MONUMENT Here stands King Kamehameha the Great, right arm outstretched, left arm holding a spear, as if guarding the seniors who have turned a century-old, New England–style courthouse into an airy civic center. There’s one just like it in Honolulu, across the street from Iolani Palace, and another in the U.S. Capitol, but this is the original: an 8-foot, 6-inch bronze by Thomas R. Gould, a Boston sculptor. Cast in Europe in 1880, it was lost at sea on its way to Hawaii. After a sea captain recovered the statue, it was placed here, near Kamehameha’s Kohala birthplace, in 1912. The unifier of the islands, Kamehameha is believed to have been born in 1758 under Halley’s Comet and became ruler of Hawaii in 1810. He died in Kailua-Kona in 1819, but his burial site remains a mystery.
In front of North Kohala Civic Center, mauka side of Hwy. 270, Kapaau, just north of Kapaau Rd.
Lapakahi State Historical Park HISTORIC SITE This 14th-century fishing village on a hot, dry, dusty stretch of coast offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of the ancients. Lapakahi is the best-preserved fishing village in Hawaii. Take the self-guided, 1-mile loop trail past stone platforms, fish shrines, rock shelters, salt pans, and restored hale (houses) to a coral-sand beach and the deep-blue sea of Koaie Cove, a marine life conservation district. Wear good walking shoes and a hat, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon to beat the heat, and bring your own water. Facilities include portable toilets and picnic tables.
Makai side of Hwy. 270, Mahukona, 12.4 miles north of Kawaihae. dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii. 808/327-4958. Free. Daily 8am–4pm.
Pololu Valley Lookout NATURAL ATTRACTION At this end-of-the-road scenic lookout, you can gaze at the vertical dark-green cliffs of the Hamakua Coast and two islets offshore or peer back into the often-misty uplands. The view may look familiar once you get here—it often appears on travel posters. Adventurous travelers should take the switchback trail (a good 45-min. hike) to a secluded black-sand beach at the mouth of a wild valley once planted in taro. Bring water and bug spray, avoid the surf (subject to strong currents), and refrain from creating new stacks of rocks, which disrupt the beach ecology.
At the northern end of Hwy. 270, 5½ miles east of Kapaau.
Pololu Valley
Waimea & Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea NATURAL ATTRACTION The 13,796-foot summit of Mauna Kea, the world’s tallest mountain if measured from its base on the ocean floor, is one of the best places on earth for astronomical observations, thanks to pollution-free skies, pitch-black nights, and a tropical location. Here are the world’s largest telescopes—and at press time, some environmentalists and Native Hawaiians who still worship here were fighting construction of an even larger one—but the stargazing is fantastic even with the naked eye. Note: Some spell it Maunakea, a contraction of Mauna a Wakea, or “the mountain of Wakea” (said to be the sky father and ancestor of all Hawaiians), in lieu of Mauna Kea, or “white mountain.”
Safety Tips Before heading out, make sure you have four-wheel drive and a full gas tank, and check current weather and road conditions (mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/current/road-conditions; 808/935-6268). The drive via Saddle Road (Hwy. 200) to the visitor center takes about an hour from Hilo and 90 minutes from Kailua-Kona; stay at least 30 minutes to acclimate before ascending to the summit, a half-hour further on a steep, largely unpaved road. Dress warmly: It’s chilly and windy by day, and after dark, temperatures drop into the 30s (from 3°C to -1°C). To avoid the bends, don’t go within 24 hours of scuba diving; pregnant women, children under 16, and those with heart or lung conditions should also skip this trip. At night, bring a flashlight, with a red filter to reduce glare. Note: Many rental-car agencies ban driving on remote Saddle Road, so a private tour, while pricey, is probably the safest and easiest bet (see “Seeing Stars While Others Drive,” below).
Visitor Center Named for Ellison Onizuka, the Big Island astronaut aboard the ill-fated Challenger, the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station (www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis; 808/961-2180) is 6¼ miles up Summit Road and at 9,200 feet elevation. It’s open daily 9am to 5pm, with interactive exhibits, 24-hour restrooms, and a bookstore with food, drink, gloves, and other gear for sale. Day visitors can peer through a solar telescope. From 7 to 10pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (weather dependent), a guide leads a free stargazing program that starts with a screening of First Light, a documentary about the cultural and astronomical significance of Mauna Kea. Note: In late 2018, the visitor center suspended stargazing while it expanded its parking lot, but the program was expected to resume when construction finished in mid-2019. Check the website for details on monthly cultural and science programs held on Saturdayss
On the way to Mauna Kea
At the Summit It’s another steep 6 miles, most of them unpaved, to the summit from the visitor center. If you’re driving, make sure your 4WD vehicle has plenty of gas and is in good condition before continuing on. Up here, 11 nations have set up 13 peerless infrared telescopes to look into deep space, making this the world’s largest astronomical observatory. The W. M. Keck Observatory has a visitor gallery, open weekdays 10am–4pm, with informational panels, restrooms, and a viewing area of the eight-story-high telescope and dome (you can also visit its headquarters at 65-1120 Mamalahoa Hwy., Waimea, 10am–2pm weekdays; see www.keckobservatory.org for details). For cultural reasons, visitors are discouraged from hiking the footpath across the road to the actual, unmarked summit where ancient astronomers and priests came to study the skies and where Native Hawaiians still worship today. No matter: From the summit parking lot you have an unparalleled view of other peaks, such as Mauna Loa and Haleakala, and the bright Pacific.
Another sacred site is Lake Waiau, which, at 13,020 feet above sea level, is one of the highest in the world. Although it shrinks drastically in time of drought, it has never dried up. It’s named for one of the sisters of Poliahu, the snow goddess said to make her home atop Mauna Kea. To see it, you must take a brief hike: At Park 3, the first intersection on the road to the summit above the visitor center, follow the trail to the south for .5-mile, then take branch to the right that leads to the top of a crater and the small, greenish lake. Note: Please respect cultural traditions by not drinking or entering the water, and leave all rocks undisturbed.
seeing stars While Others Drive
Two excellent companies offer Mauna Kea tour packages that provide cold-weather gear, dinner, hot drinks, guided stargazing, and, best of all, someone else to worry about maneuvering the narrow, unpaved road to the summit. All tours are offered weather permitting, but most nights are clear—that’s why the observatories are here, after all—with pickups from several locations. Read the fine print on health and age restrictions before booking, and don’t forget to tip your guide ($10–$20 per person).
Hawaii Forest & Trail (www.hawaii-forest.com; 800/464-1993 or 808/331-8505), the
