Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens
Tucked away on the banks of 'Iao Stream is
Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens
(870 'Iao Val-
ley Rd., 7am-7pm daily, free), a simple, run-down, but culturally informative park that
details Maui's “mixed plate” culture. In addition to numerous pavilions that make great
picnic spots (and sometimes double as a great
drinking
spots for locals), the park features
a small monument devoted to each of the island's plantation-era immigrant communities.
From Japanese to Chinese and Puerto Rican to Portuguese, each monument has an inform-
ational placard about the respective culture and a typical dwelling constructed in the tra-
ditional style. Along the stream are a few places where you can bathe in the shallow (and
cold!) waters, although use some caution scrambling down to it as there aren't any official
trails. A visit of 30 minutes will usually suffice.
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'Iao Valley State Park
What makes
'Iao Valley State Park
(end of 'Iao Valley Rd., 7am-7pm daily) such a popu-
lar attraction is that it's the easiest, most accessible way to delve into the valleys of Mauna
Kahalawai. Every other valley in the mountains requires some hiking, some bushwhack-
ing, or some illicit private property crossing, so the park draws its fame from the conveni-
ence offered by the three-mile road back into the valley. Don't be alarmed when you ar-
rive and find that it's actually small. Visiting the park doesn't take much time—perhaps an
hour at most. 'Iao is not a one-stop destination, but an outing in which the journey is the
highlight of the trip. The thin ribbon of asphalt which snakes its way up the valley floor
is flanked on both sides by towering mountain ridges that get more dramatic as you move
your way up the valley.
THE BATTLE OF KEPANIWAI
Given the calming nature of Kepaniwai, it's tough to believe this narrow river
canyon was the site of one of Hawai'i's fiercest conflicts. Before King Kamehameha
united all the islands under a single crown in 1810, opposing chiefs frequently
waged battles in an effort to expand their influence. Having already conquered much
of the island of Hawai'i, Kamehameha sailed to Maui in 1790 with 1,200 warriors
and landed at the protected waters of Kahului Bay. Though Kahekili-the reigning
chief on Maui-was away on O'ahu at the time, Kamehameha met fierce opposition
from the Maui warriors who, under the leadership of Kahekili's son Kalanikupule
had positioned themselves just a few miles away at the entrance to 'Iao Valley.
