Kūka‘emoku

Commonly called ʻĪao Needle, this 2,250 foot high peak bears the traditional Hawaiian name Kūka‘emoku and is known as the phallic stone of Kanaloa, Hawaiian god of the ocean. During periods of warfare, warriors used the peak, and it was here that some Maui warriors retreated from the forces of Kamehameha I during the Battle of Kepaniwai. Kūka‘emoku is an erosional remnant at the end of a ridge made of denser dike stone, with the softer rock around it worn away by streams and waterfalls.

Waikapu, Hawaii · United States