The gentle, 1.5-mile round-trip Puʻu Loa Trail leads to one of Hawaiʻi's largest concentrations of ancient petroglyphs. Here Hawaiians chiseled more than 23,000 drawings into pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava) with adze tools quarried from Keanakakoʻi . Stay on the boardwalk at all times – not all petroglyphs are obvious, and you are likely to trample and damage some if you walk over the rocks. The trailhead parking area is signed between mile markers 16 and 17.
There are abstract designs, animal and human figures, as well as thousands of dimpled depressions (or cupules) that were receptacles for piko (umbilical cords). Placing a baby's piko inside a cupule and covering it with stones was intended to bestow health and longevity on the child. Rangers occasionally lead hikes exploring petroglyphs beyond the boardwalk – inquire at Kilauea Visitor Center.
