Hiking

Our Hike Through the Koko Crater Botanical Garden

adventuresofabusymomcom

Trekking Thursday

I'm part of Post A Day 2016
via Daily Prompt: Total

I’ve shared in a previous post my experience of hiking up Koko Head (Koko Crater) which is a hiking trail consisting of only old railway tiles (1,048 of them to be exact). These tiles take you up a very steep and long incline to the top of the former volcano! You can read that post here if you missed it: 1,048 Stairs of DOOM…with kids

This morning, the kids and I had a total different experience of Koko Crater. Instead of climbing UP it, we explored INSIDE it at the Botanical Gardens.

A friend of mine and I co-lead a group of 6 mommas (and a bunch of adorable kiddos) to a hike through the gardens called: Koko Crater Botanical Gardens.

Who would’ve ever thought you could find a Botanical Garden inside a volcano crater which erupted 100’s of years ago? It was our first time visiting there so we were pretty excited to check it out. I have to say, I was very surprised at how big it was and how much there was to see. The kids (ages 10 months-7 years old) were very engaged the entire time.

The full trail is about 2 miles long. There are a few collections which are arranged according to geography including the Americas, Hawaii, Madagascar, and Africa. Today, we only visited a few of them with the Plumeria Grove and the cacti collection being our favorites! Baobabs, aloes, Adeniums, Euphorbias, Hawaiian Wiliwili trees and dry lands palms can all be found in the garden as well.

The garden itself is 60 acres and began development in 1958. The primary goal is to establish rare or endangered plants which thrive in the desert-like conditions.

Here are a few snapshots of our favorite’s of today!

botanical garden collage
Floral at the Koko Crater Botanical Gardens, Oahu, HI

I can’t share these pictures without mentioning how amazing the Plumeria Grove was! It smelled like we just walked into a Yankee Candle or Bath & Bodyworks store. Plumeria! Plumeria! Plumeria! Even the ground was carpeted with fallen Plumeria flowers.

FullSizeRender 15.jpg
picnic spot in the Plumeria Grove, Koko Crater Botanical Garden, Oahu, HI

In addition to these beautiful flowers, we also had the opportunity to see some pretty unique cacti and desert plants! Here are just a few of them!

cactus collage.jpg
unique cactus and desert plants, Koko Crater Botanical Garden, Oahu, HI

As you can tell, there was so much to see! I am really hoping to go back soon and explore the entire garden! This is one of the 5 most popular Botanical Gardens on Oahu. I’ve visited a few of them. But, now I have a goal of exploring each one!

I hope you enjoyed my recap of the Koko Crater Botanical Gardens! If so, please like, comment and share 🙂

Koko Crater Botanical GardenOahu, HI

With Aloha,

Lacy

profile pic

Want to see how others responded to today’s daily word prompt: Total

https://andsoitisborn.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/a-performance/

https://wordsonwingsblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/total-recall/

https://damswriter.com/2017/06/15/paragon-of-love/

https://pipersadventures.blog/2017/06/15/total/

Published by adventuresofabusymomcom

I am a military wife, a mother, a hiker, a dog lover, a refurbisher, a reader, a drawer, a baker...whatever I can do to enjoy life is what you will catch me doing!

12 thoughts on “Our Hike Through the Koko Crater Botanical Garden”

  3. I never realized that this botanical gardens had so much plumerias! Really beautiful, and hmm.. Wiliwili tree?! I wonder if that’s how Wiliwilinui trail got its name? haha! Who knows!?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It was amazing how many there were. The scent was seriously so nice! Perfect time to go with them all blooming!

      When I saw the Wiliwili tree, that was my first thought too! I need to look up what “nui” means in Hawaiian! I bet it is named from that tree!

      Thanks for reading and commenting, Jocelyn!

      Like

      Reply

  5. Most of your photos are the same trees as there are here in Australia. Same with the Hibiscus flowers. Now I want to go and photograph all the Frangipanni flowers I can find. I guess I have some already on my blog. If you have time put frangipanni into my search and see what turns up. Thanks for a lovely post. I wonder if I will ever get to Hawaii

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment