About Ulupalakua Ranch
More Than 180 Years
of Ranch History
Ulupalakua Ranch, on the slopes of Haleakalā in Upcountry Maui.
Sugar planters, a whaling captain, a king's visit, six families of owners, and generations of paniolo have shaped this land. Today it is a working ranch, and a place to gather.
The story of Ulupalakua
Before 1845 The land before the ranch
Native Hawaiians farmed sweet potatoes and dryland taro here and gathered wood, birds, and pigs from forests of koa and sandalwood.
1845 Modern agriculture begins
The Torbert family started a plantation producing beef, sheep, sugar, molasses, and potatoes, and built a road to the landing at Makena to ship goods to market.
1856–1886 Captain Makee and Rose Ranch
Retired whaling captain James Makee bought the plantation and renamed it Rose Ranch. He built one of the most advanced sugar mills of its day, planted cotton during the American Civil War, and filled the grounds with gardens and trees. In 1874, King Kalākaua was welcomed here during his royal progress. Remnants of the mill can still be seen on the ranch.
1886–1922 From crops to cattle
As sugar faded, cattle took over. The Dowsett family improved the herd by bringing Aberdeen Angus to the islands, and the Raymond family completed the change to full-time ranching.
1922–1963 The Baldwin years
Frank Baldwin bought the property in 1922 and renamed it Ulupalakua Ranch, honoring the land's long history.
1963 The Erdman family
Petroleum geologist C. Pardee Erdman bought the ranch, and the family has run it ever since. At its peak the ranch covered about 40,000 acres, and roughly 20,000 acres were returned to the State of Hawaiʻi in 1967 and 1997. Erdman tried sheep and elk, and in 1974 he partnered with Emil Tedeschi to start Maui's first winery.
Always The paniolo tradition
Mexican vaqueros taught Hawaiians to ride, rope, and work cattle, and the paniolo made it their own. In the 1960s and 70s, 30 paniolo worked Ulupalakua's fields. The tradition lives on in the ranch's quarterly Branding Event.
Today Restoring the forest
At the top of Puʻu Makua, the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project works to bring back native ecosystems. Led by Dr. Arthur Medeiros and tied to the Auwahi Wind Farm, it replants degraded land with native koa, ʻōhiʻa lehua, and ʻaʻaliʻi, manages invasive species, and rebuilds habitat for the ʻōpeʻapeʻa, the Hawaiian hoary bat. Landowners, conservation groups, and the community all take part.
Today Wildlife on the ranch
Upcountry Maui is one of the few places on the island where the endangered nēnē, Hawaiʻi's state bird, can still be seen in the wild, often grazing in open fields. The area is also home to the Hawaiian hoary bat, the Maui parrotbill, and native honeycreepers.
Gather Where the
History Lives
We know what we do on this land affects all that lives here, and we are privileged to gather on a place that is carefully stewarded.
Nicole Scharer Events is the event design, catering, and production team for Events at Ulupalakua. The ranch is the setting. Chef Nicole Scharer and her team create the experience, from the first call to the last dance.
Events at Ulupalakua Ranch are produced by Nicole Scharer Events.
