Koko Crater (Hawaiian: Kohelepelepe or Puûu Mai) is an extinct tuff cone located on the Hawaiian island of Oûahu near Hawaiûi Kai. It is northeast of Hanauma Bay and south of the Koûolau Range.
Koko Crater is a part of the Honolulu Volcanics, which were craters that formed as vents of the Koûolau Volcano during its rejuvenation stage. Other notable landmarks within the Honolulu Volcanics include nearby Hanauma Bay and the well-known Diamond Head crater.
Koko Crater, Hanauma Bay and other nearby tuff cones form the Koko Rift Zone, which marks the latest episode of volcanic activity on the island of Oahu. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the latest eruption within the Koko Rift Zone occurred 7,000 years ago, although the validity of these results are disputed. Its elevation is 1,208 ft (368 m), making it the tallest and most preserved tuff cone in the area.
During World War II, the US military built bunkers on top of Koko Crater with a railroad leading to its summit. In 1966, the US Air Force ceded administration of Koko Crater over to the city of Honolulu. It was then renamed to the Koko Head Regional Park. Within this park is the Koko Crater Trail, which is a that uses the abandoned railroad as its pathway. The Kokonut Koalition is a nonprofit that has a city contract to maintain the trail.
Its original Hawaiian name was Kohelepelepe â Hawaiian for vagina labia minor. The legend tells a story where Pele, goddess of vulcanoes and fire, was attacked on Hawaii by Kamapuaûa, a shapeshifting man with a pig head. Her sister Kapo came to her aid, luring the attacker away by throwing her vagina to Oûahu. Kamapua'a followed it to the location of Koko head, where it left a deep imprint, believed to be Koko crater.