Puu Nana
Puʻu Nana is a low but culturally significant volcanic hill rising to approximately 1,345 feet (410 meters) in the dry western highlands of Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi. Although modest compared with Kamakou and the towering mountains of East Molokaʻi, Puʻu Nana occupies an important position within the island’s geography, volcanic history, and Native Hawaiian cultural landscape.
The summit belongs to the ancient West Molokaʻi Volcano, the smaller and older of the two principal shield volcanoes that created Molokaʻi. Its broad uplands overlook a landscape of ranchlands, dry valleys, former forest, volcanic ridges, and the Pacific Ocean.
Puʻu Nana is particularly significant in Hawaiian cultural traditions connected with hula. The area of Kaʻana in western Molokaʻi is traditionally associated with Laka and the origins of hula, and Puʻu Nana has remained an important place within that cultural landscape.
⚡ Fast Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Mountain | Puʻu Nana |
| Also written as | Puʻunānā, Puu Nana |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaiʻi |
| Island | Molokaʻi |
| County | Maui County |
| Region | Western Molokaʻi |
| Mountain area | Maunaloa / West Molokaʻi highlands |
| Volcano | West Molokaʻi Volcano |
| Greater region | Mountains in Hawaiʻi |
| Elevation | 1,345+ ft / 410+ m |
| Mapped summit range | Approx. 410–420 m |
| Prominence | Approx. 33 ft / 10 m |
| Isolation | Approx. 0.08 mi / 0.13 km |
| Line parent | Mauna Loa (Molokaʻi) |
| Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) | Mauna Loa (Molokaʻi) |
| Key saddle | Approx. 1,312 ft / 400 m |
| Coordinates | Approx. 21.1419° N, 157.1571° W |
| Peak type | Volcanic hill |
| Land ownership | Primarily private land |
| Volcanic setting | Ancient Hawaiian shield volcano |
| West Molokaʻi volcanic age | Mainly Pliocene to early Pleistocene |
| Nearby higher island summit | Kamakou |
| Cultural significance | Associated with Kaʻana and traditions surrounding the origins of hula |
Puʻu Nana should not be confused with another summit of the same or similar name on Hawaiʻi Island, which rises above 8,700 feet on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The Puʻu Nana described here is the 1,345-foot summit on Molokaʻi.
📍 Where Is Puʻu Nana?
Puʻu Nana rises in western Molokaʻi, approximately west of the island’s central airport and south of State Route 460.
This portion of the island is very different from the lush, deeply dissected mountains surrounding Kamakou in eastern Molokaʻi.
Western Molokaʻi is generally lower, drier, and more gently rolling.
The landscape consists of weathered volcanic uplands, broad slopes, ravines, grasslands, ranching areas, and coastal terrain. Rainfall is much lower than in the high windward forests of East Molokaʻi.
Puʻu Nana rises only slightly above the surrounding highland, explaining its modest topographic prominence.
Nevertheless, the hill’s position provides broad views across western Molokaʻi and toward neighboring parts of the island.
📏 Elevation and Topography
Peakbagger lists Puʻu Nana at 1,345+ feet, or approximately 410+ meters, based on a closed 10-meter contour.
The actual summit therefore lies somewhere between approximately 410 and 420 meters.
Its clean prominence is only about 33 feet (10 meters), reflecting the hill’s position along a broader elevated volcanic landscape.
Its key saddle lies at approximately 1,312 feet.
The nearest higher terrain occurs only about 0.08 mile (0.13 kilometer) away toward Mauna Loa, the higher summit area of the West Molokaʻi massif.
Puʻu Nana is therefore better understood as a named volcanic high point within the broader Maunaloa uplands than as a deeply isolated mountain.
🧭 Nearest Higher Neighbor
The Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) of Puʻu Nana is Mauna Loa on Molokaʻi.
This should not be confused with the enormous Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaiʻi Island.
Molokaʻi’s Mauna Loa is a much smaller summit associated with the ancient West Molokaʻi Volcano.
Peakbagger places Mauna Loa at approximately 1,411 feet, making it slightly higher than Puʻu Nana.
The extremely short distance between Puʻu Nana and higher ground explains why Puʻu Nana has only about 33 feet of prominence despite its recognizable name and cultural importance.
🌋 Part of the West Molokaʻi Volcano
Puʻu Nana sits on the remnants of the West Molokaʻi shield volcano, one of the two great volcanic mountains that combined to create most of modern Molokaʻi.
The island’s other major volcanic mass is the much larger East Molokaʻi Volcano, whose surviving high point is Kamakou.
West Molokaʻi is both lower and generally older.
The U.S. Geological Survey describes the volcano as being constructed largely from basaltic lava flows erupted along major rift zones.
One principal rift trends southwestward from the old summit region, while another trends northwest.
Repeated eruptions along these fractures gradually constructed a broad shield rising from the Pacific Ocean.
Today, millions of years of weathering and erosion have softened the original volcanic shape.
🌎 How West Molokaʻi Formed
Like the rest of the Hawaiian Islands, Puʻu Nana ultimately owes its existence to the Hawaiian hotspot.
Magma rising through the Pacific Plate created enormous submarine volcanoes. With repeated eruptions, these volcanoes accumulated enough lava to emerge above sea level.
As the Pacific Plate continued moving northwestward, individual volcanoes were gradually carried away from the active hotspot.
Their magma supply diminished, eruptions became less frequent, and eventually the volcanoes became extinct.
Erosion then became increasingly important.
West Molokaʻi is estimated to be roughly 1.9 million years old based on widely cited Hawaiian volcanic-age studies.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program notes that the youngest dated lava associated with the West Molokaʻi volcano is approximately 1.52 million years old, although uncertainties surround that age.
The volcano is now extinct.
🪨 Basalt, Lava Flows and Rift Zones
Most of West Molokaʻi consists of basalt produced during the shield-building phase of the volcano.
Hawaiian shield volcanoes are typically constructed from relatively fluid lava that can travel long distances before cooling.
Layer after layer gradually builds a broad mountain with much gentler slopes than those associated with many continental stratovolcanoes.
Geologists have identified both ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe lava flows within the West Molokaʻi volcanic sequence.
The shield was also cut by volcanic dikes—sheets of magma that forced their way through fractures and cooled below the surface.
Numerous cinder and spatter cones formed along volcanic rift zones.
Puʻu Nana belongs within this complex volcanic upland, although its present shape has also been heavily modified by weathering and erosion.
🏝️ Two Ancient Volcanoes, One Island
Molokaʻi provides a particularly clear example of how several Hawaiian volcanoes can merge to form a single island.
The island consists primarily of West Molokaʻi Volcano and East Molokaʻi Volcano, joined across a lower central region.
West Molokaʻi forms roughly the western third of the island and reaches only a little over 1,400 feet in modern topographic datasets.
East Molokaʻi is dramatically larger.
Its surviving summit at Kamakou rises to approximately 4,961 feet (1,512 meters).
Lava from East Molokaʻi eventually covered parts of the older eastern flank of West Molokaʻi, further joining the two volcanoes into a single landmass.
A much younger volcanic episode later produced the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north side of East Molokaʻi.
🌦️ A Dry Hawaiian Mountain Landscape
Western Molokaʻi receives significantly less rainfall than the mountains of eastern Molokaʻi.
This difference results largely from the interaction between prevailing trade winds and the island’s topography.
Moist air reaches the high East Molokaʻi mountains first. As it rises, it cools, producing clouds and heavy rainfall.
By the time air reaches lower western Molokaʻi, much of its moisture has already been lost.
The result is a comparatively dry landscape.
Periods of drought can be severe, particularly across the West End.
This difference is striking when comparing Puʻu Nana with the forests around Kamakou. The two mountains occupy the same island but experience dramatically different ecological conditions.
🌿 Flora and Fauna
The modern landscape around Puʻu Nana includes dry grasslands, shrublands, ranching areas, and vegetation altered substantially by more than a century of grazing, introduced species, agriculture, and land-use changes.
Historical Hawaiian traditions preserved in modern planning documents suggest that western Molokaʻi was once considerably more wooded.
Accounts associated with Puʻu Nana and Kaʻana describe lehua forests in the Maunaloa area, while loulu palms and other native vegetation may once have occurred in places that are much drier and more open today.
Restoring vegetation in western Molokaʻi is important not only for biodiversity but also for water conservation and erosion control.
Among the most visible animals in modern western Molokaʻi are axis deer.
Axis deer were introduced to Molokaʻi during the nineteenth century and have since become extremely abundant.
Large populations can consume vegetation faster than it can recover, particularly during drought.
They also contribute to soil exposure and erosion, creating conservation challenges throughout the western portion of the island.
🦌 Axis Deer and the West Molokaʻi Landscape
Axis deer have become one of the major environmental issues affecting Molokaʻi.
The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources has documented very large herds in western Molokaʻi, where drought and heavy grazing pressure can leave landscapes with little remaining ground cover.
Loss of vegetation has consequences well beyond terrestrial wildlife.
Without healthy grasses, shrubs, and trees to slow rainfall, stormwater can rush rapidly across bare soil.
Sediment is then carried through drainage systems toward the coast.
After major rain events, muddy runoff can enter nearshore waters and affect coral reefs.
Managing deer populations has therefore become part of a larger effort to protect forests, ranchlands, watersheds, agricultural resources, and coastal ecosystems throughout Molokaʻi.
💧 Puʻu Nana and the Watershed
One of the most interesting modern issues surrounding western Molokaʻi is water.
The island’s wet eastern mountains possess extensive forested watersheds, while the West End is considerably drier and has more limited freshwater resources.
The Maui County Molokaʻi Water Use and Development Plan discusses historical traditions describing forests around Puʻu Nana and Maunaloa.
These accounts are important because forests can help capture rainfall, slow runoff, promote groundwater recharge, and reduce erosion.
The plan suggests that restoring vegetation in western Molokaʻi could help improve watershed function.
Puʻu Nana therefore provides an interesting connection between cultural history and modern environmental management.
A landscape remembered as more heavily forested may offer clues about how watershed restoration could help the island adapt to drought and changing water demands.
🌺 Puʻu Nana and the Origins of Hula
Puʻu Nana possesses cultural importance that greatly exceeds what its elevation might suggest.
The area of Kaʻana in western Molokaʻi is traditionally associated with the origins of hula.
One important Molokaʻi tradition connects Laka, closely associated with hula, with this landscape.
Puʻu Nana has consequently played a role in ceremonies and cultural events celebrating Molokaʻi’s relationship with hula.
The modern Ka Hula Piko celebration grew from these traditions, honoring Molokaʻi as a foundational place in the story of Hawaiian dance.
Ceremonies associated with the event have historically included visits to Puʻu Nana.
It is important to recognize that Hawaiian traditions surrounding hula are diverse. Different islands and genealogical traditions preserve different accounts of its origins.
Puʻu Nana nevertheless remains one of the most significant places associated with Molokaʻi’s hula traditions.
🌺 What Does Puʻu Nana Mean?
During Maui County Planning Commission discussions concerning development near the mountain, the late kumu hula John Kaimikaua explained the name in relation to the hill’s commanding view.
In Hawaiian, puʻu commonly refers to a hill, mound, or summit.
Kaimikaua explained Nana in this place-name as relating to seeing or viewing, describing Puʻu Nana as a place where one could look across a wide expanse of Molokaʻi and surrounding islands.
The name can therefore be understood approximately as a hill of viewing or observation.
Some geographic databases record the name as Puʻunānā.
As with many Hawaiian place names, however, its deeper meaning is connected with the history, people, traditions, and stories of the landscape rather than simply a literal dictionary translation.
🗿 A Cultural Landscape
Puʻu Nana should not be treated as simply another summit to climb.
Maui County records concerning the area describe archaeological sites, traditional trails, former habitation areas, adze quarry locations, and places connected with Laka and hula traditions.
The broader landscape around the hill therefore contains cultural resources that may not always be obvious to casual visitors.
This is especially important because much of the surrounding land is privately owned.
The presence of a named summit on a map does not create public access.
Visitors should never cross private property, cultural sites, ranchlands, utility facilities, or gated roads without appropriate permission.
🥾 Can You Hike Puʻu Nana?
Puʻu Nana is not a conventional public hiking destination.
Peakbagger identifies the summit area as being on private land, and state records show infrastructure and access routes in the broader Puʻu Nana area.
There is no heavily promoted public summit trail comparable with popular Hawaiian hiking routes.
Anyone interested in visiting the area should determine current land ownership and access conditions before traveling.
Permission should be obtained whenever required.
The mountain’s relatively low elevation should also not be mistaken for unrestricted or effortless access. Roads and tracks may cross private ranchland, and some nearby areas contain culturally sensitive resources.
For most visitors, learning about Puʻu Nana’s geological and cultural significance may be more appropriate than treating it as a recreational summit objective.
⚠️ Conditions in Western Molokaʻi
Western Molokaʻi can be hot, dry, windy, and exposed.
Sun protection and adequate water are essential for any permitted outdoor activity in the area.
Drought conditions can increase wildfire danger, while heavy rainfall after prolonged dry periods can produce rapid runoff and muddy roads.
Other considerations include:
- Private-property boundaries
- Limited shade
- Intense tropical sunlight
- Strong winds
- Loose volcanic soil
- Unpaved roads
- Axis deer and other animals
- Cultural and archaeological resources
- Limited services in remote areas
Current local conditions and access rules should always be checked before entering undeveloped areas.
🏔️ Puʻu Nana vs. Kamakou
Puʻu Nana and Kamakou illustrate just how diverse Molokaʻi’s mountain landscapes can be.
Kamakou rises to approximately 4,961 feet, more than three times the elevation of Puʻu Nana.
It belongs to the massive East Molokaʻi Volcano and receives extraordinary amounts of rainfall. Its summit region supports wet native forest, bogs, rare plants, land snails, and native forest birds.
Puʻu Nana rises to only about 1,345 feet on the older West Molokaʻi Volcano.
Its surroundings are substantially drier and have been heavily influenced by grazing, ranching, invasive species, and drought.
Yet both mountains are remnants of the same larger volcanic story.
Together they demonstrate how differences in volcanic age, elevation, rainfall, erosion, and human land use can produce dramatically different environments on a single small island.
🏔️ Nearby Mountains and High Points
Mauna Loa (Molokaʻi) is Puʻu Nana’s line parent and nearest higher neighbor. It reaches approximately 1,411 feet and represents the highest summit area of the West Molokaʻi volcanic massif in modern topographic datasets.
Kamakou rises in eastern Molokaʻi to 4,961 feet and is the highest point on the island.
Puʻu Aliʻi lies in the highlands of East Molokaʻi and is notable as the high point of Kalawao County.
Across the Pailolo Channel, Puʻu Kukui rises to 5,788 feet in the West Maui Mountains.
Together, these mountains form part of the remarkable volcanic geography of Hawaiʻi.
🌄 Why Puʻu Nana Is Worth Knowing
Puʻu Nana demonstrates why elevation alone is a poor measure of a mountain’s importance.
At only about 1,345 feet high and with approximately 33 feet of prominence, it would barely attract attention in a list of Hawaiʻi’s highest mountains.
Yet the hill tells several much larger stories.
Its basalt belongs to a shield volcano constructed nearly two million years ago. Its weathered slopes reveal what happens as Hawaiian volcanoes age and move away from the hotspot. Its dry modern landscape contrasts dramatically with historical accounts of more extensive vegetation, raising important questions about watershed restoration and ecological change.
Most importantly, Puʻu Nana forms part of a Native Hawaiian cultural landscape deeply associated with Kaʻana, Laka, and traditions surrounding hula.
For anyone exploring the mountains of Hawaiʻi, Puʻu Nana is a reminder that a summit’s significance is not always measured in feet.
Sometimes the stories held by the land are far larger than the mountain itself.
🔗 Related Articles
📚 Sources
- Peakbagger — Puʻu Nana, Hawaiʻi
- U.S. Geological Survey — Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Island of Molokai, Hawaii
- U.S. Geological Survey — West Molokai Volcanics
- Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program — West Molokai
- U.S. Geological Survey — Hawaii Regional Summary
- Maui County — Molokaʻi Water Use and Development Plan
- Maui County — Molokaʻi Planning Commission, Puʻu Nana Cultural Discussion
- Maui County — Molokaʻi Planning Commission, Puʻu Nana and Kumu John Kaimikaua
- Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources — Molokaʻi Axis Deer Assessment
- Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources — Managing Axis Deer on Maui and Molokaʻi
