Iao Valley State Park is one of Maui’s landmark attraction.
It is located in Wailuku, Central Maui.
Iao Valley is the second wettest place in Hawai’i.
The main attraction here is the ‘Iao needle (Kuka’emoku),
a 2,250-foot-tall (685 m) stone pillar, a remnant of Maui’s volcanic past.
We were informed that this place used to be Kapu, meaning forbidden for the commoners.
It was a sacred place and used to be a burial site for Hawaii’s Ali’i (royalty).
It’s also considered a historical site, where in 1790’s King Kamehameha fought a battle here to unite the Hawaiian Islands.
Nowadays, it is open to the public.
The scenery is very lush and the Iao Needle itself is covered in green.
There are marked walking paths to check out the Iao Needle.
In addition, there are walking paths to see some of the plants that
were commonly grown in pre-sugar Hawaii.
Also, on the paths, you will see and hear streams of water.
Don’t be surprise but you’ll encounter many chickens too along your walking paths.
There were micro climates that occurred during our visit.
One side was very cloudy with sprinkles of rain.
The other side was sunny with clear blue sky.
As we shared before we love looking up at the sky and blessed to see a heart shape in the clouds.
I guess the sacred aura in the Iao Valley still exist.
Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR
Hope you enjoyed another edition of Sugar’s Golden Tours, Iao Valley Central Maui, HI
Visit my Golden Tours Page to check out previous posts.
That is so beautiful. Very cool the needle thing is covered in green. Sugar if I ever get to go to where you live will you be my tour guide?
Blessings,
Goose
Sounds so cool, Sugar! A sacred place that used to be a burial site for royalty?!!! If my humans ever go to Hawaii, they are surely gonna want to go there… Thanks for sharing this, pal!!
Cotton
Thanks for the tour, Sugar! We love it. Hope you have a great Thursday. xoxo
Wouldn’t it be cool if all of your dog blogging buddies could come to Hawaii and you could be the TOUR GUIDE Sugar??? How fun that would be!! We appreciate your showing us all about where you live!! xoxo Chloe and LadyBug
Thanks for sharing this wonderful place with me… it’s warming my heart and my paws, because it’s cold outside here today ;o)
Sugar you give the very best tours EVER!! And we are thankful to be able to enjoy them with you.
Your pictures and commentary make us feel like we are right there.
hugs Madi your BFFF
oh Sugar, you find the most amazing things to share with us…
You are such a great tour guide Sugar. Thanks for sharing your part of the world with us.
Millie
What a lovely walk!
Oh my stars, there was a heart! That is beautiful! Sugar, I bet it was just for you. The world wants you to know how much you’re loved. And you are! Happy seeing beautiful!
It certainly is beautiful where you live, my friend!
What a beautiful place you live in, Sugar! I had the good fortune to visit Hawaii once in high school and would love to get back to see everything with new eyes. In the meantime, your wonderful blog and pictures provide a sneak peek at an awesome part of the country!!
Love it! And chickens too!
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful state!
Sugar, have you contacted the Maui tourism board??? We think they should hire you, cuz you give the BEST tours and information. Iao valley was the setting for our Christmas card a few years ago 🙂
Have you seen any whale blows yet?? We love whale season.
Have a great day!
You have such beautiful places to hike… we always envy your view!
Wow Sugar ! I didn’t realise that’s where you lived! That is a TOTALLY pawsome place to be. My friend Bella lives there too! *wag wag wag*
Wet is OK when it’s warm!
That needle guy is so cool looking! And you make a great jungle pup Sugar!
Hiya Sugar! We visit a lot of state parks here in Florida and it’s so interesting to see the differences between ours and yours…and then i saw your photo of the elephant ear plant and had to laugh cause we have those growing in our yard…so we’re not all that different after all, though we’re thousands of miles apart *snoogles*
Great pix and lovely views Sugar. You know everytime you mention Hawaii that blooming 5-O tunes starts in my head. Have a terrific Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
That was fantastic. Thanks for taking us along with you!
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & roxy
What a lovely tourist guide you are Sugar. We love to come visit you because you fill us with sunshine from Hawii and sunshine in your face.
so lush and beautiful! Just gorgeous!
That place is really pretty! Lucky you can go there too!
Lovies, Miss Mindy
That looks like a very nice walk. I went to Hawaii when I was 12. I remember my parents taking me on a huge hike where I think we had to cross a rope bridge and walk through a river. It rained a lot too. My parents weren’t hikers so they called it the “death march”. I wish I knew what trail it was. I think we only went to Kauai and Oahu so it must have been on one of those islands.
You are one lucky dog Sugar
Benny & Lily
Wows! Even the chickens in Hawaii are gorgeous!! You fit right in Sugar.
Kisses,
Ruby
What a beautiful hike. I had to laugh about the chickens – when we were in Kauia they were EVERYWHERE! And the roosters crowed 24/7! We were told they escaped from their yards during a hurricane in the 70’s…if that’s true, how did they get to Maui?
Anyway, happy hiking!
Wow, you are such a great tourist guide Sugar!! My Domeek went to the Iao Valley a few years ago, she loved it! Very cool that pups are allowed there as well!! 😀
What a beautiful spot, Sugar! The chicken is so colorful and pretty!
Love ya lots,
Mitch and Molly
That looks like an awesome place to visit! You are so lucky to live in such beautiful country!!! It is just flat and dry where we live:(
It’s so pretty there! Our mommy and Daddy went there and saw feral kitties living there. Of course Mommy worried about them but has since learned how well feral kitties can adapt. Were they still there?
Mom says she wants to go there!
Your Friends,
Murphy & Stanley
What a gorgeous place!
Nola
Hey Sugar, Jet here.
Wow, thanks for sharing your hike with us. What a special site. We loved reading about the vegetation and the microclimates. The heart sky cut out was pawesome and just for you!
Love that rooster/chicken but I love all the pics – looks like another beautiful spot 🙂
I’ve been there Sugar. A wonderful place indeed. I wish I was there now as it’s so cold here. I would love some warmth.
Have a woof woof day Sugar. My best to your mom. 🙂
Hi Beautiful Sugar and mom, I love seeing the sights-I can’t remember ever seeing this landmark; I’m assuming it is upcountry towards Hana? I hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with lots of love.
Wags, Noreen & Hunter
What a beautiful place to visit. You’re lucky to get to see so many interesting places, Sugar.