Koke'e State Park
Encyclopedia
Kōkee State Park is located in northwestern Kauai
in the Hawaiian Islands
. It includes a museum at the 15 mi (24.1 km) marker on State Road 550
, which focuses on the weather, vegetation, and bird life; a lodge which serves food and sells gifts; cabins for rent; and hiking trails. The park is just north of Waimea Canyon State Park
at 22°7′49"N 159°39′32"W and includes 4345 acre (17.6 km²) of mountainous terrain.
The main attractions of Kōkee State Park trails are the native vegetation, native forest birds, and the scenic cliffside views. Situated on a plateau
between 3200 and 4200 ft (975.4 and 1,280.2 m), much of Kōkee is a montane
(infrequent frost) mesic forest (50 to 100 in (1,270 to 2,540 mm) annual rainfall with moist soil conditions) dominated by koa (Acacia koa) and ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
) trees. The park receives around 70 inches (1,778 mm) of rain per year, mostly from October to May.
At the end of the state road is a lookout onto the Kalalau Valley
, once home to thousands of native Hawaiians
. The valley was the backdrop for Jack London
's short story Koolau the Leper.
In October it is the home of a festival honoring Queen Emma of Hawaii
.
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. It includes a museum at the 15 mi (24.1 km) marker on State Road 550
Hawaii Route 550
Route 550 is a fourteen mile road stretching from Route 50 in Waimea to Kōkeʻe State Park on the island of Kauai.-Route description:...
, which focuses on the weather, vegetation, and bird life; a lodge which serves food and sells gifts; cabins for rent; and hiking trails. The park is just north of Waimea Canyon State Park
Waimea Canyon State Park
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil...
at 22°7′49"N 159°39′32"W and includes 4345 acre (17.6 km²) of mountainous terrain.
The main attractions of Kōkee State Park trails are the native vegetation, native forest birds, and the scenic cliffside views. Situated on a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
between 3200 and 4200 ft (975.4 and 1,280.2 m), much of Kōkee is a montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
(infrequent frost) mesic forest (50 to 100 in (1,270 to 2,540 mm) annual rainfall with moist soil conditions) dominated by koa (Acacia koa) and ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
Metrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
) trees. The park receives around 70 inches (1,778 mm) of rain per year, mostly from October to May.
At the end of the state road is a lookout onto the Kalalau Valley
Kalalau Valley
The Kalalau Valley is located on the northwest side of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The valley is located in the Nā Pali Coast State Park and houses the beautiful Kalalau Beach. The Nā Pali Coast is very rugged and is inaccessible to automobiles...
, once home to thousands of native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
. The valley was the backdrop for Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
's short story Koolau the Leper.
In October it is the home of a festival honoring Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naea Rooke of Hawaii was queen consort of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She ran for ruling monarch against King David Kalākaua but was defeated....
.
Hiking Trails
- Alakai Swamp Trail, length: 3.5 mi (5.6 km). Trail through native wet forest to the rim of Wainiha Pali with sweeping view of the north shore. Great birdwatching trail. Trail is often wet, slippery and muddy. The majority of this trail is a plank boardwalkBoardwalkA boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
covered with chicken wire to provide traction. - Awaawapuhi Trail, length: 3.25 mi (5.2 km). Trail with mesic and dryland native plants. Spectacular view into steep-sided Nualolo and Awaawapuhi Valleys. Return climb of 1620 ft (493.8 m).
- Berry Flat Trail, length: 0.6 mi (0.965604 km). This trail traverses a mix of planted alien and native forest types, including Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and Sugi (Cryptomeria japonicaCryptomeriaCryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
) groves and disturbed koa/ōhia forest. - Black Pipe Trail, length: 0.5 mi (0.80467 km). This trail is an alternate access to the Canyon Trail. Native hibiscusHawaiian hibiscusHawaiian hibiscus are the seven known species of hibiscus regarded as native to Hawaii. Although tourists regularly associate the hibiscus flower with their experiences visiting the US state of Hawaii, and the plant family Malvaceae includes a relatively large number of species that are native to...
and iliau (Wilkesia gymnoxiphiumWilkesia gymnoxiphiumWilkesia gymnoxiphium , is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii...
) can be seen along the trail. - Canyon Trail, length: 1.8 mi (2.9 km). A popular scenic trail with great views of Waimea and Poomau Canyons. The trail follows the rim of Waimea CanyonWaimea Canyon State ParkWaimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil...
and crosses Kōkee Stream. - Cliff Trail, length: 0.1 mi (0.160934 km). A spur trail leading to a viewpoint of Waimea CanyonWaimea Canyon State ParkWaimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil...
. Feral goatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s are often seen on the canyon walls. - Ditch Trail, length: 1.7 mi (2.7 km). A trail developed to construct and maintain the Kōkee DitchKokee DitchThe Kōkee Ditch is an irrigation canal on the island of Kauai.In 1923, construction began on the Kōkee Ditch system to open the mauka hills to sugar cane production....
. Vistas of surrounding forest and Poomau Stream. - Faye Trail, length: 0.1 mi (0.160934 km). A short trail that accesses other trails in the Halemanu area.
- Halemanu-Kōkee Trail, length: 1.2 mi (1.9 km). This trail wanders through somewhat disturbed koa/ōhia forest. Recovery from Hurricane IwaHurricane IwaHurricane Iwa, taken from the Hawaiian language name for the frigatebird , was at the time the costliest hurricane to affect the state of Hawaii. Iwa was the twenty-third tropical storm and the twelfth and final hurricane of the 1982 Pacific hurricane season. It developed from an active trough of...
and transition to koa forest from drier conditions is evident. - Iliau Nature Loop, length: 0.25 mi (0.402335 km). Easy roadside nature trail through dry shrubland with plants identified. Sweeping views of Waimea CanyonWaimea Canyon State ParkWaimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. Waimea is Hawaiian for "reddish water," a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil...
and Waialae Canyon. - Kaluapuhi Trail, length: 1.6 mi (2.6 km). Disturbed ōhia montane mesic forest with some intact forest areas. Good birdwatching trail.
- Kukui Trail, Length: 2.5 mi (4 km). Scenic, but steep trail into Waimea Canyon. Elevation drop of 2000 ft (609.6 m).
- Kumuwela Trail, length: 1 mi (1.6 km). Mosaic of ōhia and koa/ōhia montane mesic forests with alien weed problems and hurricane damage. A good birdwatching trail.
- Nature Trail, length: 0.1 mi (0.160934 km). Good starter trail to learn about native forest vegetation.
- Nualolo Trail, length: 3.75 mi (6 km). Trail through koa/ōhia montane mesic forests and an aalii (Dodonaea viscosaDodonaea viscosaDodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
) lowland dry shrublandHawaiian tropical low shrublandsThe Hawaiian tropical low shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. These shrublands cover an area of in the leeward lowlands of the main islands and most of the smaller islands, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The ecoregion includes both grasslands and...
with a great view of Nualolo Valley. Return climb of 1570 ft (478.5 m). - Pihea Trail, length: 3.7 mi (6 km). Scenic nature trail along the rim of Kalalau ValleyKalalau ValleyThe Kalalau Valley is located on the northwest side of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The valley is located in the Nā Pali Coast State Park and houses the beautiful Kalalau Beach. The Nā Pali Coast is very rugged and is inaccessible to automobiles...
, traversing ōhia montane wet forest. Great birdwatching trail. - Puu ka OheloVaccinium reticulatumVaccinium reticulatum, known as Ōhelo ai in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the heather family, Ericaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It grows at altitudes of on lava flows and freshly disturbed volcanic ash on Maui and Hawaii, and less commonly on Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai...
Trail, length: 0.5 mile (0.80467 km). Along this trail are good examples of the impact that invasive alien weeds can have on native forest vegetation. - Waininiua Trail, length: 0.6 mi (0.965604 km). A good trail to see a relatively intact koa/ōhia montane mesic forest.
- Water Tank Trail, length: 1 mi (1.6 km). This trail provide a good example of native koa/ōhia forest.