Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Six miles down Polihua Road just before reaching the Garden of the Gods,
Kanepu'u Pre-
serve
is the only remaining dryland forest of its kind found anywhere in Hawai'i. Thanks
to a fence erected in 1918 by Lana'i Ranch manager George Munro, this 590-acre preserve
is home to 48 species of native Hawaiian plants which used to cover most of the island pri-
or to the arrival of the invasive kiawe tree and root-destroying goats and sheep. Managed
by the Nature Conservancy, the preserve features a short, self-guided trail where visitors
can get a rare chance to see native hardwoods such as
lama
(Hawaiian ebony) and
olopua
(Hawaiian olive). The trail only takes about 15 minutes to walk, and it makes for a nice
stopping point before exploring the Garden of the Gods.
