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On our second day in Maui, we took a ‘Best of Maui’ excursion through the ship. Our first stop was the lush ʻĪao Valley State Monument, about 20 minutes drive from Kahului.
ʻĪao Valley was once burial grounds for the kings. In 1790, it was also the site of a brutal battle where King Kamehameha defeated Maui’s army in his quest to unify the Hawaiian islands. This was called the Battle of Kepaniwai (damming of the waters) because the bodies of the slain blocked ʻĪao Stream.
ʻĪao Valley is known for a 1200 foot spire called the ʻĪao Needle or Kūka’emoku. The Needle is a lava remnant carved out by erosion. We took the Iao Needle Lookout Trail, a half mile paved path leading uphill to a scenic overview.
The mountains surrounding ʻĪao Valley receive 386 inches of rain annually, making it the second wettest spot in Hawaii. The valley is a dense rain forest, fed by all that rain and the ʻĪao Stream.
As we came back down from ʻĪao Needle Lookout, we took the Ethno-botanical Loop at the bottom of the hill. This short path winds through specimens of plants brought to the valley by the ancient Hawaiians.
Here, we also saw this fairly large spider and a lizard. There is also a trail along the stream, but we didn’t have time to walk that one before returning to the tour bus.
Maui Posts:
- Kahului Harbor
- Haleakalā National Park
- ʻĪao Valley State Monument
- Maui Tropical Plantation (coming soon)
- Maui Ocean Center (coming soon)
Location: 54 S High St, Wailuku, HI 96793
Designation: State Monument, National Natural Landmark
Date established/designated: July 1, 1961
Date of my visit: April 15, 2019
Reblogged this on ravenhawks' magazine.
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The post couldn’t come at a better time. I am actually leaving for Maui next week for holidays. The Iao Valley State Monument just got added to my list of places to visit. Thanks for sharing.
That’s wonderful! I think there is another section of the park to see, across from the main parking lot. We were on a bus tour and so only had 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Wow, what a find and small adventure.
Thanks!
We visited in February. Amazing location. Its history is a little sad, though. Did you read that? I like your idea of a video since it is difficult to contain the size and uniqueness of the landscape with photographs.
Yes, a sad bloody history, but beautiful place
We loved learning Hawaiian history when we visited in 2015. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for reading and commenting 😊
Begs the question, “was it raining while you were there?”
Looking towards the needle, it seems to have been raining up in those mountains. Down in the valley where we were was sunny 🌞
I didn’t make it to Maui. The Big Island was absolutely beautiful but I haven’t been back. That was 1984. I hope to go back someday.
Prior to this trip, I’d last been to Hawaii in 1986. It was a dream come true to go back…I hope you get there too 😊
Me too!
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The Needle is a favorite memory of my first trip to Hawaii, while in high school. Back before it was a national landmark, just after statehood. Thanks for sharing these great photos.
Cool 😎. Thanks for reading and commenting 😊