Hakalau forest NWR is one of the few places on island of Hawaii to see trees and birds you will never see anywhere. The trees and birds clearly show how flora and fauna evolve when left undisturbed. You need a guide to get inside, Hawaii forest and trails has trips that take you here. They have very knowledgable guides who are geologists and experts. You must take camera for capturing the beauty.

Shows what conservation can do in a relatively short amount of time. 35 years. Beautiful park, amazing bird songs, and sightings. Rough road to the park!! The park used to be ranch land 35 years ago.

The best place to see the rarest native forest birds on Hawaii Island (except for the Pālila on the other side of Mauna Kea!-)

Excellent place and great relax .

STAY OVERNIGHT HAUNTINGS YUREI GHOSTS DEMONS!!

Beautiful place to visit and learn about native plants and animals. Its a great thing that scientists are doing up there to protect our endangered species!

Though it is quite expensive to get in, it is one of the few regenerated forests in the island. It is home to exceptional birds such as the Akiapolaau or the Akepa.

If they dont know you, you get told you are on private federal property. Must have a purpose to go there.

Since access is by permit, which really means a guided tour, this is both special and expensive. Its worth it to spend a day getting introduced to native flora and fauna in a rainforest at 7200 ft above sea level. The birds are spectacular. The trees and shrubs that sustain them are beautiful and fascinating. The park evidently was a large ranch that the Nature Conservancy acquired and that is now a national park. Serious work goes on to reestablish native species and exclude others, i.e., the entire refuge is tightly fenced with hog wire to keep out the feral pigs that have done so much damage to native plants. Likewise, while hiking its not unusual to come across mongoose traps. Between the pigs and the mongooses, many native birds and other critters have gone extinct over much of their original ranges. For further control, theres cross-fencing. Access is strictly through locked gates. Of course, anything that flies and can live there, moves freely about, and the island(s) are overwhelmed with non-native birds, particularly because of released or escaped pet birds. Mosquitos are also an introduction thats doing great harm, carrying diseases into local bird and mammal populations that have no resistance.When one thinks of a rainforest in the tropics, its probably of low-land, super-saturated kinds. This one if quite open, and on a sunny introduction, looks more like some dry-land savannah than what it is, which you appreciate when a shroud of fog rolls down the much higher peak and begins a steady weeping, without or without real rain. In that respect, its reminiscent of the coastal temperate rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, only with totally different flora and fauna.

Best place on Earth. Period.

Beautiful

Nice place

Mst

Extremely beautiful

This place is awesome