In Maui's Upcountry

A verdant expanse of misty hills punctuated with tiny, preserved-in-amber towns, Central Maui goes largely ignored by sunbathers and surfers congregating on the island’s southern towns of Wailea, Lahaina and Kapalua. Sitting as high as 3,600 feet, Upcountry, as this 200-square-mile area by Haleakala Volcano is called, has cooler temperatures (at night it can approach freezing) and more eucalyptus trees than coconut palms. It became an agricultural center in the late 1700s, when a British naval captain gave Hawaii’s King Kamehameha I a herd of longhorn cattle that spawned an entire ranching industry. There aren’t as many paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) today as there were in the 19th century, but several big ranches remain, as does a general appreciation for living off the land: In addition to the ranches, there are coffee farms, lavender fields and scenic hiking loops through forest reserves.

From “In Maui’s Upcountry” by John Wogan for New York Times Style Magazine; Photo by Joe Leavenworth (@jleavjleav)

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