The bark on these Philippine-origin tree is multi-colored!
I've witnessed many of the sights on the Road to Hana, but the Painted Forest remains my most underrated gem of the trip.
As you begin your tour on the Road to Hana, it's easy to get caught up in the early attractions and quickly lose grip on the day. I try to stay focused early on and not be tempted by many of the early stops. Something about the rainbow forest however, always tugs at me and becomes my first stop.
You'll find a small pullout area on the right around mile marker #7. From there you'll cross the road and head backwards towards a group of trees. Cross the road and find an opening in the fence. You'll see a small path to the grove of trees.
We encountered our grazing cows during our stop and there were many more just across the road. Being careful not to disturb them, we took in the magnificent trees. The bark had peeled in certain spots, revealing bright greens, reds, and many other shades.
While us simple bloggers call them Rainbow Eucalyptus, they are also known as Eucalyptus deglupta, Mindanao Gum or the Rainbow Gum tree. The tree is known to grow very quickly, reaching widths of 95 inches in diameter and heights of 200 feet.
The time of day that you visit and the weather on that given day will definitely be a key driver of the colors that you see and how the trees pop. While I've never visited, you can apparently also check out these trees at the Ke'anae Arboretum.
If you've never witnessed these trees in person, I highly recommend carving out 10 minutes to stop by. They are extremely unique and certain to leave you in awe!
Know Before You Go
The parking area is very small with probably no more than a three car capacity.
You will have to cross the road from the small parking area.
The ground/soil is often very mushy, so I would expect a lot of mud to be tracked by to your vehicle.
Use caution around the cows - they did not appear to be fond of visitors.
Please leave the trees as they are. Several idiots had carved in them, really detracting from their beauty.
Resources
Location
Found just before mile marker 7 on the Road to Hana. Park in the small pullout on the right and cross the road. The best GPS location is the Papaaea Reservoir - its not far from there.
Video
The video show a stroll with the rainbow forest with some resident cows.
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