Parker Ranch, Historical cattle ranch in Waimea, Hawaii County, US.

Parker Ranch covers about 130,000 acres of volcanic pasture on Hawaii Island, where roughly 60,000 cattle graze. The entrance is marked by a white wooden archway with a blue shield sign reading "Parker Ranch" and "PUKALANI STABLE" beneath a longhorn head. Behind it stands a long red building with a red roof. Two historic homes, Puuopelu and Mana Hale, are about a mile outside Waimea.

John Palmer Parker founded the ranch in 1847 after receiving land from King Kamehameha I as reward for managing the wild cattle roaming the islands. The property grew through generations and became one of the largest private ranching operations in Hawaii.

The word paniolo comes from the Hawaiian pronunciation of español, since the first cowboys on the ranch were Spanish-speaking men from Mexico; Hawaiian has no "s" sound. The annual 4 July rodeo and horse races at the Parker Ranch Arena keep that cattle-working tradition on show.

You can tour two historic homes at your own pace, exploring the grounds and buildings along Mamalahoa Highway. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring sun protection, as most of the property is open grassland with little shade.

The white archway at the entrance carries a dark blue shield sign with a longhorn head and the words "Parker Ranch" above "PUKALANI STABLE". The ranch's cowboys are called paniolo, from Spanish "Español", because the first cowboys were Spanish-speaking Mexicans and Hawaiian has no "s" sound.