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2.7 mi
Distance
1 hrs 37 min
Time
terrain
190 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a easy out and back trail to Puʻu Huluhulu in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Experience a lava landscape from the 1969-1974 Maunaulu flow. Walk by lava tree molds and climb 210 feet (64m) to the top of a forested cinder cone, Pu‘uhuluhulu (hairy hill). On a clear day you can see Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Pacific Ocean.
Bring water, food, hat, sun protection and rain gear.
Safety: Hiking on flow fields can be hazardous due to deep earth cracks, uneven and unstable terrain, and razor-sharp lava.
Getting Started
Trail Begins: Approximately 100 yards (91.4m) from the Maunaulu parking area. Ahu (stacked rocks) mark the trail across the lava flows. Please do not disturb them or build new ones. Stay on the trail.
Sights to See
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Puʻuhuluhulu is accessible via a short day hike beginning at the Maunaulu parking lot.
In reference to its vegetation-covered slopes, Puʻuhuluhulu means “hairy hill” in Hawaiian and stands out in stark contrast to the adjacent lava flows of Maunaulu. The 1969-1974 eruption of Maunaulu was centered just downhill from Puʻuhuluhulu and over the course of five years, surrounded most of this cinder cone.
Today the top of the cone features an observation deck that provides a view of the Maunaulu lava shield that formed during the eruption. A Maunaulu Trail Guide is also available (pdf- 7.63 MB)
A restroom is available at the Maunaulu parking lot.
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