23 Jan Kaanapali’s Keka’a Landing Pier
Heading downhill toward Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and the golf course cart path, you see the oceanfront scene ahead is dominated by Pu’u Keka’a (commonly known as “Black Rock”). Located to the right of this large volcanic cinder cone, just off the pathway, are the remains of the Keka’a landing pier. This pier operated for many years as the primary loading spot for shipping processed sugar from the island and bringing in supplies for the plantation crops. Railroad tracks led from the sugar cane fields to the beach, and warehouses for storage were erected near the pier. Logs used for lumber were also transported to the pier, but would often be loaded into the water first. Submerged in the salt water, logs were left there to cure for a few months. Many plantation era homes were reportedly termite-free due to this method of wood preservation.
Over the years, the pier has been heavily damaged by the sea and storms, but it once stretched quite a distance into the ocean at the end of which a tugboat would be waiting to tow the heavy bags of sugar on a barge to the huge Matson ships waiting at sea.
Source: Ka’anapali Historical Trail & History and Legends Tour, Pip Holo Ka’ao (A well told tale travels far and wide)