people. It is an interactive moderately easy 1.5-mile hike and program that lasts three hours. The new Inspiration Hike is offered from 9:30 a.m.m to 12:30 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 19 but the deadline to register is Sept. 7. Call (808) 929-8075 to hold your spot. Enter the Kahuku unit on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended. Free.
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Last updated: August 4, 2015