Kamakou, Volcanic summit in Maui County, Hawaii.
Kamakou is a mountain summit on Molokai that rises to about 1,515 meters and forms part of an extinct volcano. The area is now a protected forest managed by the Nature Conservancy, home to a wide variety of plants found nowhere else.
The Kamakou formed millions of years ago through volcanic activity that shaped the Hawaiian Islands. Over time the volcano became extinct, and in recent decades the area was set aside as a protected reserve.
For Native Hawaiians, this summit held spiritual importance and guided how they used the land around it. You can sense this connection when walking through the reserve and learning from local guides about traditional practices.
Access is by guided tour through the Nature Conservancy, which requires booking in advance. The weather can change quickly at this elevation and trails are steep, so bring sturdy shoes and rain gear.
The area holds more than 250 plant species found nowhere else in the world, many of them rare and specially adapted to mountain conditions. It also serves as a refuge for endangered birds such as the Molokai thrush.
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