Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Ancient Hawaiian temple site in Kawaihae, United States.

Puukohola Heiau is an ancient Hawaiian temple complex located on the coast at Kawaihae, built entirely from red stones found in the region. The site contains a main temple platform surrounded by thick walls, with a smaller structure on the lower level that once housed ritual spaces.

Puʻukoholā Heiau was completed in the summer of 1791, built in under a year without mortar on a site possibly occupied by a temple from about 1580. The priest Kapoukahi advised Kamehameha I to raise a luakini temple to the war god Kūkaʻilimoku after inconclusive battles against his cousin Keōua Kuahuʻula. Kamehameha then summoned Keōua under a peace pretext and had him killed at the shore, dedicating the temple with the bodies.

This temple was dedicated to a war god and served as a center for Hawaiian spiritual practice. The site reflects how people gathered to strengthen their relationship with the sacred and participate in important communal ceremonies.

Entry into Puʻukoholā Heiau itself is not permitted, as bones are believed to be buried there; the temple is viewed from the interpretive trail that starts at the National Park Service visitor center. The trail continues past the ruins of Mailekini Heiau and down to Pelekane valley and the coast. On clear days Maui is visible across the water, and in winter whales can be spotted. Access is from Highway 270 just south of Kawaihae.

Thousands of workers organized in a human chain to move stones across the land, showing the remarkable social organization of Hawaiian communities. This feat accomplished without modern equipment remains a testament to their engineering and coordination abilities.