Ahupua'a O Kahana State Park, Kaaawa

Ahupuaa O Kahana State Park, formerly Kahana Valley State Park, is located on the windward side of Oahu between Kaʻaʻawa and Punaluʻu. The park is located mauka (up hill) from Kahana Bay. It is Hawaii's only public ahupuaa, and it stretches from the sea to the tip of Puu Pauao at 2670 feet. It has a tropical climate, and it is one of the wettest areas in Oahu, averaging nearly 300 inches per year in parts of the valley. The main purpose of the park is to embrace and teach Hawaiian culture.
Before Western civilization came to the islands, Kahana had a strong community. It had fresh water, abundant seafood, and a stable supply of taro, which was grown in fields with advanced irrigation systems. However, around the time of King Kamehameha's unification of Hawaii in the 1800s, the community fell into steep decline due to foreign diseases, sugarcane cultivation and the military's use of the valley as a World War II jungle warfare training center, through the arrival of Europeans. In the early 1900s most of the valley was owned by Mary E. Foster, and after her death the valley was given to Bishop Estate. The state proposed a purchase of the ahupua'a, which was rejected. The Foster estate was not satisfied with the purchase plan, which was for $5,000,000 being paid 1 million per year for 5 years, as the then current legislature could not ensure future payments. The state forced the purchase through condemnation, later fulfilling their debt. The land later became a state park. Today, only 31 families live in the valley.

Use our Kaaawa road trip planning app to arrange your visit to Ahupua'a O Kahana State Park and other attractions in Kaaawa.
Source