King’s Trail – Malama Petroglyph Trail

Nice little trail right next to our condo. The trail was a little hard to see from certain angles. You’re not supposed to step on the rocks or you can ruin the petroglyphs, but it was difficult to determine where we WERE allowed to walk. Once we figured that out, the trail was very nice. Although, It was a little disappointing to see modern ‘smiley faces’ carved out in the lava rocks.

Very interesting that it would be in the middle of a resort and close to a shell gas station and golf course.
I thought it was surreal and made up. can’t tell how authentic it is or anything because you can touch it, no one is stopping you. I just feel like it should make it feel more formal and special. not just some carved rocks in the middle of a resort condo.

Neat to see a small portion of over 32 mile trail from inland to coast. A little odd to see this preserved historic wight smack in the middle of golf course, resorts and upscale shopping. Wear sturdy shoes, you can get through in flip flops but I do not recommend it. Wish I understood what the drawing meant. Some look too modern in text to be ancient. The petroglyphs that are symbolic do appear authentic. Allot of gnats /​tiny insects and flies as you walk along trail. No breeze through this area, take a bottle of water in case you get thirsty or tired. This isn’t a hard walk for most but might be a bit much for others. Several «proceed with caution» signs as you walk along. Worth doing once. Would like to see more in other areas of the island.

These petroglyphs made the anthro nerd in me very happy. They are located within the Waikoloa beach resort area, so if you are staying here, it’s very convenient. You park at the Kings Shops and simply walk over. It took me about 30 minutes to complete the loop, with lots of pausing to take pictures. There is signage directing you to the different petroglyphs and rock shelters. I wish there were more signage (without disrupting the petroglpyhs of course), because I couldn’t always tell which were the real petroglpyhs vs. the vandalism. I’m disappointed that people would intentionally do this to pieces of history :(.
Tip 1: Wear sneakers, boots, whatever. Don’t try to do this in flip flops or sandals.
Tip 2: Try to do it at sunrise or sunset. We did it at about 3PM and were sweating our faces off. Don’t do it at night… jagged rocks are not fun.

A must do on your trip to the Big Island. The petroglyphs are amazing and plentiful.
Come in the morning or late evening to avoid the heat. The field is extremely hot during the day. Bring water and a camera. You won’t be sorry.

Closed toe shoes is a must and hiking shoes is recommended. At first it looks like it’ll be a breeze but then it gets tougher. After the petroglyphs it gets a bit boring. It’s a long straight shot and my wife and I decided to turn around after 1.5 miles into it since dusk was fast approaching. Kinda feels like you’re walking on ancient railroad tracks. I can now see how the ancient travelers would fall asleep and their horses would stay on course. Not great but not bad.

King’s Trail (or Ala Kahakai), is located at the entrance to Waikoloa Fairway Villas, off Waikoloa Beach Dr. Just make a right turn when you see the Kings Shops sign, and park in the lot. It is a rough hike: Not from the perspective of the incline. However, the trail is all «a’a» (sharp lava rocks). At a minimum, you should wear good cross trainers, or even better hiking shoes. The trail also stretches across the street to the Queen’s Marketplace.
The ancient trail used to be 32 miles from Kailua-​Kona in the south to Puako in the North. It linked temples, fishing areas, and other important locations along the Kohala Coast (western, and sunny side) of the Big Island. King Kamehameha passed a law called Mamalahoa that guaranteed travelers safe passage on this trail. Petroglyphs (or k’i’i pohaku), are a lot like tataus (tattoos) to me. These petroglyphs date back to the 14^th century. The ancient Polynesians did not have a written language, so pictures (petroglyphs) told stories. The same is with tataus: People would get tataus over their lifetime to tell a story about their family and where they have traveled.
The petroglyphs are easily seen, as is a cave where people sought shelter. The trail is pretty much a straight line, but you can venture slightly off the trail to view more petroglyphs.
Unfortunately, some idiots have chosen to desecrate this site so you will also see phallic symbols and people’s names carved in the same stones as the ancient Polynesians. So please respect the «kapu» (forbidden) signs and don’t enter where marked, and don’t desecrate this wonderful area loaded with rich Hawaiian history.

A great perk to walking the Kings trail is getting to this wonderful site.
Best seen in the early morning before the beating sun raises the temperatures and the high sun cancels out the contrast of the petroglyphs.
Wear closed-​toed, sturdy shoes and a hat.
If you get tired of the trail, you can sneak on to the golf course and walk back to the Kings Shopping Center.

Cool trail to explore near all of the resorts! I actually really enjoyed observing the petroglyphs and reading the signs explaining the history of the trail.
A few tips: Make sure to wear durable running/​hiking shoes and watch your step along the whole trail! It is surprisingly dangerous and uneven. Like another reviewer mentioned, do not come at night! I can’t believe there aren’t signs warning about how dangerous the trail can be after dark (I even saw a family trying to enter the trail in the dark!). Bring sunglasses and sunscreen and you are ready to explore a part of the Big Island’s history!