Garden of the Gods, Lanai

The Garden of the Gods is an ethereal spot located on the island of Lanai, about seven miles (11 km) north of Lanai City. Comprised of a vast area of land covered in boulders of orange, red, purple and earthen colors, this natural wonder has inspired scores of myths that seek to explain how such a place can possibly have come to exist on Earth.

The locals call it Keahikawelo, which means Gods’ Garden in the Sky. While some maintain that the rocks fell from the sky, others believe that they contain the spirits of the ancient warriors of Hawaii. Even geologists are puzzled by the garden’s formation. They posit that the rocks were shaped by thousands of years of erosion, which left pinnacles and buttes on the soil; but they have no explanation for the nearly perfect way the boulders are scattered across the land or for how so many of them are stacked in such artful arrangements.

 

Perhaps all this is just an amalgam of scientific coincidences, perhaps God is an artist, or perhaps Mother Nature pulled out all her tricks in creating this marvel. Whatever the case may be, those who visit the Garden of the Gods will certainly agree that it is one of the loveliest places on the Hawaiian Islands. Standing at the far end of the garden, visitors can cast their eyes across the blue Pacific and spot the neighboring islands of Maui and Molokai. Dawn and dusk are particularly pleasant times to visit the Garden of the Gods, as the colors of the boulders’ vary with the changes in natural light. And the garden at night, under moonlit skies, is a heavenly experience not to be missed.

 

Getting There

 

The road to the Garden of the Gods, like most roads on Lanai, is an unpaved dirt road. Travelers can easily access the garden in a vehicle with a four-wheel drive, or the more adventurous can choose to hike there. The hike is strenuous but worthwhile. It takes you across a trail that is covered with small patches of grass on which deer sometimes come to graze.