Laupāhoehoe Point: Hawaii’s Striking Peninsula Carries Natural Beauty and Tragic History: Authorities confirm

On the Hamakua Coast north of Hilo, a peninsula of hardened lava juts into the Pacific Ocean at a place called Laupāhoehoe — a Hawaiian name that translates to “leaf of lava.” The point was shaped when smooth pāhoehoe lava flowed directly into the sea, creating one of the Big Island’s most visually striking stretches of shoreline. Visitors reach it by driving roughly a mile downhill from Highway 19 near mile marker 27, descending into a landscape where black volcanic rock, vivid green grass, and brilliantly blue water meet in a scene that feels entirely removed from the rest of the island. What makes the place impossible to reduce to scenery alone is what occurred here on a single morning in 1946.

Laupāhoehoe functioned as a working village through the 1800s and well into the 1900s, sustained by sugar production and fishing. A harbor, a school, and a stop along the Hawaii Consolidated Railroad all occupied the point. That changed on April 1, 1946, when a powerful earthquake in the Aleutian Islands generated a tsunami that slammed directly into the peninsula. The disaster killed 24 people at Laupāhoehoe — a large number of them children and teachers from the school on the point — and claimed 159 lives across the Hawaiian Islands in total. Residents who survived rebuilt their community on higher ground and never returned to the low-lying point as a place to live. Today, the point operates as a beach park, offering picnic pavilions, restrooms, showers, drinking water, a boat ramp, and a breakwater, along with wide grassy lawns and unobstructed ocean views stretching across the entire peninsula.

“Every year, residents still gather here to remember the 24 people lost in 1946.”

A granite memorial positioned on a small knoll above the bay lists all 24 victims by name and age, mounted on a lava-rock pedestal enclosed by an iron railing and approached by three stone steps. Visitors frequently leave flowers and shells at its base. A nearby pavilion displays photographs and interpretive signage that fill in the historical record. Beyond the memorial, the park rewards careful exploration: tidepools carved into the lava shelf hold small fish and marine life on calm days, though conditions can shift quickly and posted warnings should be taken seriously. The south side of the point features lava ledges used regularly by local fishermen casting lines or throwing nets, and a Coast Guard light marker now stands where an older lighthouse once operated — the original tower still rests on its side where it toppled below. For visitors driving the Hamakua Coast, Laupāhoehoe pairs naturally with a stop at nearby Akaka Falls and, a short distance up the highway, a small community museum housed in the former railroad station agent’s house. Opened in 1998, the museum preserves photos and artifacts from the Hawaii Consolidated Railway, including a restored diesel engine and a caboose — a railroad that the same 1946 tsunami helped bring to an end. Swimming is not advised at Laupāhoehoe under any conditions; rough surf, sharp lava, and strong currents make the water hazardous regardless of how inviting it appears on a clear day.