Garden of Eden Maui.
26 miles into the road to Hana is an oasis called The Garden of Eden. The arboretum on the outskirts of Hana opened in 1996 after owner Alan Bradbury’s first vision for his majestic hideaway failed. The lifelong musician bought the land in 1991, with hopes of building a recording studio where he could invite musicians to come create in an idyllic setting.
As he began building the studio, his hopes of sonic glory were soon dashed. The salinity of the air and the moisture of the rainforest were unconducive to a thriving recording studio, which was now full of prematurely rusting electronics. He sat on acres of property with seemingly no purpose. Until one day, he left the gate to his property open and watched as a trickling of visitors entered his verdant grounds. Bradbury – a licensed arborist with a background in park development – realized then the potential to create a walking garden, which he eventually named The Garden of Eden.
What can I expect to find at Garden of Eden Maui?
Though it’s got quite the namesake, its fertile valleys and trails do the name justice. As you enter this botanical paradise, you’re greeted by free-roaming peacocks in all their teal splendor. Tiny ducks quack their way along trails to a pond that serves as their headquarters. Red, waxy anthuriums pop and ferns sprawl in all directions. Lush is an understatement. At the entrance, a friendly gate attendant hands you a map to the 2.5 miles of meandering jungle trails that lie ahead.. You Choose Your Own Adventure from there. Explore the Bamboo Alley to a small orchard, or head to the Keopuka Rock Overlook for a glimpse of the beach just beyond the Hana Highway. Another trail leads you to a postcard view of Puohokamoa Falls. No matter which direction you go, your inner-tree hugger will be delighted.
The garden boasts 150 inches of rainfall a year, which feeds over 700 species of plants and trees—featuring Koa, Rainbow Eucalyptus and Bamboo—some donated by the late George Harrison of The Beatles – a Hana resident.
It took five years to prepare the land before the arboretum officially opened to the public. Bradbury toiled , removing invasive species by hand and with heavy excavation machinery. He replaced these with endemic plants, learning which ones would thrive best based on lots of trial and error. “What you see here today is a combination of nearly 30 years of devoted work and dedication,” Bradbury said. “While my friends were at the beach or happy hour, we were out here manifesting our vision.”
Garden of Eden Maui.
Garden of Eden Tours, Gifts and Food
The Garden of Eden is also home to a few independent businesses. Maui Rappel is a tour company that takes visitors to Puohokamoa Falls. The Garden Gallery and Gift Shop carries a slew of locally-made crafts from lotions and candles to watercolors. Savor Maui is the garden’s café, which peddles local delicacies like Kalua Pork and Hot Honey Ham. All of the businesses add to the allure of Hana’s beauty, full of lush valleys and dripping foliage.
The Garden of Eden’s manager emphasized the intention to make the property feel like a sanctuary. There is secure parking for visitors, several waterfalls and of course all of the flora and fauna. It is especially important to the staff that everyone, including people traveling with families and the disabled, be able to see it all. According to the Garden of Eden website, the property is managed without pesticides or herbicides, except to control highly invasive non-native species, part of Bradbury’s commitment to leaving the world a better place.
”We’ve tried to do our part with stewarding the land in a very conservation-oriented way,” the garden’s manager said.
Garden of Eden, open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., including holidays. $20 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-10. free for children under five. Discounts for parties of 5 or more, military, students, AAA members and kama’āina. 10600 Hana Hwy, Haiku, HI 96708 808-572-9899.
