Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wisdom holds that the land gives life, and we must therefore take care of it; we are
stewards of the land, not owners. Given this belief, Western concepts such as prop-
erty rights, real estate, development, and wealth are ideals which the people of Mo-
loka'i want no part of, largely to the consternation of folks who weren't raised with
the same beliefs.
The people of Moloka'i are all too happy to welcome visitors to the island and
share with them their culture and aloha. It's just that when outside visitors want to
put up housing developments, wind farms, or piers to accommodate a cruise ship,
the weapons of cultural defense are unsheathed for all to see. As another popular
bumper sticker says, Don't change Moloka'i, let it change you. That says it all.
PEPE'OPAE BOG
Constantly shrouded in cloud cover and dripping in every color of green imaginable, if
ever there were a place to visualize Hawai'i before the arrival of humans, then that spot
is the
Pepe'opae Bog.
Ninety-eight percent of the plant species here are indigenous to
the island of Moloka'i, and 219 of the species in this preserve are found nowhere else on
earth. Following Highway 460 from Kaunakakai, make a right before the bridge at the
Homelani Cemetery sign and follow the dirt road for 10 miles all the way to the parking
area at Waikolu Overlook. Even making it this far in a two-wheel-drive vehicle requires
high clearance and the best road conditions. Trying to go any further will just get you
stuck. Those with four-wheel drive can knock 2.6 miles one-way off the journey by con-
tinuing to the trailhead, but even this is precarious at best and the driver needs to know
what they're doing behind the wheel.
Look for the signs for Pepe'opae Bog and follow them. Once the trail begins, it's im-
perative you stay on the metal boardwalk. If you accidentally step off, you can expect to
sink shin-deep into the soggy moss and mud. The boardwalk runs for 1.5 miles through
some of the most pristine rainforest left in the state. Hikers who make it to the end are
rewarded with a view into Pelekunu Valley which plunges 4,000 feet through the uninhab-
ited, untouched wilderness below. Hikers are free to attempt the climb on their own, or the
Nature Conservancy
(808/553-5236,
hike_molokai@tnc.org
) leads hikes into Pepe'opae
once per month March through October. Due to high demand, advance reservations are
suggested.
