Kaupō is a district of

ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the establishment in 1795 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporad ...

(''moku'' in the

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a critically endangered Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family, originating in and native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the native language of the Hawaiian people. Hawaiian, along with English, is an offi ...

) of

Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...

island in

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 ...

. Kaupō is a remote, sparsely populated, sustainable ranching community.

Geography

Kaupō is located along the southeastern shore of Maui, west of Kīpahulu along the Kahikinui coastline. Kaupō is located on a rugged and desolate coast. The ''Kahikinui Forest Reserve'' is located in the area, as well as a section of

Haleakalā National Park Haleakalā National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Named after Haleakalā, a dormant volcano within its boundaries, the park covers an area of , of w ...

. A trail leads from near the summit of

Haleakalā Haleakalā (; Hawaiian: ), or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive, active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by another volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, als ...

through Kaupō Gap to the coast. This trail has been designated as a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

. Kaupō is connected to the rest of the island via the Pi'ilani Highway (

Hawaii Route 31 Hawaii Route 31, also known as the Pi'ilani Highway, is a 38-mile road on the island of Maui in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. Description The route begins in at an intersection with Hawaii Routes 310 and 311 in the East Maui town of ...

). The highway is primarily one lane wide and is not paved in all sections.

History

Kaupō was "Wahipana" (Special Place) for ancient Hawaiians. In the early 1900s many families lived in Kaupō. Fishing, farming, hunting and ranching were primary occupations. In 1859 the district was combined with that of Hana. The Loaloa Heiau and Huialoha Church are located there.

Education

Residents are served by public schools of the

Hawaii Department of Education The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE, ) is a statewide public education system in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, ...

(HIDOE).

Kaupo School Kaupō School was a historic school building in Kaupo, Hawaii, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It was under the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE). History and overview In 1923 the school was built. The prope ...

served the community from its 1923 opening until the 1960s. By 1964 the number of students was five, so the HIDOE closed the school with

Hana High and Elementary School Hāna High and Elementary School is a public school in Hana, Hawaii. A part of the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE), it was established in 1912 and serves kindergarten through twelfth grade. The campus boasts an untitled 1977 copper and bro ...

in Hana taking the students. The school reopened in circa 1982 as some landslides that happened that year obstructed the road to Hana. Kaupo School later closed when the road reopened.

References

Maui National Recreation Trails in Hawaii {{Hawaii-stub