Kula in Maui County, Hawaii — Hawaiian Island Archipelago (Pacific Ocean)
Haleakalā National Park
Summit District
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
1. Haleakala National Park Marker
Inscription.
Haleakalā National Park. Summit District. The landscape of Haleakalā National Park rises from a lush valley beneath a waterfall at sea level to a red desert of cinder cones here at the volcanic summit of Haleakala. An astounding array of climates and life zones lies in between. Yet the park’s many contrasting worlds are vitally linked. Rain that falls on the volcano’s slopes and carves its valleys nourishes a multitude of life forms. , You are now in kua mauna, the land above the clouds, where people never dwelled for long. Ka po‘e kahiko, the people of old, only came to this sacred place for specific reasons requiring training and understanding. At the foot of the mountain lies kahakai, the costal lands, inhabited and cultivated for centuries. Haleakala National Park preserves and helps perpetuate the cultural richness of both kua mauna, kahakai, and the diverse features in between. It is all here for you to explore., Kīpahulu Costal District. Trails skirt dramatic coastline or follow pooling streams to Waimoku Falls at the head of a densely forested valley. At Kīpahulu you can get a sense of how people lived in old Hawai‘i. Foundations of old village sites, cultural demonstrations, and a living taro farm are preserved and perpetuated.
The landscape of Haleakalā National Park rises from a lush valley beneath a waterfall at sea level to a red desert of cinder cones here at the volcanic summit of Haleakala. An astounding array of climates and life zones lies in between. Yet the park’s many contrasting worlds are vitally linked. Rain that falls on the volcano’s slopes and carves its valleys nourishes a multitude of life forms.
You are now in kua mauna, the land above the clouds, where people never dwelled for long. Ka po‘e kahiko, the people of old, only came to this sacred place for specific reasons requiring training and understanding. At the foot of the mountain lies kahakai, the costal lands, inhabited and cultivated for centuries. Haleakala National Park preserves and helps perpetuate the cultural richness of both kua mauna, kahakai, and the diverse features in between. It is all here for you to explore.
Kīpahulu Costal District. Trails skirt dramatic coastline or follow pooling streams to Waimoku Falls at the head of a densely forested valley. At Kīpahulu you can get a sense of how people lived in old Hawai‘i. Foundations of old village sites, cultural demonstrations, and a living taro farm are preserved and perpetuated.
Erected by National Park Service-United States Department
Location. 20° 42.882′ N, 156° 15.036′ W. Marker is in Kula, Hawaii, in Maui County. Marker is on Crater Road. The marker is located at the Red Hill Summit Observation and Exhibition Building. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kula HI 96790, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The summit of Halaekala is an island atop a volcanic island, with its own distinctive climate and habitats. Its cinder desert is sometimes frozen and seemingly barren. Yet a variety of creatures and unique plants like the ahinahina (silversword) have adapted to the summit’s extremes. Despite the contracts to seashores of Maui, the summit is connected to the rest of the island in critical ways. The upper slopes capture moisture to nourish the rainforest of Kipahulu and feed the streams and waterfalls in the valleys. The summit also preserves portions of the original Hawai’i including native vegetation and evidence of the early inhabitants.
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
3. Haleakala National Park-Sign over the Summit Visitor Center entrance
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
4. Haleakala National Park Visitor Center-distant photo
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
5. Haleakala National Park-Photo from the Visitor Center
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
6. Haleakala National Park-Photo from the Visitor Center
Photographed By Don Morfe, November 6, 2008
7. Haleakala National Park-Photo from the Visitor Center
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 626 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on February 14, 2014, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.