Pa Ka‘oao

Pa Ka‘oao. White Hill Trail. The trail climbs to the top of a volcanic cinder cone for views of the Haleakala Wilderness Area and the highest peaks of the Big Island. At first glance the trail environment seems nothing but barren rock. Yet these rocks are living habitat for nesting ‘ua‘u, ‘āhinahina (silversword), and a dramatic mini-world of wolf spiders, flightless moths, and yellow-faced bees. Although the summit can appear hostile to people, temporary shelters, visible on the rock slopes below the trail, testify to a long human history., ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrels) spend most of their lives at sea, but return here to dig nesting burrows under rocky outcrops., The ground-hunting wolf spider weaves no web but builds burrows under rocks. , 0.4 mile round trip (643 m)-Steep, rock uneven, 140 feet elevation gain., Bring a jacket - conditions can turn windy, wet and cold., Stay on the trail. And leave everything in place: shifting rocks can destroy an animal’s home, sever the root of a young ‘āhinahina (silversword), or disturb a cultural site., Keonehe‘ehe‘e (Sliding Sands trailhead is near the end of the parking lot.