Hiking the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 1.0 miles / 1.6 km
The Keʻanae Arboretum Trail is one of only a few established trails along the 51-mile (82.1 km) Road to Hāna, and it’s also one of the easiest day hikes that you can choose off the infamous highway.
By this, I mean that the Hāna Highway is filled with countless secrets that are not obvious by any means to most visitors who drive the road. However, the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail is, without a doubt, one of the easiest and most established adventures that you can find!
In all, the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail is a great day hike to see and learn about a variety of both native and introduced species in Hawaiʻi, with the very end of the trail allowing visitors the unique opportunity to see an actively managed taro patch or loʻi kalo, a traditional Hawaiian form of agriculture that is still practiced to this day!
Keʻanae Arboretum Trailhead Parking
The parking area for the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail is located in one of two small pullouts directly off the Hāna Highway on the left-hand side when driving east.
Out of caution, consider the Keʻanae Arboretum Trailhead, or any trailhead off the Hāna Highway, to be a high-crime area for petty theft, meaning you should never leave visible bags or anything valuable in your car.
Google Maps Directions: Keʻanae Arboretum Trailhead
Hiking the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail
The Keʻanae Arboretum Trail follows a mostly paved path until it approaches the loʻi, a traditional Hawaiian form of irrigated terraces used for growing taro, near the far end of the hike.
Keʻanae Arboretum
As you enter the arboretum, I highly encourage you to take a look at the map or take a picture to follow along.
This will allow you the best opportunity to learn more about the many species that line the trail, which includes both natives, non-natives, as well as Hawaiian introductions.
While Rainbow Eucalyptus trees may seem like a staple in Hawaiʻi, they are actually an introduced species, native to a handful of countries in Southeast Asia.
Loʻi Kalo
At around 0.4 miles (0.6 km), the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail enters the loʻi kalo.
This is where I want to encourage the highest amount of respect among visitors, as these loʻi are actively managed by those who live in Keʻanae.
Therefore, please stay on the path as best as possible, and please close the gate behind you! The fence is the best way to keep destructive non-native ungulates out that would otherwise destroy and uproot all of the hard work.
Native Plants in the Keʻanae Arboretum
For the most part, the Keʻanae Arboretum Trail is filled with non-native Hawaiian introductions, with very few native species because the trail is so low in elevation.
However, visitors can still see natives like Hau, ʻĒkaha, and Hala.
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
