Kanepuʻu Preserve


The 590-acre Kanepuʻu Preserve is the last native dryland forest of its kind across all Hawaii. Just 5 miles northwest of Lanaʻi City, the forest is home to 49 species of rare native plants, including the endangered ʻiliahi (Hawaiian sandalwood) and naʻu (fragrant Hawaiian gardenia). Look for signs denoting a short interpretive trail, which covers the flora and fauna.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Keahiakawelo

1.32 MILES

Inside the Kanepu'u Preserve is this a dramatic place, also known as Garden of the Gods, formed by the eruption of a volcano, the lava bombs that spewed…

2. Lanaʻi Culture & Heritage Center

4.9 MILES

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3. Polihua Beach

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4. Lanaʻi Cat Sanctuary

5.55 MILES

Easily Lana‘i's most peculiar attraction is this volunteer-run, 3-acre feline wonderland housing 620 cats that have been 'rescued' from the wild. Locals…

5. Pōāiwa Petroglyph Trail

5.66 MILES

Near Shipwreck Beach a 0.5-mile trail leads directly inland to the Pōāiwa petroglyphs – a cluster of more than 20 fragile carvings on dense basalt-lava…

6. Shipwreck Beach

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You can stroll along this blustery shore for 7 miles looking for flotsam and shipwrecks, and taking in the views of Molokaʻi and Maui. This area is the…

7. Kahekili's Leap

9.36 MILES

At the architectural site of Kaunolū you can walk right to the edge of this vertigo-inducing platform and look down to the ocean 63ft below. Kings and…

8. Keālia Kapu & Kaunolū

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Perched around the highest sea cliffs on the island (at 1080ft above sea level) is a vast archaeological site home to the largest collection of ruins on…

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