The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: November fourteenth, exploring the islands of lost legends.

Hawaii's 53 state parks harbor hidden treasures. Spread over the six primary islands and encompassing 25,000 acres above water and 100 acres below, the parks provide plenty of playroom for outdoor activity. But what too many visiting hikers, bikers, campers, snorklers or surfers miss entirely is the fact that many parks are also organized to preserve evidence of the passionate Polynesian culture that existed before Captain Cook arrived in 1778.

Too many visitors only see the scenery and enjoy the sun, and leave knowing nothing of the local legends that explain how these places came to be. Hawaiians evolved a vast mythology, with epic tales that rival those of Greece, India, Egypt and Scandinavia. Yet, because Hawaii's was an oral tradition, passed through generations by tales told around the fire and undulating hula dancers, it's hard for visitors and even islanders to know of the gods and heros whose powers shaped it all.

For example, the volcanic turrets and boiling surf of Kaui's rugged Na Pali coast are reason enough to attract visitors. Most ignore the unmarked lava-rock ruins just below the Kalalau trailhead. For students of hula, however, these stones are a place of pilgrimage, the setting where the volcano goddess Pele danced at her wedding luau and, in a jealous rage, unleashed the elements. Without knowing the tales woven into the landscape, appreciating the place is impossible.

Hawaii has many such places, from Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau State Park on Oahu's north shore to Kolopa State Recreation Area in the cool uplands of the Big Island. This month's edition of National Geographic Traveler, a supporter of our program, finds the magic in five of them.

For information Hawaii State Parks call 808-587-0300 or www.statehi.us/dlnr/dsp/dsp.html

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