The MacKenzie State Recreation Area is a park in southern
Puna, on
Hawaii Island
Hawaii is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of ...
in the US state of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
.
Description
At only , it is a small park that is only open during the daytime. It provides picnicking facilities and restrooms, but there is no drinking water. Fishing is allowed but swimming is discouraged due to the rocky shore and cliffs and strong currents. A hiking trail follows the old Hawaiian coastal path, "the King's Highway", and passes the mouths of lava tubes. The park contains the largest grove of
ironwood
Ironwood is a common name for many woods that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is denser than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English ma ...
trees in Hawaii which were planted in the 1930s by ranger Albert J. MacKenzie, who after his death at age 21 became the namesake of the park. The park is considered part of the
Malama Ki Forest Reserve.
2018 lava flow
The park was closed to the public in May 2018 due to
a flank eruption of Kīlauea when lava flows erupting in lower Puna approached the park and entered the ocean at two locations nearby.
See also
*
List of Hawaii state parks
The following 18 or more state parks, monuments, and recreation areas are
managed by the Division of State Parks within the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources:Hawai'i Division of State ParksHawai'i State Parks: A Visitor's Guide t ...
References
External links
Official siteThis Gorgeous Hawaii Park Is Said To Have a Spooky, Haunted Past
Huffington Post
Protected areas of Hawaii (island)
State parks of Hawaii
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