Hawaii: The Kona - Kohala Coast

The lower slopes of Mauna Kea below the national park and the rest of the northern part of the Big Island are dominated by the 230,000-acre Parker Ranch, the largest single farm holding in the United States. It has recently opened to the public, though hiking is still not permitted in the ranch. The road down the windward coast to Kailua-Kona, however, offers a long, safe hike and the chance to see some unique historic sites. Start out early because the hike is long and dry. Also, there are few places to overnight between the luxury hotels in the north and the village of Kailua-Kona. What you see today are the remnants of major ancient structures and, in some places, their partially restored remains. Nowhere is the Hawaiian heritage from ancient times richer than along the Kona-Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, and there is no better way to discover it than on foot. Native Hawaiians trace their past through oral geneology, chanted down from generation to generation. The verbal records suggest that one of the oldest and largest heiaus (ancient temples) on the island was built about 480 AD, more than 1,000 years before the arrival of Captain James Cook.