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Hosmer Grove Loop Trail
At about 0.3 miles down the road (on the right) you may notice one of Hawai‘i’s famous sandalwood trees. The sandalwood has a long history in Hawai‘i and was once very precious in China for incense and aromatic woodcarvings. In the 1800s the Pacific sailing-ship trade practically obliterated the Hawaiian sandalwood forests. Today you can still find sandalwood pits in Hawai‘i where the trunks of the trees were stored. The pits were made to resemble the cargo areas of the ships the trees were transported in.
At this same location you’ll also find our feature attraction for this stop, a half-mile-long nature trail that winds through a very intriguing forest of introduced trees not native to Hawai‘i. It was back in 1910 that Ralph Hosmer planted this and other groves of trees like eucalyptus from Australia, sugi pine from Japan, deodar from India, Douglas fir and several species of pine from mainland United States, along with other species in hopes of introducing a timber industry as well as reestablishing the watershed. Today the grove presents the existing and continual dilemma of the struggle between native plants
and introduced species in the Hawaiian Islands. The Haleakala Park Service labors intensively to make sure none of the non-native plants escape the grove, and the native vegetation in the surrounding continues to grow and thrive.
A lot of the trees are labeled on the short walk through the grove. Pick up a brochure at the beginning of the trail that will guide you along. Or print a copy of the brochure and map now by downloading a copy of the NPS Hosmer Grove Brochure.
The Supply Trail also begins on the road that leads to Hosmer Grove. You can read more about that hike on our Supply Trail page.
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Half-mile loop trail
Location: Hosmer Grove Loop Trail is located in the Upcountry Maui and Haleakala Region
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