Shipwreck

Kaiolohia/Shipwreck/Keomoku

The ʻAuʻAu channel between Maui and Lanai is often filled with large waves and strong tradewinds. Dozens of ships have wrecked along the Kaiolohia / Keomoku / Shipwreck side of Lāna‘i. The most famous wreck is a 1944 concrete oil tanker. You can see this ship from about half way down the paved road. You can also park at the end of the paved road, and hike for about 45 minutes along the coast to visit the shipwreck up close. The hike to Kaiolohia / Shipwreck beach is 1.2 miles, the ship is another 0.8 miles past the Kaiolohia / Shipwreck boulder and over a mountain of lava rocks. We do not recommend this hike for a day trip. It’s not a pretty beach, it’s hot, and filled with plastic debris. If you’re spending the night, it’s a good option to hike super early and spend about 3-4 hours exploring the area.

One of the largest collections of ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs (rock carvings) is located right before the shipwreck, up a 0.5 mile marked trail. Find them on google maps as “Lanai Petroglyphs.” Research Poaiwa Petroglyphs to learn more about these incredible ancient story telling rock carvings, including petroglyphs only found on Lāna‘i. You can learn about them in my “When I am Quiet on Lāna‘i Coloring Book & Lāna‘i Activity Book.”

Donʻt miss seeing the shipwreck view from about 1/2 way down the hill, on this serpentine paved road: Click here to see a drone view. The views of Moloka‘i and Maui are also postcard perfect from this side of our island. You can see the entire 38-mile coastline of Moloka‘i (from Maui’s west side beaches, you are only seeing Moloka‘i head on, so you can only see 10-miles of this gorgeous island.) The paved road is directly across the channel from Maui’s sculpted west side. Stop at the lookouts along the paved road, and listen for axis deer call across the sweeping canyon. If you’re super lucky, you may encounter a mouflon sheep with its giant wrap around horns. And, in the winter time, you can witness humpback whales playing in the channel. Pack water, and bring snacks for this adventure.

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