Iao Valley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ʻĪao Valley (Hawaiian: ʻĪ-ao: "cloud supreme", pronounced similar to "EE-ow") is a lush, stream-cut valley in West Maui, Hawaiian Islands located 5 km (3 mi) west of Wailuku. Because of its natural beauty, it has become a popular tourist location.
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[edit] ʻĪao Valley State Monument
The state park is located on 6.2 acres (2.5 hectares) at the end of ʻĪao Valley Road (Highway 32). The ʻĪao Needle (Kūkaemoku) is a famous landmark in the state park, a vegetation-covered lava remnant rising some 1200 feet from the valley floor (365 m, or 2250 ft/685 m measured from sea level). The needle is surrounded by the cliffs of the dormant volcano, the West Maui Mountains. One can take a short trail (ʻĪao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop) to a windy overlook. Park hours are from 7 am to 7 pm.
[edit] Rainforest
ʻĪao Valley is considered to be the second wettest spot in the state, after Mount Waiʻaleʻale on Kauai.[citation needed] The upper reaches of the valley and the surrounding Puʻu Kukui summit area of West Maui can receive more than 400 inches (more than 10,000 mm) per year, much of which ends up flowing into the ʻĪao Stream. Trails in the State Park run alongside ʻĪao Stream and through the forest, making it a nice place for a short hike, if you don't mind the chance of getting wet.
[edit] History
The Hawaiian god Kāne is considered to be the procreator and the provider of life. He is associated with wai (fresh water) as well as clouds, rain, streams and springs. Kanaloa, the Hawaiian god of the underworld, is represented by the phallic stone of the ʻĪao Needle.
It was here that Kapawa, the king of Hawaii prior to Pili-Kaakiea was buried.During the late 15th century, ʻĪao Valley was designated as an aliʻi burial area by Kakaʻe, the ruler of Maui. The remains of the chiefs were buried in secret hiding places in the valley. In 1790 the valley was the site of the Battle of Kepaniwai. It was the battle in which Kamehameha the Great defeated Kalanikūpule and the Maui army during his campaign to unify the islands. The battle was said to be so bloody that dead bodies blocked ʻĪao Stream, and the battle site was named Kepaniwai ("damming of the waters").
[edit] Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens
Since 1952, Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens have memorialized the multicultural history of Maui. Scale models of ethnic buildings and gardens representing the immigration of Hawaiian, American missionaries, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, and Filipino cultures are the highlight of the park. The gardens were restored in 1994.
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
- Kepler, Angela Kay (2007), West Maui: A Natural History Guide (1st ed.), Mutual Publishing, ISBN 1566478235.
