Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kaumahina State Wayside Park
Kaumahina State Wayside Park is known for one thing: public restrooms! If you've been
holding it since the Huelo fruit stand, this is the first place you'll find any official facilities.
There's also a small picnic area on the far side of the restrooms offering a sweeping view
of the Ke'anae coastline. A short trail follows the metal fence uphill. Another small trail
heads back into the forest, but it quickly dissipates and doesn't lead anywhere at all.
•
Mile Marker 14:
Honomanu Bay
•
Mile Marker 16.5:
Ke'anae Arboretum
Ke'anae Arboretum
Myriad species of trees, from rainbow eucalyptus to guava and sugarcane, are spread
throughout the free Ke'anae Arboretum. A 30-minute, paved, wheelchair-accessible trail
winds back into the lush surroundings. After 10 minutes of walking, the paved portion of
the trail ends and changes to dirt as you make your way past a fence. If you make a left
once inside the boundary and head toward Pi'ina'au Stream, you'll find a small hidden
swimming hole. Reaching it requires a scramble down the rocks. Following the trail to-
ward the back of the valley will once again lead over a low metal fence; although there are
some small waterfalls and swimming holes further up the stream, the trail becomes muddy,
narrow, and less worth the effort.
•
Mile Marker 16.6:
Turnoff for Ke'anae village
MM
Ke'anae Peninsula
This fertile, volcanic sprig of land jutting out from the coastline seems frozen in time.
When you turn off the highway at the 16.6 mile marker you pass through a portal to a way
of life you forgot existed. The peninsula itself is a mosaic of irrigated green taro fields,
vital to the livelihood of Ke'anae. Legend says the soil was originally imported one basket
at a time by a chief who demanded the villagers turn the volcanic peninsula into arable
land. Every part of the plant is used in some type of food (including everyone's favorite,
poi
). Taro (also known as
kalo
) isn't just a crop, it's a representation of native Hawaiian
heritage. In Hawaiian mythology, a child named Haloa was stillborn and, upon being bur-
ied, turned into a taro plant. Haloa's brother became the ancestor of the Hawaiian people.
In this way, native Hawaiians have a blood relationship to the plant which provides them
with sustenance.
