Haleakalā National Park

Haleakalā National Park spans from a lush valley beneath a waterfall at sea level to a red desert of cinder cones at the volcanic summit of Haleakala, with many climates and life zones in between that are vitally linked by rain falling on the volcano’s slopes and carving its valleys to nourish a multitude of life forms. In kua mauna, the land above the clouds, people never dwelled for long, and ka po‘e kahiko, the people of old, came to this sacred place only for specific reasons requiring training and understanding. At the foot of the mountain lies kahakai, the costal lands, inhabited and cultivated for centuries. The park preserves and helps perpetuate the cultural richness of kua mauna, kahakai, and the diverse features in between. In the Kīpahulu Costal District, trails skirt dramatic coastline or follow pooling streams to Waimoku Falls at the head of a densely forested valley, and foundations of old village sites, cultural demonstrations, and a living taro farm preserve and perpetuate a sense of how people lived in old Hawai‘i.

Kula, Hawaii · United States