• Halema`uma`u Just Before Dawn

    Hawai'i Volcanoes

    National Park Hawai'i

Day Hike - Kīpukapuaulu

Kīpukapuaulu Trailhead
Ranger John at the Kīpukapuaulu Trailhead
NPS Photo
 

Kīpukapuaulu

Stroll through an upland mesic forest oasis on this 1 mile long loop trail through a kīpuka, an area of older vegetation surrounded by more recent lava flows from Mauna Loa.

Of interest: Kīpuka, old-growth forest of koa and ʻōhiʻa, birds, insects.

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Distance and hiking time: 1.2 mile (2 km) loop
  • Distance from Visitor Center to trailhead: 5 miles.
  • Trail begins at the Kīpukapuaulu parking area on Mauna Loa Road. The trail is a dirt path with a gentle incline.

Restrooms are available nearby at the picnic area.

 

Visit the Kipukapuaulu Virtual Hike Page

 

Hiking Tips (pdf-217KB)

 

Return to:
Day Hikes
Overnight Backcountry Hikes
Journals
Hike
Things to Do

Weather and Climate
Air Quality

Did You Know?

Ripe `ohelo berries ready to be eaten by nene.

`Ohelo (Vaccinium reticulatum) is a relative of blueberries and a favorite food of nene, the Hawaiian Goose.  Its berries range from dark red to pale yellow when ripe and are sacred to Pele, the volcano deity.