Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens (Kepaniwai Park)

The Kepaniwai Heritage gardens is one of Maui's most beautiful, most culturally rich parks. Possibly not just in Maui, but across the state. There's plenty of great architecture to see and history to read up on. There are several walking paths, and of course the raging Iao River beside it.

Kenapiwai Park is 7.6 acres large. It has 8 long picnic pavilions, all with barbecue grills, and two more picnic areas near the river. There are two bathrooms at the park and two parking lots as well. The main attraction of Kepaniwai Park are the walking trails, where you can read about some of Hawaii's multicultural history.

To the west of the inside parking lot, there's a Japanese tea room. As you head north from there, you can follow the stream to a small bamboo forest trail. It's not very long, which makes it great for kids to safely explore without getting lost or hurt.

At the end of the stream is a large koi fish pong and another building. This one is called a "bahay kubo". It's a traditional stilt house indigenous to the Philippines. Currently, the bahay kubo is in need of major repairs. If you think this is something you could help with as a volunteer, there's a number posted that you can call to coordinate with that effort. The number is 808-276-8489. 

If instead you head east, that's where you'll find another half of the park. The pavilions are on this side, as well as some other cultural features are this way. The photo above is the "Our Lady's Garden", maintained by the Maui Portugese Cultural club. Head further east and you'll find more gardens and plants.

As you follow the path around, you're sure to end up seeing the New England House. The white missionaries who came to Hawaii in the 1800s brought with them a lot of western culture. Aside from christianity and business methods, they are responsible for establishing the written Hawaiian language, and with that, Hawaiian newspapers, textbooks, and more were printed in Hawaii.

If your kids aren't so interested in culture, perhaps they want to swim. Kepaniwai has some great freshwater swimming holes south of the parking lot. There's multiple places to jump in. Just make sure it hasn't rained in the last 24 hours. Flash floods are a serious hazard, and Iao is no stranger to dangerous waters. In 2016, a powerful storm hit Maui, and half the parking lot was completely destroyed, gobbled up by the raging Iao River. I also recommend enrolling your children in a program at the nearby Hawaii Nature Center. The facility is not open to the general public, so the best way to get access to the grounds is to sign your child up for a nature experience. 

Click and drag this 360 photo!

Sources:

Google Maps, Accessed February 7, 2021. https://goo.gl/maps/M3mgFmmwo9kVHA8p8

Maui County, Accessed February 7, 2021. https://www.mauicounty.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Kepaniwai-Park-401

Wikipedia, Accessed February 7, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahay_kubo

Jeffsetter Travel, Accessed February 7, 2021. https://www.jeffsetter.com/september-2016-maui-storm-damage/

Hawaii Nature Center, Accessed February 7, 2021. https://hawaiinaturecenter.org/