It's off the beaten path, but this heiau, near ʻUpolu Point at Hawaiʻi's northernmost tip, is among the oldest (c AD 480) and most historically significant Hawaiian sites. Measuring about 250ft by 125ft, with walls 6ft high, the massive stone ruins sit solitary and brooding on a wind-rustled grassy plain.
According to legend, the heiau was built from 'sunrise to first light' by up to 18,000 'little people' passing water-worn basalt stones in complete silence from Pololu Valley – a distance of 14 miles – under the supervision of Kuamoʻo Moʻokini. It is a 'closed' temple, reserved only for aliʻi nui (high chiefs).
Five hundred years later Paʻao, a priest from Samoa, raised the walls to 30ft and rebuilt the altar as his hoʻokupu (offering) to the gods. He initiated human sacrifice, to stem dilution of the royal bloodlines and to enforce stricter moral codes of conduct (making this the first luakini heiau).
In 1963 the National Park Service designated Moʻokini Heiau as Hawaii's first registered National Historic Landmark. Fifteen years later, it was deeded to the state.
The current kahuna nui (high priestess), Leimomi Moʻokini Lum, is the seventh high priestess of the Moʻokini bloodline serving the temple. In 1978 she lifted the kapu (taboo) that restricted access to the temple, thereby opening it to visitors.
To get here, take Old Coast Guard Rd, between the 18- and 19-mile markers for just over a mile. Turn right onto a red-cinder road, blocked by a locked cattle gate. Call ahead for the gate to be unlocked (this is state land); otherwise park here (without blocking the gate) and walk 15 minutes to the heiau. Alternate route if you have 4WD: drive toward ʻUpolu Airport, then turn south onto the gutted coastal road, which is impassable after rains.
