Once the site of a historical battle over the control of Maui, the Iao Valley is now a lush, tranquil setting rich in history and beauty. Visitors to the 6.2-acre State Park become immersed in the rainforest atmosphere while exploring any of the several paved trails that meander through the valley. Along the way you can see tropical flowers, rainbows, waterfalls and swimming holes. Surrounded by soaring green mountains, Iao (which means “supreme light”) Valley is 10 miles long and encompasses 4,000 acres. The deep valley is the eroded caldera of the West Maui mountains and its centerpiece is the famous Iao Needle, a sharp-rising and heavily eroded peak that juts out 2,250 feet about sea level. Trails lead up to the top of a ridge for a closer view of Iao Needle and then meander down to the stream through a variety of tropical foliage. It is easy to see why Mark Twain called this enchanting valley the “Yosemite of the Pacific.” At the head of Iao Valley is a broad circular amphitheater where four major streams – the Nakalaloa, the Poohoahoa, the Kinihipai, and the Ae – converge into Iao Stream. Now a gentle brook where children and adults wade playfully, the stream was not always such a peaceful spot. In 1790, King Kamehameha the Great and his men engaged in the bloody battle of Iao Valley to gain control of the island of Maui. At the battle’s end, so many bodies blocked Iao Stream that the site was named Kepaniwai, or “damning of the waters.” At the back of the amphitheater is rain-drenched Puu Kukui, the West Maui Mountains’ highest point. From Wailuku in Central Maui, take Main Street, then turn right on Iao Valley road to the entrance of the state park.