Koko Crater Botanical Garden — Attraction in Honolulu

From the summit of Koko this botanical garden might not look like much, but you are missing out if you don’t head into the crater to visit. If you are a plant enthusiast, GO, there are once in a lifetime plants thriving in this garden! I love a botanical garden and this one was so interesting and fantastical! The garden is so different from any other that I’ve ever been to and is totally free. It’s set up in different sections: Africa, Hawaii, Madagascar, the Americas. It’s totally wild and relatively unmaintained, so you can see the whole life cycle of the plant growing out in the open, and not in a contained greenhouse. Some of the enormous palms didn’t have any fronds removed, making homes for plenty of birds. They were everywhere and sounded beautiful! It’s December so most of the plumerias and hybrid hibiscus were not in bloom, but lots of the cacti were blooming! For those house plant lovers, there are enormous gardens of snake plants growing in the ground! It was so crazy to see how they grow in the wild. And the Madagascar section is so spectacular because a lot of the plants are rare or endangered. Seeing a dragon blood tree irl growing in the ground was mind blowing! 🤯 Keep an eye out for wild mongooses scurrying around...

Nice, easy hike/walk (about a 2 mile or so loop). Beautiful plumeria grove and cool cacti to see among plenty of other trees and plants, all hidden behind the mountainous crater walls. My 2yr old son and 75yr old mom were able to walk it, but watch out for loose rocks/gravel that are easy to slip or trip on. We have made it through before with a jogging stroller but it wasn't easy and ended up with a flat tire by the end (lots of thorns!). There are a few picnic tables along the way for snacks/resting. Plus it's FREE (even including the parking). We always go late afternoon/early evening and feel like we have the place to ourselves. Highly suggest applying insect repellent. *Please note this review is for KOKO CRATER BOTANICAL GARDEN which is different then the Koko Crater Railway Trail. The railway Trail goes up the wall of Koko head and is a much more difficult hike. Many of the reviews on here talk about that hike but should be on the Koko Crater...

Loved the selections of plants. It is definitely for plant lovers/people curious about plants as some plants aren't labeled, so you have to be patient and resourceful. There are a few very impressive varities here as well. I learned a lot about native Hawaiian plants by coming here. The parking lot is small, and it is very hot, so I recommend arriving early and bringing personal water. There is a portapotty. The walk took us, with lots of stops to look up plants, about 1.5 hrs. The path is a little rugged and though it doesnt look fully like a complete loop on the map (which is located in a mailbox at the sign near the entrance,) it's easy to figure out where you are as you go. The paths are a little rugged at parts, so I recommend appropriate footwear, especially since tripping in several parts would end with cactus. There is no office/welcome center and we saw no guides or gardeners on a Saturday. Very cool setting and great views of the crater,...