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NPS Photo/Michael Szoenyi geoland.ch
Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018 Everyone is invited to participate in the upcoming Kahuku events and hikes at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, offered July through September 2014. Two new hikes and special holiday programs are included, and all are FREE! Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival. The 34th annual Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival will be held in Kahuku on Saturday, July 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy hula kāhiko and music, watch skilled practitioners demonstrate their art, and try your hand at Hawaiian crafts. Taste traditional, ono Hawaiian foods. Two Kahuku hikes will be offered, the new Pu'u o Lokuana cinder cone hike from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., and 'Ōhi'a Lehua from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Bring water, rain jacket, and ground mat or chair, plus sunscreen and a hat. No pets. Lunch and beverages will be available for sale. This is a family-friendly, drug- and alcohol-free event. The Kahuku unit is the southernmost section of the national park, and is located on the mauka (uphill) side of Highway 11 at mile marker 70.5. Free entry and free parking. Sponsors include Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the Ka'ū Hawaiian Civic Club, Kīlauea Military Camp, and our sister parks in West Hawai'i. Call 808-985-6011 or email havo_interpretation@nps.gov for more information. 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 July 13 and 26, August 9 and 31, and September 20; from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) 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. 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 July 19 and 27, August 23, and September 13 and 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enter the park's Kahuku unit on the mauka (uphill) 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. '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 July 12 during the annual Cultural Festival from 1 p.m. to 2p.m., and July 20, August 3, and September 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) 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. New! 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 during the annual Cultural Festival on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again on Friday, August 15 (Statehood Day) from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 am. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) 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. New! Kahuku: Born from a Hotspot. Learn about the birth of the islands from the Hawaiian hotspot, and about the past eruptions that impacted Kahuku, which straddles the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Visitors will be able to identify various pu'u (hills) and other volcanic features, and learn about their formation. Kahuku: Born from a Hotspot will be offered on Sunday, August 17 and Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) 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. New! 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 on Sunday, September 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Enter the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (uphill) 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. -NPS- |
Last updated: February 28, 2015