Protected Lands - Hawaiʻi Island
MĀHUKONA CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL REFUGE
Protected in 2023 in partnership with County, State, Federal, and dozens of private partners, Hawaiʻi Land Trust’s (HILT) Māhukona Cultural & Ecological Refuge is a 642-acre coastal and mauka area filled with historic sites and native species. It is a reminder of our ancestral past.
Ahupuaʻa: Kapaʻa Nui, Kou, Kamano, Mahukona, Hihiu, and Kaoma Moku: Hilo Size: 642 Acres
Year Protected: 2023
Land Protection Strategy: Owned and stewarded by HILT
Conservation Values: Archaeological and cultural preservation, habitat restoration, cultural practice and education
Land Features: Coastal and dryland forest habitats, historic sites
About Māhukona Cultural & Ecological Refuge
Māhukona was once an important training ground for traditional Hawaiian navigators and is home to dozens of documented cultural sites, including four heiau. Its clear night skies, calm bay, and nearby deep ocean channels created ideal conditions for celestial navigation and voyaging traditions.
Alongside its rich cultural history, Māhukona supports thriving native ecosystems. Its coastal waters are home to native fish, rays, dolphins, and whales, while endangered ʻōpeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian hoary bats) forage nearby and native coastal plants such as hinahina grow along the shoreline.
Today, Māhukona continues to serve the Kohala community through recreation, education, cultural practice, stewardship, and ‘āina-based community programs. Community members, students, and visitors are invited to deepen their connection to ʻāina through future volunteer days or free guided tours through our Talk Story on the Land environmental education series. For information on school visits at Māhukona, contact HILT Steward & Educators, Keone Emeliano or Kaʻāina Ishimine.
Visiting Māhukona - Watch:
Māhukona is a sacred and storied place, rich with cultural and historical significance. As you enter this space, we invite you to do so with intention, humility and respect. Please watch this video to learn more about Māhukona and how to get the most from your visit to Māhukona.
Remember: tread lightly, speak thoughtfully, and act with care.
OLA MĀHUKONA CAPSULE
Being of a place from Hawaiian perspective is to know the names of the hills, rains, and winds. Names assign importance; the elements of a name can be an exploration into the characteristics of these natural features. This Ola Māhukona Gear features an ʻohe kapala design serving as a simple first step in learning about the winds and puʻu of Kohala. Inspired by a description of the ʻĀpaʻapaʻa wind of Kohala, the linear elements represent the wind movement through the famous puʻu of Kohala. Mahalo to Kuha‘o Zane of Sig Zane Kaiao for this design and story as we celebrate and gear up.
Check out the Ola Māhukona capsule at our online shop!
Māhukona Tote Bag
Māhukona 40oz Water Bottle
Māhukona Women’s Hooded Anetik
Māhukona Men’s Hooded Anetik
MĀHUKONA: A THRIVING HAWAIIAN CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
The 642-acre Māhukona property includes the coastal regions of six ahupuaʻa (historic land divisions), from north to south - Kapaʻa Nui, Kou, Kamano, Māhukona, Hihiu, and Kaoma. This expansive cultural landscape with ancient cultural sites throughout, provides space for Hawaiian cultural practice and habitat for a variety of native marine animals and plants.
The cultural significance of Māhukona largely centers around its key location for traditional navigation, as its dynamic winds and currents provide ideal conditions for training. It is home to Koʻa Heiau Holomoana, a navigational heiau located on the bluffs of Kamanō bay. The heiau is known throughout the Pacific and to this day, visiting navigators often make a pilgrimage to the heiau upon arrival in the islands. As a young navigator, one is able to experience and train in ripping rough water currents and heavy winds as you near the ʻAlenuihāhā channel, and swiftly navigate back to the calmer waters and lighter leeward breezes of Māhukona.
To date, 175 ancient cultural sites have been identified at Māhukona, including four heiau, agricultural and residential complexes, shrines, burials, and sections of the ancient alaloa trail. In addition to these archaeological sites, the landscape also contains historic features from the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Māhukona Harbor served as a major sugar plantation port and much of the surrounding land was used for ranching.
The Kohala community and HILT's partners are committed to preserving and sharing Māhukona's many stories—from its significance in ancient Hawaiian culture and navigation, to its plantation and ranching history, to the ongoing restoration and revitalization efforts today.
Today, Hawaiian navigators have revived star and elemental study and ceremony at Koʻa Heiau Holomoana, and Hawaiian voyaging canoes continue to sail Māhukona's waters. These ongoing cultural practices, together with restoration efforts and community stewardship, ensure Māhukona remains a thriving cultural landscape for future generations.
Protected in 2023, the land is now owned for the community’s benefit by Hawaiʻi Land Trust. The land is forever restricted by a conservation easement held by the County of Hawaiʻi. Our partner, Nā Kālai Waʻa stewards Koʻa Heiau Holomoana among other sites, drydocks the sailing canoe Makaliʻi, and holds cultural navigational education programs at Māhukona. Hawaiʻi Land Trust and Nā Kālai Waʻa also partner with Kohala High School’s Naʻau ʻŌiwi Alternative Learning Program, Kohala Middle School’s Kohala Unupaʻa after school program and hosts quarterly Talk Story On The Land events.
