Garden of Eden Arboretum - Where Jurassic Park Took Off

A stop on Maui: The Road to Hana, a free self-guided tour.

The Garden of Eden Arboretum is a private botanical garden carved from steep rainforest above the coast. In 1991, arborist Alan Bradbury bought the overgrown property and spent years clearing invasive plants and laying out paths. It opened to the public in 1996 and now displays hundreds of tropical plants, from hibiscus and palms to towering bamboo, along winding walkways with ocean views.

This is the easiest way for families to see the rainforest up close without a muddy hike, and the paths are well marked.

Movie fans should head to the lookout facing Keopuka Rock, a green-topped sea stack off the coast. It appears in the opening helicopter scene of the 1993 film Jurassic Park, which is why some guides call it Jurassic Rock. From another overlook you can see Puohokamoa Falls tumbling through the forest.

Take your time here. It is one of the few stops where you can walk for an hour on solid ground.

Getting here: Continue on Route 360 for about 8 miles, through a long stretch of curves and one-lane bridges. The entrance is on the right, just past mile marker 10.

Did you know?: Keopuka Rock, visible from the garden, is one of the first sights in Jurassic Park's helicopter arrival sequence.

Photo op: From the Keopuka Rock lookout, frame the sea stack against the blue ocean with the rainforest in the foreground.

Nearby: Paid admission. Restrooms and picnic spots for visitors inside the garden. Check the garden's website for hours.

More on Wikipedia: Jurassic Park · Hana Highway

Garden of Eden Arboretum - Where Jurassic Park Took Off

Stops on this tour