Hawaii is home to some of the tallest sea mountains in the world. The islands were formed by volcanic eruptions from the Hawaii hotspot underneath the Pacific Ocean. As the Pacific plate moves over the hotspot, volcanoes continue to erupt and grow to become high mountains. Some of the most famous mountains in Hawaii include Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Haleakala and Hualalai. These iconic peaks have inspired many riddles and puzzles over the years.
In this article, we have gathered 55 fun riddles about the mountains of Hawaii along with their answers. Some riddles focus on the names and locations of the mountains, while others emphasize their volcanic origins. A few touch on Hawaii’s unique wildlife found in mountain habitats. There are riddles for children and more complex brainteasers for adults. The questions vary in difficulty, from easy to moderately challenging.
Solving these Hawaiian mountain riddles is an entertaining way to sharpen your wits and learn more about the beautiful volcanic islands. The answers are provided as well in case you get stumped. Let’s test your knowledge about Hawaii’s famous peaks!
Riddles about Hawaiian Mountain Names and Locations
Q: I’m the tallest sea mountain in the world, a dormant volcano on the Big Island. What am I?
A: Mauna Kea
Q: I’m a giant shield volcano making up over 75% of the Big Island. Who am I?
A: Mauna Loa
Q: You’ll find me on Maui, I’m a dormant volcano with a giant depression called a caldera on my peak. What mountain am I?
A: Haleakala
Q: I’m a volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island that last erupted in 1801. Many visitors come to my slopes to visit Kona coffee farms. What volcano am I?
A: Hualalai
Q: I’m the highest point on the island of Kauai, a famous jungle-clad peak. What mountain am I?
A: Mount Waialeale
Q: One of the wettest spots on Earth, I’m a shield volcano on Windward Oahu, now extinct. What peak am I?
A: Mount Konahuanui
Q: I’m a crater located inside Maui’s Haleakala National Park, named for the Hawaiian goddess of the moon. What am I called?
A: Pu’u Ola’i
Q: On which Hawaiian island would you find the wet, foggy forests of the Alakai Wilderness Preserve?
A: Kauai
Q: I’m a volcano on Maui with three cinder cones on my rift zone. What mountain am I?
A: Pu’u Kukui
Q: On which island is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park located?
A: Hawaii (the Big Island)
Riddles about Hawaiian Mountains’ Volcanic Origins
Q: I erupted long ago in Hawaii, slowly oozing rivers of red hot lava. Over countless years I grew into a mighty mountain mass. What am I?
A: A Hawaiian shield volcano
Q: We are holes at the summits of Hawaiian volcanoes where lava used to erupt. What are we?
A: Calderas
Q: I’m molten hot rock underneath Hawaii’s surface that feeds its erupting volcanoes. What am I?
A: Magma
Q: I’m a crack in the earth’s crust where lava erupts from a volcano. What am I?
A: A volcanic vent
Q: I’m the depression around a volcanic vent caused by collapses. You’ll find me on many Hawaii peaks. What am I?
A: A crater
Q: I’m the broken lava rocks and cinder thrown from erupting Hawaiian volcanoes. What am I?
A: Cinder cone
Q: Over long periods of time, I built up Hawaii’s islands from underwater volcanoes. What process am I?
A: Volcanic eruption
Q: I’m the hot underground region where Hawaiian magma originates. What am I called?
A: Magma chamber
Q: I’m the outer solid layer of the earth that forms tectonic plates underlying the Pacific Ocean. What am I?
A: The lithosphere
Q: I’m molten rock that has been expelled onto Earth’s surface during a volcanic eruption. What am I?
A: Lava
Riddles about Hawaiian Mountain Habitats and Wildlife
Q: I’m a bird with dark feathers and a curved red bill, native to Hawaii’s mountain forests. What am I?
A: The iiwi
Q: Spiders, beetles and fruit flies make up my Hawaiian forest diet. I use my sharp bill to flake bark and lichen off trees. What unique mountain bird am I?
A: The akiapola’au
Q: I’m an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper with a bright yellow head and olive green body. I survive high in ohia forests. What am I?
A: The Hawaiian creeper
Q: I’m a black bird with a turned-up tail and a fanciful brush-tipped tongue for feeding. I live amongst high-altitude mamane trees on Mauna Kea. What Hawaiian honeycreeper am I?
A: The palila
Q: I’m a yellow-green mountain conifer that grows upwards of 100 feet tall. My twisting branches are draped in hanging lichen. What’s my name?
A: The ohia tree
Q: I’m a tiny endangered seabird named for Hawaii’s rugged cliffs. Unique among my species for my nocturnal habits. What am I?
A: The Hawaiian petrel
Q: I’m a stripe-skinned tree found amongst the ohia on volcanic mountain slopes. My bark was once used to make tapa cloth. What am I?
A: The wauke or paper mulberry
Q: I’m the largest member of the honeycreeper family at 7 inches long. With my heavy curved bill, I extract nectar from ohia blossoms. What Hawaiian am I?
A: The greater amakihi
Q: I’m a yellow-striped black wasp that builds nests by chewing up ohia bark and twigs. What am I?
A: The iridescent koa bug or stinging wasp
Q: I’m a brown caterpillar that can strip the leaves from koa trees. When disturbed I roll up into a ball. What am I?
A: The koa moth caterpillar
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this collection of 55 riddles about the unique mountains of Hawaii. Learning more about the volcanic geology, landscape, wildlife and habitat of these iconic islands through puzzling questions can be both entertaining and educational. The clues covered everything from mountain names, locations and elevations to their volcanic origins and the birds and trees that call Hawaii’s peaks home.
Which riddle stumped you? Which facts were you most surprised to learn? Hawaii’s beautiful mountains have inspired so many legends and mysteries over the years. These puzzles and brainteasers just brush the surface when it comes to all the intriguing trivia there is to uncover about the dormant volcanoes of the Aloha State.
So next time you gaze up at Mauna Kea, Haleakala or the volcanoes of Maui, see if you can stump your family or friends with a riddle! The mountains preserve many more secrets for us discover on the Hawaiian islands.
