Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:End of Highway 32
Hawaii
Tel:
(808) 587-0300
Meaning "Cloud Supreme," this park is not only rich with amazing nature, but full of history as well. The Iao Valley was the site of important Maui battles, as well as a burial ground for royalty, and is thus respected as sacred land. Formed by volcanic remnants, the Valley is a deep, narrow gorge, flanked by beautiful tropical forests filled with exotic tropical plants. Perhaps the most famous landmark in the park is the Iao Needle, a lava remnant rising 1,200 feet into the air, which is surrounded by cliffs of dormant volcano. The park boasts precipitation of 355 inches per year, so be ready to feel a bit damp while hiking the paved trail through this luscious State Park.
From Iao Valley State Park - Hawaii:
The lovely, deep valley of 'Iao features the 'Iao Needle, a natural rock pinnacle presiding over the 'Iao stream and surrounded by the walls of the Pu'u Kukui Crater. Once used as a natural altar, the 2,250-foot stone pillar covered in green, is a basaltic core that has survived eons of swirling water.