Alakai Wilderness Preserve

Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Map showing the location of Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve

State of Hawaii

Location Kauai, Hawaii, USA
Nearest city Waimea, Hawaii
Coordinates 22°06′30″N 159°33′30″W / 22.10833°N 159.55833°W / 22.10833; -159.55833Coordinates: 22°06′30″N 159°33′30″W / 22.10833°N 159.55833°W / 22.10833; -159.55833
Area 9,000 acres (36 km2)
Established 1981
Governing body Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife

The Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve, popularly known as Alakaʻi Swamp, is a montane wet forest on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. Although the preserve is home to alpine bogs, it is not a true swamp.[1] It is located on a plateau near Mount Waiʻaleʻale, one of the wettest spots on Earth.

The 3.5-mile (5.6 km) Alakaʻi Swamp trail is often shrouded in mist. This trail can be reached via the Pihea Vista trail, which is connected to the Puʻu o Kila lookout on Waimea Canyon road. This road is located behind a gate that is directly next to the Kalalau Valley lookout. Due to the rainfall experienced here, potholes are formed and the road is often closed. The end of this trail overlooks Hanalei Bay off in the distance and it is possible to see several waterfalls from the lookout. This area is often shrouded in clouds and is one of the few places on Kauaʻi where one may walk through them.

References

  1. "Alakaʻi Wilderness". The Nature Conservancy in Hawaiʻi. The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 2009-03-01.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 13, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.