When you think cowboys, images of bison and wide open American plains probably come to mind, but here on the Big Island, Paniolo – Hawaiian cowboys – have been rounding up cattle on the Parker Ranch since 1847.
What began as a gift of a few head to cattle from Captain John Vancouver to the King Kamehameha I grew into one of Hawaii’s major exports thanks to John Parker in the early 1800s. Throughout the decades the Parker family grew, as did the company and property. Today it is one of the oldest and largest ranches in the U.S., sprawling across 150,000 acres and 160 years of history.
Visitors to the ranch can quench their thirst for an authentic Hawaiian experience with the Parker Ranch Cattle Country Tour. This is the ultimate way to see the Waimea cattle country landscape, the historic homes of the property and learn the history. Besides hiking, horseback and ATV rides offer a great way to check out even more parts of the ranch, like the arena and racetrack. Each tour includes a refreshing picnic lunch, and if you like, you can enjoy your meal in the Puuopelu Gardens surrounding the ranch’s historic homes!
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Things to know:
Region: Hawaii Big Island
Related activities: Go horseback riding through the rolling hills and get a sense of the true cowboy tradition. You must be at least seven years old and the cost is $79 per rider.
Related Onsite Offerings: Parker Ranch's pasture is home to 175 kW of photovoltaic and 50 kW of windplant technology, which generates more than 90 percent of the daytime electrical power needed to provide drinking water for Parker Ranch’s livestock in the Mauna Kea, Mana and Keamuku grazing areas.
Fun facts: The Ranch contains 850 miles of fence, 300 paddocks and 15 corrals. The water system consists of 175 miles of pipeline, 4 reservoirs, 145 water tanks, 40 ground tanks, three water dams and 650 water troughs. Annual beef production of the cow-calf operation is in excess of 12 million pounds.
Fun facts: Parker Ranch, in Waimea on Hawaii’s Big Island, was founded in 1847. It is one of the oldest and most historic ranches in the United States.
Photos courtesy HCVB and farmboy34.
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