The Captain Cook Monument stands at Kaʻawaloa Flats on Kealakekua Bay, raised in Cook's honor by his countrymen near the place where he was killed. Cook's arrival at Kealakekua Bay began the first extensive contact between Hawaiians and Westerners, and he was killed in a skirmish on the shore of Kaʻawaloa Cove after a series of incidents between his crew and Hawaiians. On the lava flats behind the monument are the ruins of the ancient village of Kaʻawaloa. The flats are part of Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park, and State Parks allows two ways to reach them: hike down from the uplands on the historic Kaʻawaloa Trail, or go with a guided kayak trip run by one of the companies State Parks permits. The trail has no restrooms; pack out your trash. Every vessel needs a State Parks permit to cross the bay, permitted vessels may not land at Kaʻawaloa flat, and if you rent a kayak, confirm with the owner that it has a permit. Restrooms are on the Nāpōʻopoʻo section of the park, and State Parks describes the monument as viewed at a distance across Kealakekua Bay. State Parks lists falling rocks as a hazard in the park.
State Parks lists two ways in: the Kaʻawaloa Trail, or a guided kayak trip with a permitted vendor. Permitted vessels may not land at Kaʻawaloa flat.
