On the northeast side of the island, lies the area of Wailuku and Kahului. This part of the island is  the home of the famous ‘Iao Valley.  The ‘Iao Valley, named in honor of the ancient Hawaiian god, ‘Io, means “supreme light.  The valley is a 10 acre park located 4 miles west of Wailuku is all that remains of the West Maui volcanoe central caldera. It was the site of the last great battle on Maui. It was here that a bloody attack by the king of the Big Island, Kamehameha the Great in 1790, took place. It was said that Kamehameha had an unfair advantage with cannon firepower and the carnage was so great against the Maui warriors that bodies dammed up the “Iao stream and the stream ran red with blood. In addition to the carnage that was wrought in battle here, many secret royal burial sites are scattered along the walls of the valley cliffs.  As a result, this peaceful valley is believed by native Hawaiians to have a strong sense of Hawaiian mana or supernatural power.

A second landmark in this area is the ‘Iao Needle, a huge rock sticking up 2,250 feet from the ‘Iao Stream on the valley floor. Once used as a natural alter by ancient Hawaiians, the rock is a lush green finger pointing skyward. There are many outstanding hiking trails in the area and the scenery is breath-taking.  To reach the ‘Iao valley and “Iao Needle, take Hwy 320 west from Wailuku.

There are several interesting things to see and do in the area near Wailuku as well. You can visit the Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens or the Hawaii Nature Center located just above the gardens. You can also take a tour of the Bailey House Museum, home of the missionary Edward Bailey.  If you are interested in Hawaiian historical sites, you can also visit the remains of the Haleki’I and Pihana heiaus in the area where ancient human sacrifices took place to appease Hawaiian gods.