Nature
Manuka State Wayside Park is a 13.4-acre state park on Hawaiʻi, west of Nāʻālehu along the Mamalahoa Highway. Known chiefly for its 8-acre arboretum, it combines the feel of a botanical garden with a broader forest setting inside the 25,550-acre Manukā Forest Reserve. The arboretum, first planted in the mid-19th century with native and introduced species, now includes 48 native Hawaiian plants and more than 130 exotic plants and flowers. The name Manukā means “blundering” in Hawaiian and also recalls an ancient ahupuaʻa that stretched from the southwest coast up Mauna Loa’s slopes. A trail leads to a pit crater, adding a volcanic feature to the site.
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Hawaiian Ocean View, Hawaii · United States
