Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
Along the western coastline of the Island of Hawaiʻi lies the hot, rugged lava of Kaloko-Honokōhau. This seemingly barren and harsh landscape does not appear to be suitable for human existence, and yet, long before written history, the Hawaiian people built a thriving settlement upon this ʻaʻā lava.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Operating Hours and Seasons | Daily · All Day |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and September the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Hale Ho'okipa Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Stop by to receive an orientation at Hale Ho'okipa, the park's Visitor Center and location of the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association Park Store. Please note: the Park Store is cashless and accepts card or digital payments only.
Explore
Things to do
- Take a Lava Hike!1-2 Hours
Many trails in the park were created in ancient times and others are from the historical era. These were trails for pack animals. The main park trail is a loop that circles the park and is 4.5 miles long or 7.2 kilometers.
Opens on the Park Service site - Petroglyphs in the Park!
The petroglyphs of Honokōhau are unique. A master craftsman laboring with stone tools and human hands in the hot sun made these into distinctive works of art that have become reservoirs of information.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birdwatching at Kaloko-Honokōhau
Grab your binoculars and set out on a birdwatching adventure along the Kona coastline. See the vibrant yellow saffron finch, hear the boisterous calls of the common Myna, and watch as the ʻAukuʻu (black crowned night heron) slightly stalks its prey.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Junior Ranger at Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP
Explore! Learn! Protect! Become a Junior Ranger at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. Opportunities for all ages (even adults, see our Kupuna (elder) book! makes becoming a Junior Ranger an experience for the whole 'ohana (family).
Opens on the Park Service site - Ocean Explorations30-90 Minutes
Imagine how the ancient Hawaiian people who lived here and used the ocean and its abundant resources. This is was a beautiful but difficult place to live hundreds of years ago. While you are here take a tidal pool walk (but be careful the rocks can…
Opens on the Park Service site - Picnicking at Kaloko Fishpond
Kaloko Fishpond
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Noʻeau Hoʻoniho (Skillful Setting of Stones) with Benson Chong10/2110:00 AM · runs through Dec 16 · free
- 08:30 AM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Hawaii guidebooks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthPantropical Spotted Dolphin 7× · Short-finned Pilot Whale 7× · Spinner Dolphin 6× · Red Junglefowl 3× · Melon-headed Whale 3× · Indian Peafowl 1× · Hawaiian Monk Seal 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 92 birds, 11 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBarn Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Blue-winged Teal · Cinnamon Teal · Eurasian Wigeon · Great Blue Heron · Greater Scaup · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green-winged Teal · Hawaiian Coot · Hooded Merganser · Lesser Scaup · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Snowy Egret · Tufted Duck · Western Cattle Egret · White-faced Ibis
Shorebirds & seabirdsArctic Tern · Bar-tailed Godwit · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · Bulwer's Petrel · Caspian Tern · Dunlin · European Herring Gull · Franklin's Gull · Glaucous-winged Gull · Laughing Gull · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Little Tern · Long-billed Dowitcher · Long-tailed Jaeger · Pacific Golden Plover · Pectoral Sandpiper · Ring-billed Gull · Sanderling · Semipalmated Plover · Sharp-tailed Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Spotted Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Wilson's Phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesMourning Dove · Spotted Dove · Zebra Dove
Also on the checklistAeʻo · African Silverbill · Belted Kingfisher · Black Francolin · Black Noddy · Brant · Canvasback · Common Myna · Common Pochard · Eurasian Whimbrel · Gadwall · Garganey · Grey Francolin · Grey-tailed Tattler · House Finch · House Sparrow · Java Sparrow · Kioea · Koloa Moha · Koloa Māpu · Lavender Waxbill · Mallard · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Nutmeg Mannikin · Pueo · Red-necked Stint · Redhead · Saffron Finch · South Polar Skua · Warbling White-eye · Yellow-billed Cardinal · Yellow-fronted Canary · ʻA · ʻAkekeke · ʻAukuʻu · ʻEwaʻewa · ʻEwaʻewa · ʻIwa · ʻUaʻu Kani · ʻŪlili
Small mammalsEuropean rabbit · Norway rat · Polynesian rat · black rat · house mouse
Marine mammalsHawaiian monk seal
BatsHawaiian hoary bat
Also on the checklistDomestic Cat · domestic dog · feral pig · small Indian mongoose
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
The weather in the park is typically hot and sunny, with temperatures in the upper 80's.
Questions people ask
Does Kaloko-Honokōhau charge an entrance fee?
No. Kaloko-Honokōhau is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Kaloko-Honokōhau open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Kaloko-Honokōhau?
360,084 recreation visits in 2025, number 136 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Kaloko-Honokōhau?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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