ALOHA!
So, do you want a chance to see petroglyphs in Hawaii when you are on Lanai?!
Well, I actually wasn’t able to find much.
But if you have even the slightest interest in petroglyphs, then you might as well go in search of them if you will be driving to Shipwreck Beach!
The trail to see the Poaiwa Petroglyphs (marked as simply Lanai Petroglyphs on google maps) is located right near Shipwreck Beach. It’s a trail with coastal views.
According to Pulama Lanai:
The trail is approximately 0.5 miles round trip.
Along the way, you will walk past stone alignments of ancient house sites, and have views to the coast line and historic shipwreck.
The trail then passes a low rise and drops into a small valley named Poaiwa, where the petroglyphs are found.
This site is protected under Hawaii Revised Statutes and the Federal Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
Petroglyphs are found on dense basalt lava boulders which were perfect “slates” upon which to record historical events.
The petroglyphs have been made over numerous generations, and may be seen while walking around the boulder outcropping.
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Now…
What’s the trail to the Poaiwa petroglyphs like?
So the drive to these Lanai petroglyphs is the same drive to Shipwreck Beach.
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You’ll drive to the end of the road, where there will be a parking area.
You’ll then continuing walking in the direction you were just driving and you’ll soon see the sign for Shipwreck Beach.
And it is just past this sign, off to the left (mountain side) that you’ll see the trail to the petroglyphs. There’s an informational sign indicating the start of the trail.
And then you’ll take the trail up!
So now that you’re on the trail, the most important thing is to follow the stacked stones!
As you’re walking up the hill, always make sure that you see the next set of stacked stones. Or else, it’ll be easy to NOT end up finding the petroglyphs!
The stacked stones will help you stay on the trail, and they will also lead you to the Poaiwa petroglyphs.
It’s easy to get off the trail if you’re not following them.
Along the way, if you look back towards the ocean, you’ll be able to see Lanai’s famous shipwreck in the distance.
So the trail will soon take you to the boulders with the petroglyphs!
And then once you have walked around to see all the petroglyphs you can find, you can head back down the trail to the coast, the same way you came!
Can you get to the Lanai petroglyphs without a car?
You can also get to these Lanai petroglyphs without a car if you don’t mind walking. You will need to get the Lanai shuttle to the end of the paved road, and then from there, you will walk the same road that the cars drive, which will be around 2 miles one way. On the way back, you can call the shuttle from the same point you were dropped off. My phone did work (t-mobile), although there is always the possibility that you won’t have service and might have to walk until you do get it. This is Lanai!
And that’s a bit about seeing the Poaiwa petroglyphs!
If you’re headed to the Big Island, you can also see petroglyphs at the national park.
See more Lanai history:
Plus see more of what to do when you’re on Lanai, including more hiking trails on Lanai!
HAPPY SEEING PETROGLYPHS ON LANAI!
