Tucked away off Hwy 19 along Puako Road, the Puako petroglyph district offers the visitor the largest gathering of petroglyphs in Hawaii and arguably, the whole Pacific. Roughly 3,000 such carvings can be found on the series of smooth volcanic dome rocks that are found in the area around Puako. Their broad flat surfaces made them ideal for the carving of petroglyph images. But the ideal surface of the rocks alone cannot explain their presence. Scholars agree that this particular site most certainly held spiritual significance to the ancient Hawaiians (other lava dome rocks on the island are untouched). For the most part, the images take human “stick figure” form, though there are a few examples of canoes and animals, if you look closely. Some seem symbolic in nature, with certain figures sharing backbones, perhaps signifying familial relations. No one is sure of the age of the petroglyphs, nor how they may have been used in ritual, but the fact that no historical depictions can be discerned in the carvings testifies to their ancient origins. Ultimately, the secrets of the petroglyphs may never be known. Regardless, the visitor may still sense in these ancient Hawaiian renderings a sense of the place’s “mana” which undoubtedly first led them to be carved here. A portion of the dusty Malama Trail, that in traditional times circled the entire island, will lead you through groves of scraggly Keawe trees on a tour of the petroglyph field. Access to the 1.4 mile trail leading around the Puako petroglyph field is via the Mauna Lani Resort, where you may also pick up some additional information about the site.