Dragon’s Teeth Trail

Dragon’s Teeth Trail is a 0.7-mile round-trip out-and-back with a small loop around Makaluapuna Point. From the small access lot, a gentle path leads to the jagged lava fins; after circling the point, retrace the shared approach. Allow about 30–45 minutes to explore. Most of the walk is easy, but the point itself is rough and uneven.

The path starts between trees, follows a hedge beside Honokahua Burial Site, then runs alongside a golf course before opening onto the point. Stay on the established tread and watch for stray golf balls from the course. There are no services described at the small lot; toilets and drinking water were not confirmed.

The tooth-shaped lava fins sit right beside the ocean. From the point, look back toward Oneloa Bay and D.T. Fleming Beach, with Molokaʻi across the channel when visibility is clear. One commonly repeated explanation is that surf pushed against a lava flow as it met the sea, leaving fins as it hardened; that origin story was not independently confirmed by a geology source. The formations make the signature view, so there is no need to scramble closer for a photo.

The described path skirts Honokahua Burial Site, a sacred burial ground that visitors should not enter. Public-access instructions around the point were not consistently documented, so treat posted signs as controlling and turn back if they restrict the route. No reliable dog rule was found; check signs before bringing a pet.