Hawaii Pictures (15 pictures)
Diamond Head (Oahu)
Directions:
Free.
Trails:
There is one about 3 person width trail to the top. It's not very
scenic until you get to the top - mostly brown. You hike a mile to
the top (it's all up - not too tiring until you hit the 99 steps
near the top), look around and hike back down. It's a tourist spot,
so there are plenty of people.
Area:
Went late September. Dry, brown, volcano crater until the top
where there are beautiful views of the ocean and Wakiki.
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998
Recommendation:
If you go to Oahu, this is one you have to do. It doesn't take
much time and you get a pretty view of the area around Honolulu.
Waikamoi Ridge (Maui - Road to Hana)
Directions:
Early on the Road to Hana (Hwy 360). 1st good sized stop on the
right. There is a picnic table near the parking area.
Free.
Trails:
It's about a mile or two loop with a branch in the rain forest. As
such, the trail does tend to get muddy - hiking shoes are better
than sneakers, but sneakers are better than sandals. Start at the
picnic table and either go left or up the middle. After a little
bit, you'll reach a ridge. At the top of the ridge, head up along
the ridge and the trail goes through a couple of small bamboo
groves before ending at a small field with a picnic area. [A
little further ahead is a "restricted" sign with a path - it's
not worth going further as there is not much to see and it gets
slightly steep and can be muddy.] Return to the trail junction
at the ridge and take a left or go straight - which ever way you
didn't take coming up.
Area:
Green, lush rain forest. Note: there is no waterfall along this
trail.
When I did the hike:
July 19, 2001
Recommendation:
Short, pretty hike. If you've started your drive early or are
staying the night in Hana (and can find a parking spot), do it.
Ke'anae Arboretum (Maui - Road to Hana)
Directions:
On the Road to Hana (Hwy 360) right before the turnoff for Ke'anae.
You'll see cars parked along the road near the entrance.
Free.
Trails:
It's a paved then gravel, good sized trail for about 1/4 mile with
little signs pointing out plant names. Then the trail wanders
through some taro fields. At the end of the taro fields, a true
but unmaintained trail continues on through the rainforest along
the stream. Reports were that there is a small fall/pool to swim
in at the end. I tried to find it twice (first time was expecting
a shorter hike, second time went further and knew what type of
hike it was) and failed both times. The second time, went for a
ways and then the trail went up a small cliff and there were skid
marks instead of footholds and I decided not to try to go up it.
Area:
Green rainforest with plant labels. A huge bamboo grove a short
ways in seemed to impress a lot of people.
When I did the hike:
July 19, 2001, July 21, 2001
Recommendation:
Na. If you can find the falls though... Do take a short drive
down to Ke'anae - very pretty ocean views.
Wai'anapanapa State Park (Maui - Hana)
Directions:
On the Road to Hana (Hwy 360) right before Hana. There will be a
sign saying Wai'anapanapa State Park that way. Take a left onto
that road and drive a short bit and park in the parking lot.
Free.
Trails:
A small loop for the caves. You can get in the water for the
caves, but you'll shortly be greeted with the nasty smell of
sulfur. There is a small black sand (rocky, not smooth) beach in
a cove, but the gem of this park is the King's High Coastal Trail
that goes along ocean. To the left of the beach as you face the
ocean, the trail goes through rocky lava fields for quite a ways.
I went about a mile to just past the airport, but it goes further
than that. To the right of the beach, the trail goes along the
coast reportedly all the way to Hana. For about a mile, the trail
is fairly easy (not too rocky) up to the Heiau (Hawaiian place of
worship). After that, the trail gets rockier. And a little ways
after that, it gets scarier as it goes right along the cliff edge.
I turned around a short ways past the fishing hut as my nerves
said, "Enough!"
Area:
Awesome ocean views, small black sand beach, rocky lava fields.
Note that rocky lava fields are not easy things to hike - there
is no shade and you are walking on fist-sized or larger rocks..
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998, July 19, 2001, July 21, 2001
Recommendation:
Definitely go there if you are on Maui and go to Hana (even just
a day trip). The loop isn't much, but the views from the Coastal
Trail (especially to the right as you face the ocean) are awesome.
Waimoku Falls (Maui - Hana)
Directions:
Past Hana on the Road to Hana (Hwy 360). At O'heo Gluch/Pools of
O'heo/Seven Pools/Haleakala National Park.
Free.
Trails:
A about two person wide one-way, 2 mile trail to a tall waterfall.
There was not much elevation change after the start. It goes
through a bamboo forest, which was neat. Near the end of the trail,
right before the waterfalls, there are two wet water crossings. You
may be able to get pass the first crossing without getting your feet
wet, but you'll get wet crossing the 2nd one.
Area:
Green, green, green. I went in late September and it was drizzling
most of the day. The rain meant that there was no swimming in the
pools near the ocean. It's a pretty trail and there is a really
neat looking tree along the way.
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998
Recommendation:
If you go to Hana, do this trail. It's an easy trail and the
falls are impressive.
Kaupo Gap Trail (Maui - Kaupo)
Directions:
From Hana, take Hwy 31 (the main road) all the way to Kaupo.
Note that the rental companies don't like you driving on this
portion of the road as some of it is not paved and it is
narrow - you might be more comfortable in a 4-wheel/high
clearance vehicle, but it looked like a compact could make
it fine. At Kaupo, the road up to the trailhead is just
before the Kaupo General Store - there are a row of mailboxes
next to the road that heads up to the right. I parked
across from the mailboxes, pulling my car as far over as I
could. You _might_ be able to park closer to the actual
trailhead instead of having to hike the road 1.5 miles by
driving up it (it's a one (and only one) lane patched-paved
(not smooth) road), but the area around the trailhead is all
private property and I don't know how they'd feel about you
parking there. If you manage to get the transportation
arranged, have whoever meet you at the Kaupo General Store.
Free.
Trails:
The right way to do this is to arrange the transportation so
that you start the hike at the top at Haleakala and hike down
through Kaupo Gap. But I couldn't arrange the transportation
(and I tried very hard to arrange it), so I decided to hike
from Kaupo up into the Kaupo Gap and turnaround when I felt
like it or needed to due to time. So my hike started off with
a 1.5 mile hike up (common word with this hike) a patched-paved
road (baring left at the curve) to just before the house that
you can see off to the right - there is a small "trail" sign
"that way" and after you head "that way", there is a large
trail sign with distance information. The trail starts as a
true 1-person width trail for about a mile before hitting the
dirt farming roads. From there on, it's farming roads (some
of them grassy) all the way to the National Park boundary.
Keep an eye out for trail signs - some complete signs, some
just the posts, some laying on the ground - to tell you which
way to go. You are going up the whole way and it's not a
gentle climb, some of it is pretty steep. You do get a great
view of the gap and the crater wall to the left the further
you go. And great views looking back at the ocean. It took
me about 4 hours to get to the park boundary. I went a little
ways past the park boundary before turning around - the trail
was overgrown with knee-high tall grass that was even less fun
than the roads to trudge through (I also knew that I wasn't
going all the way to the crater, so turning around there was
okay). Saw lots of goats on the hike back down. It took me
about 2 hours to get back to my car. [Stopped at O'heo Gluch
for a dip under a waterfall after my hike. Ahh!]
The entire Kaupo Trail is 8.4 miles and 6,100 feet (from the
Paliku cabin (6,380 feet) to the highway (280 feet)). From
the park boundary to the trailhead, it's over 3 miles and 2,840
feet. From the highway to the trailhead, it's 1.5 miles and
760 feet.
Area:
Up, up, up. Some trees, but mostly grassy area with the one
crater wall visible in the distance.
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 20, 2001
Recommendation:
I wouldn't do it from the bottom up. Hiking uphill on dirt
roads wasn't my idea of fun, even though the views were pretty.
If you somehow can get the transportation arranged, going from
the top down might be worth it - it'd be a full, long day hike
(unless you stay the night at a cabin in the crater) - 17.5
miles, all downhill (okay, kind of flat a number of miles in
the crater - the start is at 9,800 feet).
Haleakala Volcano (Maui)
Directions:
$10 per car for a 7 day pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
Two trails down into the crater and a number of trails in the crater.
I took the trail from the visitor's center down into the crater and
hiked around for 6.5 hours. The hike back out of the crater is tough.
The trails are mostly sandy/gravely and aren't much fun.
Area:
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998
Recommendation:
It is a very different hike that is worth doing once. You don't
go for the trails, but for the scenery - it looks like an orange
moon. Be sure to wear sunscreen lotion - I got fried from this
hike. If you go up for the sunrise (gorgeous), be sure to bring a
blanket - it's very cold before the sun comes up.
King's High Coastal Trail through lava field (Maui - Wailea)
Directions:
End of the road (Hwy 31) past Wailea and past Makena. The road
goes through the most recent lava flow. Park in the dirt parking
area (good sized) where the cove is at and hike along the ocean
a little ways to the trailhead - there should be a sign
indicating the trailhead.
Free.
Trails:
2 miles one-way trail through a rocky lava flow. [It looks like
the trail does go further than the 2 miles (2 miles takes you to
the end of the lava flow) and continues along the coast for 2
more miles. But the 2 miles is all I did and knew about at the
time.]
Area:
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998
Recommendation:
It's tough hike over lava rocks and there is no shade (I was
fortunate in that it was an overcast day), but at the end of the
trail, you can see the volcanos of the island of Hawaii in the
distance.
Waihee Ridge trail (Maui - Waihee)
Directions:
Take Hwy 340 past Waihee - go up the mountain and just after a
bend (there's a ranch at the bend with a sign for horseback
rides) is a small sign on the left indicating the Waihee Ridge
Trail that way. Take a left onto the narrow, paved one-lane
road and go up to the grassy-dirt parking area in front of the
trailhead.
Free.
Trails:
This is a well maintained, 2.5 miles one-way trail on the
ridge above the Waihee Valley. The trail starts as a steep
paved road a short bit that will have you hating this trail
before you start. At the top of the road, take a minute or
so and catch your breath and enjoy the view of the large
waterfall off to the right (do get a better view of it later).
Then veer left into the pasture as the trail sign indicates.
A short bit later, the trail goes into the forest and the real
trail begins. After about a mile, the trail goes out along
the ridge where there are spectacular views of the valleys,
waterfalls, and mountains - if it's not too cloudy. There is
a picnic table at the trail's end. It's a one to two person
width trail with over 1,500 feet gained. There are steps in
some of the steeper spots. And as I said, it is well
maintained - 3 volunteers had brought weedwackers to clear the
trail while I was there. There are distance markers every
half mile.
Area:
Lush green mountains, likely cloudy.
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 22, 2001
Recommendation:
Definitely. The best trail on Maui, a good workout, great
views (even with the clouds I had), and well maintained.
Iao Valley (Maui)
Directions:
Hwy 320 to the end at Iao Valley State Park.
Free.
Trails:
There are a number of paved "trails" in the park, but the locals
and serious hikers know about the 2 unofficial trails. These can
be found by looking for the two "No trespassing" signs - you need
to decide before you go if you are going to ignore those signs.
Despite the signs, both trails are well traveled. The lower
trail is at the lower left corner of the paved area (the farthest
area of the park) and goes up along the stream further into the
valley. It's a narrow trail and there are a couple of steep
spots. I stopped at a point where it was a little too steep and
muddy for my comfort (but 2 people went past me and up the slope
with no problem - I think my concern was more with coming back
down it). The upper trail is to the left and behind the top
observation area. It is a one-person width trail that goes up
into the valley a bit. This trail is in worse shape than when I
tried it in 1998 - the ferns are reclaiming the trail and _will_
brush your legs as you go up. The trail completely disappeared
on me less than a mile into it - one moment I was definitely on a
trail and the next I was in the forest trying to figure out
where the trail continued. Supposedly it goes for over 2 miles,
but if you can go that far on a trail, you're doing better than
I did.
Area:
Green, green, green.
Picture
When I did the hike:
September 1998, July 22, 2001
Recommendation:
If you can endure the guilt of going pass the "No Trespassing"
sign, do the lower trail for a bit. Let nature continue to
reclaim the upper trail.
Lava Tree State Park (Big Island)
Directions:
From Hilo, take Hwy 11 to Hwy 130 and take a left on to 130.
At the junction for Hwy 132, take a left on to 132 and go
about 2 1/2 miles and turn left into the parking area.
About 22 miles from Hilo.
Free.
Trails:
It's a 1 mile paved (wheel chair accessable) loop through
the forest with a lot of funky lava trees. The lava trees
were formed when a fast flow of lava came out of a near
by creavice and surrounded the trees and then the flow
retreated and left tall, hollow (the trees burned) lava
formations.
Area:
Flat, forest
When I did the hike:
Tuesday August 23, 2005
Recommendation:
It's a little out of the way, but worth a visit. After
wards, continue on Hwy 132 until it T-intersects and take
a right onto 137 and Ahalanui Point State park is a couple
of miles ahead on the left and it has a thermal pool next
to the ocean that you can swim in. [You can then continue
on 137 until the road ends (stopped by a lava flow) and
hike to the left over the lava flow to the ocean where
there is a small new black sand beach (don't dip your toes,
though, as the current is really strong).]
Pu'u Loa Petroglyphs (Big Island)
Directions:
In Volcano National Park, take Crater Rim Drive to Chain of
Craters Road to near the coast (but before). There will be
a sign indicating Pu'u Loa and a pull-off parking area.
$10 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
3/4 mile hike over the old lava flow to a small loop boardwalk
around the petroglyphs. It's fairly flat, except for the
little ups and downs of walking over the flow.
[Note: lava flows are different from lava fields (my
distinction) in that lava fields are made up of individual
rocks and lava flows are almost one continuous bumpy rock.]
Area:
Black lava flow. No shade.
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 23, 2001
Recommendation:
Short and sweet. Hiking over lava flows are cool and the
petroglyphs are interesting.
Kilauea Caldera hike (Big Island)
Directions:
Immediately turn a left onto Crater Rim Drive after passing
the entrance station for Volcano National Park and park at the
Thurston Lava Tube parking area. [Go early, the Thurston Lava
Tube is popular.]
$10 per car for a week's pass or National Parks Pass
Trails:
I made a 10.1 mile loop combining a number of different trails.
I started with the Kilauea Iki Trail for 2.4 miles through the
Kilauea Iki Crater. The hard packed trail starts through a
forest going down to the crater floor and then through the
middle of the crater floor (which is weird with steam coming up
from the floor all around me) and then a short hike up the far
crater wall (the only short, slightly tiring elevation climb of
this hike). The floor is mostly smooth, but gets rocky for
the last third of the crater - follow the lighter portion of
the lava and the stacked rocks for the trail. At the top of
the crater, I hooked a left and shortly came to the Byron Ledge
Trail which went through a forest for .7 miles before descending
into the Kilauea Caldera and ending at the Halema'uma'u Trail.
There were a number of Ne'ne geese visible in the forest. I
hooked a left on to the Halema'uma'u Trail for a long 2.4 miles
through the middle of the vast Kilauea Caldera (which also
contains a couple "smaller" craters). There is also steam
coming up from the floor here. And even spookier is the sign
midway through the caldera warning to stay on the trail due to
"thin crust". The trail is the lighter colored lava (lighter
from all the people walking on it) and following the stacked
rocks in the rockier areas. The trail continues by the
Halema'uma'u Crater (one of the "smaller" craters) and then
goes through Halema'uma'u parking lot [no port-a-potties] and
across the road and hike for .5 miles next to the 1982 lava
flow before ending at the Crater Rim Trail. I took a left
onto the Crater Rim Trail and hiked a blah 2 miles on the
sandy trail along a ridge above the 1982 flow. The trail got
better as it passed by the Keanakao'i Crater and then through
its 1974 lava flow and into a thin forest for .3 miles to the
Chain of Craters Road. Across the road, the trail goes
through a pretty (if you aren't too tired to enjoy it) fern
rain forest for 1.8 miles back to the car. There were more
Ne'ne geese in the fern forest. The Crater Rim Trail slowly
gains elevation. The trails are wide 1-person width in the
forests and many-people wide in the craters. It took me
about 5 hours to hike this.
Area:
A variety - rain forests, craters, huge craters, lava flows.
There is no shade in the craters and along the ridge - wear
sunscreen.
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 24, 2001
Recommendation:
A good hike. Going through the Kilauea Iki Crater and Kilauea
Caldera is quite an experience. The 2 miles of sandy trail
almost made me suggest going a different way back, but the 1.8
through the fern forest makes me say that this is the way to
do it. The distance was the only thing that tired me, none of
the elevation increases did [and I actually went to Green Sand
Beach after doing this hike]. If you don't have the time for
a full hike, go to the Halema'uma'u parking lot and hike a
ways on the Halema'uma'u Trail into the Kilauea Caldera. You
shouldn't visit Volcano National Park without doing so.
Green Sand Beach (Big Island)
Directions:
Hwy 11 to Waiohinu to mile marker 69. There is a sign on Hwy
11 for South Point. Turn left on that road and go all the
way to the end - about 11 miles. The road will narrow to one
lane (with grass shoulders to use when vehicles come the other
way) and past the wind farm the road gets rougher - but a
compact will make it okay. At the fork, go left down to South
Point and park in the parking area. Pay at the building
across the road. [At the fork, go right and you get some
pretty ocean views and there is a Heiau.]
$5 per car.
Trails:
From the parking area, hike the dirt road down to the "harbor"
and then go left along the dirt roads along the ocean. There
is a gate preventing vehicles from entering (but 2 4-wheel
drive vehicles did pass me while I was there). There is a
lot of trash along the shore, so you don't really have pretty
views along the hike. After a long 2.5 miles, you'll see a
large rock formation as the road angles to the left. The
cove is at the base of that. You have to climb/hike down to
the cove. There is a short trail beneath the cliff in front
of you, but you have to figure out where the place to get down
is at - there is no spot marking it. The way down is early
along the cliff. Others who couldn't figure a way down/didn't
know about the trail came down from the top along the ridges
(they said it looked scarier than it was, but I wouldn't want
to do it that way). The lightly shaded green (not bright,
more of a lime color - look elsewhere for details as for why
its that color) beach is in a pretty little cove and there
probably won't be many people. Stay for a while. Relax.
Area:
Flat, farm roads along the dirty coast to a beautiful cove
with lime green sand. No shade.
When I did the hike:
July 24, 2001
Recommendation:
Definitely. Not for the (long) hike, but for the beach.
Onemea Bay (Big Island)
Directions:
Near Hilo, take Hwy 19 to the scenic drive and park along
the road either shortly before and just after the
botanical garden (don't park in the garden's parking lot
as they don't like it).
Free.
Trails:
The Donkey Trail starts just after the Botanical Garden
(right across the small bridge is a sign for it, which
I parked in front of). The wide trail goes about 1/2
mile down (not steep) in the trees to a pretty ocean view
of the bay area. Shortly before the small penisula, I
took a wet-water crossing across the stream and walked up
the Onemea trail with pretty coastal views along the way.
The trail came back out to the road and there were a
couple of cars parked next to it - this is where I'd
suggest parking and heading down (and skip the donkey
trail all together). It's just a short hike.
Area:
Pretty ocean views.
When I did the hike:
Monday August 22, 2005
Recommendation:
If you are in the area and have a little time, it's a
pretty place.
Waipio Valley (Big Island)
Directions:
Hwy 19 to Hwy 240 to the Waipio overlook (basically the end of the
road). If you were smart and rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle,
continue down the _steep_ one-lane paved road into the valley and
turn right at the bottom and take the rutty dirt road out to the
beach.
Free.
Trails:
There is a 9 mile trail (1st mile is the road down, and then the
beach is a mile across) that goes across Waipio Valley, up the
far wall, and then (after 6 miles with reportedly 13 streams to
cross) reaches the unpopulated Waimanu Valley. I came back to
Hawaii (not that I needed an excuse - Hawaii is one of those
places that calls me back) for this hike. This time I rented a
4-wheel drive and drove down to the beach. The last time, I took
the long hike down the steep the road - if you do this by foot,
your knees will let you how steep it is on the way down (and the
rest of your body will let you know about the hike back up). At
the bottom, go right and a little bit later is the beach. There
are some boulders on the right side of the beach, a nice patch of
black sand, and then the Wailoa stream. Cross the Wailoa stream
near the ocean (wet water crossing) - it is a slow, difficult
wade across with a current and moss on the rocks in the stream
(water shoes and a hiking stick help). Then there is over half
a mile of the best black sand beach I've ever been to. There is
a trail at the top of the beach in the trees, but how can you not
walk barefoot in the surf for this stretch? The sand is as
smooth as silk (not rocky like most black sand beaches). Most
people don't cross the stream, so you'll likely have this area
all to your self. Near the end of the beach, you can hook back
on to the trail by going to the top of the beach and tiny bit
through the trees (and stopping to put your shoes on). The fun
begins just ahead as the dirt and rocky trail takes long
switchbacks up the mountain (there is little shade and it can get
warm) - about a mile and 800 feet gained. There are some
wonderful views of the valley and beach along the way - pause
often to look around and catch your breath. Near (not at) the
top, the trail enters a thin, whispy forest and there is only one
more view of the valley the rest of the way (thus, a good turning
around point if you are hiking purely for the valley views) - the
one view point is at the last switchback. At the top of the
climb is a funky looking tree. It took me about an hour to get
from the beach to the top. The trail actually widens to about 1
1/2 width and is really nice. The 2 streams I passed before
turning around (felt like going back to the beach and then doing
some other things) were just trinkles with rock hopping across.
The trail dips up and down a little bit, but no major decents or
climbs to where I turned around.
Area:
Lush 1 mile wide, 10 mile deep valley; beautiful black sand
beach; deep blue ocean
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 25, 2001 (to the beach), Monday August 22, 2005 (up the
far side)
Recommendation:
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful black sand beach. Get a drive
down to the beach and enjoy gorgeous views of the valley on the
hike up the far side (you can see the trail carved in the
mountainside from the Waipio Overlook). Even if you don't feel
like climbing the mountain, definitely go to the beach. Just
wonderful. I have a feeling I'll be back again in a few years.
Pololu Valley (Big Island)
Directions:
From Hilo, Hwy 19 all the way to 250 until it T-intersects with
Hwy 270 and take right on 270 all the way to the end of the road.
From Kona, Hwy 19 to 270 and take that a long way to the end of
the road. Note that the parking is very limited.
Free.
Trails:
The wide trail goes down 500 feet (which means you go back up
500 feet) in 1/2 mile to a black sand beach - it has some smooth
areas and some rock-sand areas - that is about 1/2 mile wide.
Most stop at the beach, but the best is yet to come. After
enjoying the beach area, hook up with the thin dirt-sand trail
that is slightly inland and head up the far wall. The shady
trail may get muddy at points. There are only a couple of views
into the Pololu Valley as you head up. After going under the
gate, the climbing is mostly done. After 1/2 mile and 500 feet
gained, you reach the top and it's fairly level to the overlook,
about 1/2 mile (and no shade). At the overlook is wonderful
views down into Honokee Valley and up the coast. I went ahead
and took the hike down into the 2nd valley, another 1/2 mile
and 500 feet down. At the bottom, the trail comes out to an
open area and through a bamboo forest and then to a stream.
There is no true trail to the beach from here (the trail ahead
goes up the far wall). I walked along the rocks along the
stream to the "beach". It is a rocky beach with no sand or
small rocks and not that pretty. There were some nice views up
and down the coast (towards Pololu Valley you don't see from the
overlook), but I don't know if it was worth the extra effort.
Area:
Lush valleys, nice overlooks, pretty beach
When I did the hike:
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Recommendation:
Definitely. Go to the overlook for sure. You can skip going
down into the 2nd valley unless you really feel like doing it.
Kalalau Trail - Na Pali Coast (Kauai)
Directions:
Hwy 56 all the way to the end at Kee Beach (a place for gorgeous
sunsets). Note that Kee Beach gets crowded later in the day (but
most are gone by the time the sun sets).
Free.
Trails:
The Kalalau Trail, aka the Na Pali Coast Trail, is a rugged 11-mile
hike along the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast and into the valleys.
The trail goes up and down and up and down and will wear you out.
To do the whole trail is a multi-day hike - if you go past the
Hanakapiai Valley or plan on camping, you are supposed to get a
permit from the Division of State Parks in Lihue (but I went
further than the valley and didn't have a pass and no one bothered
me - if you are going to camp, definitely get one). People are
allowed to camp near Hanakapiai Beach (mile 2), Hanakoa Valley
(mile 6), and Kalalau Beach (mile 11). I started my hike at 7:10
am and a destination of Hanakoa Valley 6 miles in. 6 miles may not
sound like much, but I was tired after 4 miles as the the trail is
rarely flat - you are either going up or down and switching between
the two. But the views of the coast are stunning. The rocky trail
(not loose rocks) goes along the Na Pali mountains - sometimes
right along the cliffs (but not really a scary where you feel like
you are going to fall off), sometimes down into a valley and up the
other end, sometimes staying above and skirting a small valley a
little inland. At the base of the Hanakapiai Valley, the trail
continues across stream (bit of a challenge staying dry crossing)
and baring left at the fork - baring right goes above the beach
and gives some great views of the beach before (steeply) re-joining
the real trail. There is a bathroom (with toilet paper!) on the
left branch and the Hanakapiai Falls trail starts there. Going
to the right in front of the stream will take you out to the
smaller sized beach. After a tiring 6 miles, I had lunch at the
stream in the Hanakoa Valley near the picnic bench (the trail is
inland here). There is also a bathroom near the picnic bench (with
toilet paper!!!). After finally returning to the Hanakapiai
Valley, I convinced myself to go to the Hanakapiai Falls despite
being very tired - I wanted to see them and I didn't think I'd be
able to convince myself to do those 2 miles in to and out of the
valley the next day. And I had thought it was "just" a mile to the
falls. The trail branches from the Kalalau Trail just across from
the bathroom and there is a sign on a tree a short way onto the
trail saying Hanakapiai Falls Trail. This is not an easy hike and
the rocky trail goes slowly up to the end of the valley along the
stream including 3 crosses of the steam. And it's about 1 3/4
miles. But, the reward is incredible. The falls are 300 feet
tall and drop into a large deep pool. Getting into the cold water
will wake you up and swimming through the falls to the shallow
ledge behind them will literally take your breath away. I swam
in a number of waterfalls during this trip and this one blew them
all away. When you swim away from the falls, turn on your back
and back stroke so that you can view the falls coming down from
up close. Awesome! This was probably the highlight of a great
trip full of highlights. Unfortunately as it was later in the
day, I didn't stay long. Back at the Kalalau Trail I also took a
short visit to the Hanakapiai Beach (not that impressive, besides
its remoteness) for a rest before the final leg back. And those
last 2 miles were torture - it didn't seem like it coming, but it
is more uphill going back than going. The sun set on me while I
was making the last trudge back - ruining my plans for a beautiful
sunset at Kee Beach. I finally reach my car at 7:35 pm [whimper].
This was way, way, way too much for a 1 day hike. It has been a
long time since I've been that close to tears near the end of a
hike due to exhaustion and pain. My feet hurt so much over the
next number of hours that I had trouble falling asleep because of
the pain.
Area:
The beautiful Na Pali coast - rugged mountains, beachs, falls. If
it is raining, don't go - the rocks on the trail will get slick
(if it rained the day before, it is okay to go - it rained the day
before I hiked)
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 27, 2001, Friday 8/26/05 to Hanakapiai Falls
Recommendation:
You'd be stupid to do what I did - ask my feet and they'll tell
you that. But you should definitely hike to Hanakapiai Beach
and hike into the valley to Hanakapiai Falls. Definitely wear
or bring your swimsuit and go under the falls - it would also be
a good place for lunch. If you want to go on a longer hike,
continue on the Kalalau trail a mile or 2 further and stop at the
large, comfy rock at the edge of a valley and enjoy further views
up the coast (you'll know the rock I'm talking about when you get
to it). Turn around here - the views the rest of the way to
Hanakoa Valley aren't more impressive than this. A kayak trip or
boat ride out to Kalalau Beach might also be a fun thing to do.
Kukui Trail (Kauai)
Directions:
Hwy 50 to Hwy 550 or Hwy 552 (which joins Hwy 550 after 8 miles)
to Kokee State Park. The Kukui Trailhead is just before the
mile mark 9 on the right. Park along side the road.
No facilities (though toilets and water at the 2 overlooks
along Hwy 550 and at the park headquarters).
Free.
Trails:
Talk about steep. This loose dirt one-person trail goes down,
down, down without switchbacking to the river. The loose dirt
makes it slow going down and the steepness makes it slow going
back up. There are wonderful canyon views on the way down.
Once the trail goes pass the long rock slope (no shade), it
heads into the trees and there are no canyon views until the
river. The trail becomes dirt and rocky and is still heading
down. At the Koaie Canyon trail junction, there is a swim
hole straight ahead and a nice place to rest next to the
river. I continued up stream on the Koaie trail for about 15
minutes before turning around to get some more canyon views.
The Koaie trail continues 3 miles upstream and all the way
out to Waimea going down stream (8 miles). It took me 1:45
to get to the river (and I did enjoy the swim hole) and 2
hours to hike back out.
Trail Length + Elevation:
2.5 miles (one-way), 2000 feet
Area:
Orange canyon,
When I did the hike:
Thursday August 25, 2005
Recommendation:
You have to be in shape to do this one. It's a hard hike,
but the canyon views are worth it. Don't do it if it's
raining or muddy.
Awa'awapuhi-Nu'alolo Loop (Kauai)
Directions:
Hwy 50 to Hwy 550 or Hwy 552 (which joins Hwy 550 after 8 miles)
to Kokee State Park. The Awa'awapuhi Trailhead is just past
mile mark 17 on the left. The Nu'alolo Trailhead is just before
the Kokee park headquarters.
Free.
Trails:
A combination of 3 trails and the road make this loop. There are
no canyon views for this hike, but some great views of the Na Pali
Coast. The Awa'awapuhi Trail goes 3.1 miles down (about 1,300
feet) to an overlook with views of the Nu'alolo Valley. The deep
valley is surround by cliffs, at the edge of one of those cliffs.
Look across the way and see that little patch of trees out on the
orange edge and that is the Lolo Vista. The Awa'awapuhi Trail is
a hard-packed dirt trail that is 2-person width for 2 miles before
narrowing to 1-person width for the rest and is in the forest
until almost the end. .3 miles from the overlook, the Nu'alolo
Cliff Trail heads along the inner edge of the valley. Despite the
warning signs of possible washouts, this narrow trail is in good
shape - there were only 2 spots that I could see that might be a
problem after bad weather. After 2.1 miles, the trail ends at the
Nu'alolo Trail. Go right onto the Nu'alolo Trail for .5 miles
along the ridge - my nerves weren't thrilled with this portion -
out to the Lolo Vista. You can see all the way up the Na Pali
Coast from here - all the way to Kee Beach. There is the
occasional buzz of helicopters in the area. I had lunch at the
Lolo Vista. Back at the Nu'alolo Cliff Trail junction, I
continued along the miserable Nu'alolo Trail for 3.5 miles.
The trail starts with a _steep_ hike up that I would want to go
down. It then continues going up and down (sometimes steeply,
but not as bad as that first climb) in the sun for the next 1.5
miles. When it finally gets into the forest, I encountered a
number of tall grassy fields to trudge through. The trail widens
to a 2-person trail the last half a mile. Then it is about a 2
mile hike up the paved road (Hwy 550) back to the car. It was a
12 miles loop. There are distance markers every quarter mile.
Area:
The high cliffs of the Na Pali Coast, forests
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 29, 2001
Recommendation:
The views of the Nu'alolo Valley are incredible. But stay away
from the Nu'alolo Trail, except for the .5 mile hike out to the
Lolo Vista (must go there). Take the Awa'awapuhi Trail out to
its overlook and then take the Nu'alolo Cliff Trail over to the
Nu'alolo Trail and out to the Lolo Vista. Go back the way you
came for an 11.4 mile hike. Don't do it if it is raining
(drizzling/misting is probably okay).
Canyon Trail (Kauai)
Directions:
Hwy 50 to Hwy 550 or Hwy 552 (which joins Hwy 550 after 8 miles)
to Kokee State Park. Halemanu Road is right before mile marker
14 and the Kokee State Park entrance sign. If you don't have a
4-wheel drive vehicle, park along Hwy 550 where the turn off for
Halemanu Road is - you'll have to hike .8 miles of rugged dirt
road to the trailhead. If you were smart and rented a 4-wheel
drive vehicle, engage the 4-wheel drive and take a right onto
the one-lane dirt Halemanu Road. After about half a mile, there
will be a road to the right. Take that right and park in the
wider area just before the deep wheel ruts in the road. The
trailhead is on the other side of those ruts (and there is no
parking area in front of the ruts).
Free.
Trails:
The last hike of my trip and I wasn't in the mood to hike (thank
goodness I had a 4-wheel drive else I probably wouldn't have
made it out to the canyon besides views from Hwy 550). The
trail goes for 2.4 miles along the canyon to the Kumuwela
Viewpoint. Shortly after starting the trail, take a right for
a short hike out to the Cliff Viewpoint for your first views of
the canyon. Back at the trail, continue on and the trail
descends to an expansive open cliff top with fuller views of
part of the canyon. A short ways later is the Kokee Stream and
Waipo'o Falls. You are above the falls, so it's nothing
special. The trail continues, but I turned around here (when
you aren't in the mood to hike, it is best not to push the
issue). I cheated and drove my car out to the Kumuwela
Viewpoint (actually, after driving a ways on the dirt roads I
had to stop as a tree was in the road and hike a short ways out
to the overlook). I had lunch there enjoying the pretty view
of the canyon.
Area:
The cliffs along the Waimea Canyon
Picture
When I did the hike:
July 30, 2001
Recommendation:
Since I didn't do it, it's hard for me to make a recommendation.
If you are expecting to see a waterfall on this hike, don't do
it. If you want good views of the canyon (and hopefully the
sun will come out for you), do it.
Pihea Vista (Kauai)
Directions:
Hwy 50 to Hwy 550 or Hwy 552 (which joins Hwy 550 after 8 miles)
to Kokee State Park. Take the road all the way to the end and
park in the area near the gate.
Free.
Trails:
They closed the last mile of road that goes to the last
viewpoint to traffic, so you have to hike a boring 1 mile
(no views) of paved road (grumble) to the kick off for the
trailhead. It is 1 mile of packed dirt along the ridge,
with wonderful views along the way, to the vista. There
are lots of small ups and downs and then a big up to the
vista. Just before the climb to the vista is the junction
for the Alaka'i Swamp trail (my original plan was to take
that junction, but I didn't feel like a long hike that
day - plus I need something new to do for my next Hawaii
trip). The views down into Kalalau Valley are actually
better before reaching the vista, so you could skip that
last climb (which is steep).
Trail Length:
2 miles, one-way
Area:
Open ridge looking into pretty valleys.
When I did the hike:
Saturday August 27, 2005
Recommendation:
Definitely. If you are in this area, you are here for
the views and this trail has some great views from above
of the Na Pali coast. Note: you need to do this in the
morning as it's usually overcast by noon (and the clouds
come in quick).