Dragon’s Teeth

Dragon’s Teeth is a good example of what can happen when forces of nature collide. As the lava from the West Mau‘i Volcano poured into the ocean, fierce wind and waves forced it back and it cooled into a formation that resembles great black teeth. Makalua-puna Point was created from one of the last lava flows on Maui. However, the lava is a little different from the rest of the lava on Maui - it is much lighter, denser, and fine-grained. The wind sweeping over the point caused the lava to harden in an upward fashion.

The jagged points of this formation look like dragon's teeth, thus the name. Honu (sea turtles) often swim close to shore, so peer over the edge and look for them. To get to Dragon’s Teeth take Honoapi’ilani Hwy northeast and turn left onto Office Road just past mile marker 30. At the end of Office Road take a right and park in the little parking lot. You’ll have to walk across the edge of a golf course to reach the teeth. As you walk, look to your right for a small plaque. This site is an ancient Hawaiian burial ground that was the subject of a huge controversy. The Ritz Carlton Hotel wanted the land for a beach front resort. They even began construction of the land before the Hawaiian community stepped in and put an end to it.

2009 Update This article in the Maui News may be of interest to some folks planning to visit this spot.

Location: Dragon’s Teeth is located in the Northwest Maui Region

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