View source for Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area

{{Short description|State park in Hawaii, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2009}}

[[File:View of Maui from Polipoli State Park.jpg|thumb|right|View down to [[Kihei, Hawaii|Kihei]], [[Maalaea, Hawaii|Maalaea]], and windward Maui from the entrance to the park]]
The '''Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area''' is a [[state park]] of [[Hawaii|Hawai{{Okina}}i]] in the [[United States]]. It is on the island of [[Maui]] about ten miles from [[Kula, Hawaii|Kula]] up the slope of [[Haleakalā]].<ref name=hi>[http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/maui/index.cfm?park_id=39 Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area.] Hawaii State Parks. Department of Land and Natural Resources.</ref>

[[File:Humidity in Polipoli State Park.jpg|thumb|left|Humidity in the park can at times be exceptional]]
It covers about 10 acres of the {{Convert|21000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Kula Forest Reserve. Located at about {{Convert|6200|ft|m}} above sea level, it extends through the [[fog|fog belt]] of the mountain forests. The high-elevation climate can be cold, with nighttime temperatures below freezing. The terrain is rough and use of a [[four-wheel drive]] vehicle is recommended.<ref name=hi/>

[[File:Non-native trees in Polipoli State Park.jpg|thumb|right|Very tall, non-native trees dominate the landscape, especially at higher elevations]]
There are four main trails. The Haleakalā Ridge Trail enters the recreation area. It features scrub, grassland, and forest habitat with [[Scoria|cinder]] substrates.<ref>[http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/maui/index.cfm?hike_id=9 Haleakalā Ridge Trail.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111065232/http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/maui/index.cfm?hike_id=9 |date=2014-01-11 }} Hawaii State Parks. Department of Land and Natural Resources.</ref> The adjacent Plum Trail is planted with [[plum]] and other trees.<ref>[http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/maui/index.cfm?hike_id=30 Plum Trail.] Hawaii State Parks. Department of Land and Natural Resources.</ref> The Polipoli Trail, which starts within the recreation area, features various [[conifer]]s.<ref>[http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/maui/index.cfm?hike_id=31 Polipoli Trail.] Hawaii State Parks. Department of Land and Natural Resources.</ref> The Redwood Trail is used for [[mountain biking]]. Visitors can view [[Sequoioideae|redwoods]] and an old ranger's cabin.<ref>[http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/hiking/maui/index.cfm?hike_id=32 Redwood Trail.] Hawaii State Parks. Department of Land and Natural Resources.</ref>

The area was originally covered in dense forests of [[Acacia koa|koa]] (''Acacia koa''), [[Sophora chrysophylla|māmane]] (''Sophora chrysophylla''), and [[Metrosideros polymorpha|ʻōhiʻa lehua]] (''Metrosideros polymorpha''). When the park was established, it was devoid of trees and was subsequently reforested in the 1930s with [[pine]]s, [[eucalyptus]], [[Fraxinus uhdei|tropical ash]], [[cypress]], [[Cunninghamia|China-fir]], and [[Sequoia sempervirens|coast redwood]].

Activities in the park include [[off-roading]], [[hiking]], and hunting for [[wild boar]] and [[wild goat|feral goats]].

==References==
{{Commons category|Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area}}
{{reflist}}
{{Protected areas of Hawaii}}

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[[Category:Protected areas of Maui]]
[[Category:State parks of Hawaii]]