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Ahupuaa O Kahana State Park
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PHOTOS |
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Click on a thumbnail to
see a larger version of the photo |
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OVERVIEW |
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Ahupua'a O
Kahana State Park is located on the windward
side of O'ahu, between Kane'ohe and La'ie,
and 26 miles from Honolulu. Kahana is a
relatively unspoiled valley, and one of only
a few publicly owned ahupua'a, or ancient
Hawaiian land division, in the state.
An ahupua'a includes lands from the
mountains to the sea (mauka-makai),
encompassing all of the resource zones
needed for subsistence. The ahupua'a of
Kahana encompasses almost 5,300 acres,
ranging from sea level at Kahana Bay to
2,670 feet at Pu'u Pauao on the crest of the
Ko'olau mountains. Kahana is one of the
wettest valleys on O'ahu. Overcast skies and
showers are frequent, with an average annual
rainfall of 75" along the coast to 300" at
the back of the valley. Temperatures can
range from the mid-60s to the mid-80s.
Kahana was a thriving fishing and farming
community prior to Western contact. Those
living in Kahana had an abundance of fresh
water and fertile soil on the valley floor
to cultivate kalo (taro), the staple crop.
The loçi (ponded fields of kalo) were
irrigated by 'auwai (ditches) that diverted
water from the streams to the fields. Kahana
Bay provided a wealth of fish and shellfish.
In the 19th Century, following the
unification of the Hawaiian Islands by
Kamehameha I, the population rapidly
declined as a result of Western contact and
the introduction of foreign diseases. Sugar
cane cultivation and the use of the valley
as a WWII jungle warfare training site, have
altered the natural and cultural environment
of Kahana.
There are extensive remnants of Hawaiian
culture in the valley, including a heiau
(religious temple), ko'a (fishing shrines),
fishponds, house sites, stone-walled
enclosures, 'auwai (irrigation channels),
agricultural terraces, walls and planting
areas. While many of these sites are
inaccessible to the public, Kapa'ele'ele
Ko'a and Keaniani Kilo (lookout) are
accessible via a trail on the west side of
the valley mouth. From the kilo, the kilo
i'a, or fish watcher, spied schools of akule
in the bay and signaled to valley residents
who would collectively net them. Huilua
Fishpond, the most impressive site in the
valley, and presently under restoration, can
be visited from the east side of the bay. |
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DIRECTIONS |
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It is located about 26 miles from Honolulu
on the windward side of Oahu, between
Kaneohe and Laie. The park is located at
52-222 Kamehameha Highway (Highway 83) in
Kahana. |
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CAMPING
INFORMATION |
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Click Here For Camping |
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WEBSITE |
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http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/ahupuaa.cfm |
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