Illuminate

The great mountain mysteries of Kauai’s Waimea Canyon and Koke‘e State Parks do not reveal themselves on the first drive-by, though that alone is spectacular enough.

Drawn by the inherent mystery of Koke’e (which is what locals call the region) Kauai residents and visitors return year after year. It’s as if the mountain lives in your heart, calling you back. There’s always more to see, to feel, to discover, more memories to make...

WALK, PAUSE, PONDER

Books and crafts in the Museum Shop, exhibits at Koke’e Museum and programs, and events Hui o Laka sponsors year-round, invite you to form your own personal connection to this unique mountain region. On an isolated Pacific island older than any other in the Hawaiian archipelago, Kauai’s upland forests are among the most diverse in the world Over some 6 million years, nature has thrown a cloak of living green, alive with birdsong heard no where else on Earth, across the shoulders of Kauai, providing for and protecting all who live where her skirt meets the sea.

Walk in the woods. Pause at lookouts. Ponder at plants you’re sure you’ve seen before, familiar plants some gardener surely brought, dragonflies darting, mists gathering. Wonder at the human history of the mountains, from Hawaii’s bird catchers to canoe makers who sought the majestic koa logs here. That history is continuous – the early 20th century saw camp sites and cabins built, a budding conservation movement, as well as many federal programs, starting with the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. It’s a place people hike, bird-watch, study, hunt, even fish for trout here.

If you have questions, ask the Park Interpreters at Koke’e Museum. If we don’t have the answer, we’ll help you find it in the Museum Shop’s extensive book selection.

LISTEN TO THE FOREST

An old Kauai chant admonishes Ho’olohe ka makani, Nana I ka leo – “Listen to the wind, pay attention to her voice.” “Listen to the forest,” says Eddie Kamae, one of Hawaii’s beloved musicians and a film maker who created an award-winning film by that name.

There are messages in the mountains, personal messages, for each of us. You won’t hear those messages if you don’t listen. With no cell phone reception, Koke’e is a place where the endless chatter of modern daily life is suspended. Enjoy it and see what you hear!

For those who want to remember Kauai’s lovely bird song, take a listen to the field recordings of David Kuhn’s remarkable CDs.