Kalopa State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
The Kalōpā Native Forest State Park and Recreation Area is a state park with an arboretum
of native trees located approximately 40 mi (64.4 km) northwest of Hilo, near the village of Honokaa, a few miles inland from the Mamalahoa Highway (Route 19) section of the Hawaii Belt Road, Island of Hawaii
, Hawaii
.
This 100 acre (40.5 ha) park adjoins an additional 500 acre (202.3 ha) in the Kalopa Forest Reserve. The park is at an elevation of 2000 ft (609.6 m) and includes a 0.7 mi (1.1 km) loop through a forest of native ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
) trees. A number of rare plants can be found in the arboretum area, including endangered loulu palms (Pritchardia
spp.), as well as a number of rare native hibiscus
. Due to the altitude, damp and chilly weather is the norm.
Services available at the park include restrooms, drinking water, cabins, and camping.
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
of native trees located approximately 40 mi (64.4 km) northwest of Hilo, near the village of Honokaa, a few miles inland from the Mamalahoa Highway (Route 19) section of the Hawaii Belt Road, Island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
This 100 acre (40.5 ha) park adjoins an additional 500 acre (202.3 ha) in the Kalopa Forest Reserve. The park is at an elevation of 2000 ft (609.6 m) and includes a 0.7 mi (1.1 km) loop through a forest of native ōhia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha
Metrosideros polymorpha
The ōhia lehua is a species of flowering evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that is endemic to the six largest islands of Hawaii. It is a highly variable tree, being tall in favorable situations, and much smaller when growing in boggy soils or on basalt...
) trees. A number of rare plants can be found in the arboretum area, including endangered loulu palms (Pritchardia
Pritchardia
The genus Pritchardia consists of between 24-40 species of fan palms found on tropical Pacific Ocean islands in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotus, and Hawaii. The generic name honours William Thomas Pritchard , a British consul at Fiji.-Description:These palms vary in height, ranging from...
spp.), as well as a number of rare native hibiscus
Hawaiian hibiscus
Hawaiian hibiscus are the seven known species of hibiscus regarded as native to Hawaii. Although tourists regularly associate the hibiscus flower with their experiences visiting the US state of Hawaii, and the plant family Malvaceae includes a relatively large number of species that are native to...
. Due to the altitude, damp and chilly weather is the norm.
Services available at the park include restrooms, drinking water, cabins, and camping.