Kūloa Point Banyan Tree

Kūloa Point Banyan Tree is a large banyan beside the coastal Kūloa Point Trail in Haleakalā’s Kīpahulu District. Broad limbs spread from its fluted trunk, and aerial roots drop from the branches to the ground. It’s a quick stop within the loop, best for anyone already exploring this coastal walk who likes looking closely at the plants along the way.

After the hale hālāwai, continue down the trail and look left. The banyan stands beside the path, and a bench is available at the stop. The whole Kūloa Point Loop is about half a mile round trip from the Kīpahulu Visitor Center; the tree’s own distance from the start isn’t published. Step back on the trail and frame the fluted trunk with its hanging roots to show how the canopy reaches the forest floor.

The exact origin of this banyan is unknown. It may have spread from trees brought to Kīpahulu by Asian migrant sugar-plantation workers in the late 1800s, but there’s no documented planting date for this one. Mango, java plum, guava and avocado also grow along the path as later introductions; farther on, a grove holds plants brought by Polynesian voyagers.

People have lived along this coast for hundreds of years, and Kīpahulu remains part of a living Native Hawaiian culture. The walk continues toward Kūloa Point at the mouth of Palikea Stream, where cascades meet the Pacific below volcanic cliffs; on a clear day, Hawaiʻi Island may appear across the Alenuihāhā Channel. Kīpahulu is 12 miles past Hāna on the Hana Highway. Food and fuel aren’t available in the park, so plan for those before you arrive and bring water.