At 4,022 feet, Kilohana, on the eastern edge of the Alaka’i Wilderness Preserve, overlooks the Wainiha River valley, Hanalei Bay and Princeville. The lookout is reached after hiking along a boardwalk along the Alaka’i Swamp Trail. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
A young Juncus sprouts in the wet soil of Kokee State Park. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
At sunset, the fluted cliffs of the Kalalau Valley rise up in sharp relief. Archaeologists believe that Polynesians settled this valley -- the largest on the Na Pali coast -- when they came to the Hawaiian islands from the Marquesas. Hikers can reach Kalalau from a trail that begins on the east side of the island near Hanalei, or they can drive up from Waimea to the Kalalau Lookout. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
