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1956 Map of Puu Hinai

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Puu Hinai
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Kaniku Lava Flow dominates the coastal landscape of West Hawaii in this mid-1950s survey, illustrating a terrain defined by volcanic activity. Along the Kawaihae Bay shoreline, small settlements and traditional Hawaiian resource management sites like the Keanapou Fishpond and Waipuhi Fishpond are clearly visible near Lahuipuaa. These features, alongside the Lava Flow of 1859, demonstrate how historical eruptions have dictated the patterns of human habitation and transit in the South Kohala District.

Further inland, the land rises toward the volcanic cinder cone of Puu Hinai, intersected by seasonal drainage channels such as Kamakoa Gulch and Auwalakeakua Gulch. The road network of the era was notably sparse, relying on routes like the Puako-Kiholo Road to connect the coastal village of Puako with the surrounding lava fields. This map provides a detailed look at the interface between the arid coast and the complex topography of the Waikoloa region.