Maui Ancient Site Guide

Olowalu Petroglyphs

Olowalu Petroglyphs is a west Maui ancient site with more than 100 rock carvings, hillside views, Olowalu history and a short but rough access road.

Plan Your Visit
Olowalu Petroglyphs

Olowalu Petroglyphs (Pu'u Kilea), Maui

Olowalu is one of the easily accessible petroglyph sites on Maui. Access is via a quarter mile (400 m) long dirt trail. Also known as Pu'u Kilea in the Hawaiian language, the Olowalu Petroglyphs are located along a basalt cliff in West Maui. About 100 ancient images have been chiseled into the rock here by ancient Hawaiians. You'll be able to see human and animal figures, as well as sails.

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation got a lease to this site in 1964 and built a wooden stairway and viewing platform. Unfortunately the site has been vandalized in the past. Some of the rocks have graffiti on them.

Olowalu is also known as the site of a bloody massacre, which happened in 1790. The captain of the American ship Eleanora (Capt. Simon Metcalf) became upset because of a stolen boat and opened fire on Hawaiian canoes, killing more than 100 men and wounding more than 200 near the ancient Olowalu landing site. This massacre led Big Island Chief Kame'eiamoku to attack the next Western ship that arrived, which was the Fair American, captained by Metcalf's son. The entire crew was attacked and killed, except for one person, Isaac Davis, who in later years became an advisor to King Kamehameha the Great.

Key Features

Ancient Hawaiian petroglyph site above Olowalu
Located mauka of Honoapiilani Highway on Maui's west side
More than 100 rock carvings are found on the hillside rock face
Carvings include human figures, animals and other symbols
Short visit with cultural significance rather than recreation facilities
Access road can be rough, dusty and uneven
No restrooms, water or visitor services are available at the site
Do not touch, trace, climb on or mark the petroglyphs
The hillside setting looks toward the Olowalu coast
Olowalu Petroglyphs is known for ancient rock carvings, west Maui history, hillside scenery and cultural significance

Featured selection

Maui vacation rentals

Explore Maui rentals

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Olowalu Petroglyphs?

They are ancient Hawaiian rock carvings, or kii pohaku, etched into a hillside rock face above Olowalu on Maui's west side.

What do the carvings show?

The figures include human forms, animals and other symbols. Their exact meanings are not always known, but they remain important records of old Maui life.

Why is Olowalu important in Maui history?

Olowalu was a long-inhabited area with coastal access, water, fishing, farming and trails connecting the shoreline with inland places.

Why should visitors avoid touching the petroglyphs?

Touching, tracing or rubbing the carvings can damage the rock surface and speed up wear on a cultural site that cannot be replaced.

What makes the hillside setting interesting?

The carvings sit above the coast with views toward the ocean and Olowalu area, helping visitors picture how the site relates to the larger west Maui landscape.