Puʻu Huluhulu facts for kids

Puu Huluhulu as seen from the Mauna Kea road

Puʻu Huluhulu is a special hill on the Island of Hawaii. It's a volcanic cone, which means it's a hill shaped like a volcano. You can find it near the middle of the island, right by Hawaii Route 200, also called Saddle Road. Its name means "hairy hill" in Hawaiian!

Puʻu Huluhulu is a type of landform called a kīpuka. Imagine a really old hill covered in plants and trees. Now, imagine new lava flows all around it, but the old hill stays untouched. That's a kīpuka! It's like an island of old land surrounded by newer lava. Puʻu Huluhulu is also a special place where native Hawaiian trees are protected, and there's a nature trail for people to explore.

Why Puʻu Huluhulu is Important

In July 2019, Puʻu Huluhulu became a gathering spot for people who were concerned about the building of a large telescope called the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea. Many Native Hawaiians and others felt that building the telescope on Mauna Kea, which is a sacred mountain, was disrespectful. They gathered at Puʻu Huluhulu to peacefully protest and try to stop the construction. This showed how important the area is to many people.

Images for kids

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  Puu Huluhulu, a sacred place for the Native Hawaiians

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  Mauna Kea as viewed from Puu Huluhulu

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  Koa and other native Hawaiian vegetation are preserved here.

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  A view toward northwest, showing lava plateau and cinder cones

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  The entrance to the Mauna Kea access road for the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy and Mauna Kea Observatories.