Wailua River State Park Explained

Wailua Complex of Heiaus
Nrhp Type:nhld
Nocat:yes
Nearest City:Wailua, Hawaii
Coordinates:22.0447°N -159.3372°W
Designated Nrhp Type:December 29, 1962[1]
Added:October 15, 1966
Refnum:66000297

Wailua River State Park and the Wailua Complex of Heiaus, which it includes, are located on the eastern side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The park consists primarily of the Wailua River valley, which is the only navigable river in Hawaii. Visitors to this park can kayak, take riverboat cruises and explore the rainforest. Even motorboats and water skiing are permissible on the river.

Wailua Complex of Heiaus

The Wailua Complex of Heiau, a National Historic Landmark,[1] was once the center of chiefly power on the island. It contains the remains of several important structures: places of worship (heiau), places of refuge (puʻuhonua), and sites related to royal births.[2] The historical value of these sites are irreplaceable to the Hawaiian culture. They worked with each other, and other heiau on other islands, such as Puʻu O Mahuka Heiau on the island of Oʻahu. The most important sites are:[3]

Of these, only Holoholokū has been largely restored.[3]

Heiau images

History

Wailua was the land of the ali'i (kings) and was one of the largest ahupuaʻa (subdivisions) on Kauai. It is said that King Kaumuali'i's favorite place to live was in Wailua. The huaka'i po (Ghost Warriors) are said to walk ancient trails along the river at night up to Mount Waiʻaleʻale. Wailua has many moʻo ʻōlelo (ancient stories) of the area that begins at Hikinaʻakalā heiau to Kaʻawakoʻo atop Mount Waiʻaleʻale, the area long known as the King's highway, and it is still very sacred to many Hawaiians.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wailua Complex of Heiaus . 2008-07-03. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service.
  2. Web site: Hawaii State Parks: Wailua River State Park . 2009-12-05 .
  3. Web site: [{{NHLS url|id=66000297}} NRHP Inventory—Nomination Form ]. May 23, 2012 .
  4. Web site: Ka Pae Kiʻi Mahu O Wailua: The Petroglyphs of Wailua, District of Lihuʻe, Island of Kauaʻi. Site 50-30-08-105A. . 2024-10-03.
  5. Book: Kirch, Patrick Vinton . Heiau Complex at Wailua . Legacy of the Landscape: An Illustrated Guide to Hawaiian Archaeological Sites . . 1996 . Honolulu . 16–19 . 0-8248-1739-7 .
  6. Web site: Archaeological Condition Report for Ahukini-Lydgate Segment of the Kauaʻi Pathways Project . Oct 3, 2024 .
  7. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form . Oct 3, 2024 .