Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

Painting of historic ceremony at Puʻukoholā Heiau
Puʻukoholā Heiau is a historic Hawaiian temple built in 1790-91. This painting by Herb Kane depics the temple as it would have been seen hundreds of years ago.
Heiau standing high above Pelekane Bay, as seen at sunset.
The heiau stands today atop Puʻukoholā (the hill of the whale) overlooking Pelekane Bay.
Bench along a winding path.
Visitors can experience Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site by walking a 1/2-mile loop trail.
Ceremony procession along a heiau at sunrise.
The heiau is the site of a traditional Hawaiian ceremony (Hoʻokuʻikahi) every August.
Back side of a historic stone heiau
Along the trail, you'll also find Mailekini Heiau (which was already hundreds of years old when Puʻukoholā Heiau was built), as well as the site of a heiau which was once built underwater.
Photos: National Park Service

About Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

How many places in America can you walk in the footsteps of a king? Where else has a stranded sailor risen up to become a great chief over an entire island? Where else can you experience the culminating event of a people, foretold from centuries past? Where else can you stand on a beach and watch as sharks pass over a submerged temple? Experience all this and much more – only at Pu'ukoholā Heiau!

Plan a Visit

NPS DesignationNational Historic Site
Park State / Territory MembershipHawaii
Current Alerts3
Visitor Centers1
Campgrounds0
Things To Do2

Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.

Weather & Conditions

The weather in the park is typically hot and sunny with daytime temperatures in the upper 80's. An excellent time to experience the park is in the morning and in the late afternoon when the temperatures are a bit cooler. The park is open daily from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30…

NPS Reference Location

Park state / territory membership: Hawaii. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.

Operating Hours

Covered, open air lanai at visitor center open 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM daily. Parking Lot Entrance (Top) Gate will be closed by 4:00 PM Daily, however the Parking Lot Exit (Bottom) Gate will close at 4:30 PM Daily. All vehicles parked in the visitor center parking lot after closing hours will be locked in or towed at owner's expense. In case of Emergency call 911

Friday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Monday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Saturday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Sunday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Thursday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Tuesday8:30AM - 4:30PM
Wednesday8:30AM - 4:30PM

Activities

Arts and CultureCraft DemonstrationsCampingFishingGuided ToursSelf-Guided Tours - WalkingHikingJunior Ranger ProgramWildlife WatchingPark FilmMuseum ExhibitsShoppingBookstore and Park Store

Current Alerts

Park Closed

Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site will close today, September 24, at 12:00 p.m. and will remain closed through Saturday, September 26. The closure may be extended until further notice as conditions warrant. Please check for updates before visiting.

Phone Service Unavailable

Phone service at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is currently unavailable. If you need to contact the park, please email us at puhe_info@nps.gov and a staff member will respond as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience while service is being restored.

New Park Hours

As of November 13, 2025, the new hours of operation at Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site are 8:30am –4:30pm. The parking lot gate will close at 4:00pm.

Getting There

From Keahole (Kona) International Airport: Head east on Keahole Airport Rd. Turn left at traffic light onto HI-19. Follow HI-19 to Spencer Beach Park Rd. (26.1 mi) Turn left onto HI-270 (0.4 mi) Turn left onto Spencer Beach Park Rd. (0.3 mi) Destination will be second right on Spencer Beach Park Rd. (Approximately 32 minute drive 27.5 mi)

View Official Directions

Contact & Address

The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.

NPS-Listed AddressPu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, 62-3601 Kawaihae Road, Kawaihae, HI, 96743

Topics & Themes

ArcheologyRuinsArtsBirthplaceFortsPacific Islander HeritageReligion and SpiritualityHeiauSchools and EducationTransportationRoads, Routes and HighwaysWars and ConflictsAnimalsBirdsFishTortoises and Turtles

Things To Do

Become a B.A.R.K. Ranger at Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

Become a B.A.R.K. Ranger at Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site

The park is open year round, we welcome all fur friends who would like to be apart of our National…

Sharks, Whales and Dolphin Viewing

Sharks, Whales and Dolphin Viewing

Sharks, Whales and Dolphins are often visitors to the shores of the park and can be seen with the naked…

Visitor Centers

Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site

Our Visitor Center is ADA accessible and offers wall exhibits with both English and Hawaiian Language interpretive information in our open lanai area. We also…

Nearby National Park Service Sites

These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.