Published by: John C. Derrick
Founder & certified Hawaii travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Founder & certified Hawaii travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
A kipuka is an area of land which was once lava but has been surrounded on all sides by more recent flows. If left undisturbed for a long time, an ecosystem, such as that a Kipuka Puaulu, forms.
Puaulu, also called Bird Park, is an old ohia tree and fern forest which is home to many of the feathered residents of the Big Island. A 30-minute stroll along this 1-mile trail will reveal several different high elevation birds, including the colorful Khalij Pheasant. A restroom and picnic tables with barbecue pits are near the trailhead. Kipuka Puaulu is located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Mauna Loa Road just outside the park gate. It is located 1.5 miles up the road, just past the tree molds.
