Nuuanu Valley Park | Fun in the Jungle |Hawaii Lifestyle Photographer

Nuuanu Valley Park, The Best Park on Oahu

That’s right, I said it. Nuuanu Valley Park is the best park on Oahu. I dare you to drive past it in the crush of traffic on the Pali Highway and not feel a tug to pull over and stop for awhile.

From the road, the welcoming branches of monkey pod and banyan trees are just visible past Queen Emma’s summer palace. They beckon with a chorus of birds and dancing leaves. Long rays of sunshine dip through the branches creating intricate patterns and pockets of warmth below. It’s a lovely spot for an impromptu picnic.

If you love nature, but aren’t a hug fan of getting dirty you can stil enjoy the best of the park. An updated playground and large swaths of grass snake through the park so you don’t have to fully submerge. You can remain jungle adjacent or explore the thickets depending on your adventure level.

There’s even a tiny stream outlet under a particularly stunning banyan tree across from the boy scout headquarters. It doesn’t look like much at first glance, but look carefully and you will spot spam-loving crayfish camoflaged among the rocks.

An Evening at the Park

On this particular visit, piles of leaves had accumulated under the banyan trees giving the park a fall feeling. Not exactly what you would find in a temperate climate, but it was good enough for them. The kids worked hard to make careful piles and toss them into the air with glee. Fortunately, we didn’t run into any centipedes.

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