Parking
Use the parking marked for Kahakai Trail and walk-in campsites at Kīpahulu Campground, on the seaward side of Hāna Highway. The one-way route ends at Kūloa Point Trail; return on the trail or use the campground road for a short loop back.
Overview
About Kahakai Trail
Why go
- Ocean views and rocky shoreline in a short walk
- Historic wall and old stone sites along the coast
Heads up
- No beach access
- A return loop adds campground-road walking
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Road to Hana map
Full mapElevation12–38 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Road to Hana Tour Guide
Your drive to Kahakai Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Road to Hana. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Road to Hana audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Kīpahulu’s Coast and Waterfalls0:00 / 0:37
“You’re coming up on Kīpahulu Visitor Center, the starting point for coastal walks and the Pīpīwai waterfall hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Road to Hana Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Bat in the Evening Sky
- Wailua Falls from the Bridge
- Where the Lava Went
- Kukui: The Tree That Gave Light
- 48 audio storiesacross Road to Hana’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Hawaiian Monk Seal, Green Sea Turtle, Frigatebird, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 13 trails, 39 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Kahakai Trail
The coastal connectorKahakai is an easy, mown-grass coastal connector from Kīpahulu Campground to Kūloa Point Trail.
Kahakai is an easy, mown-grass coastal connector from Kīpahulu Campground to Kūloa Point Trail. The park’s plan describes about 0.3 mile one way; allow 15–30 minutes. Some descriptions use a quarter-mile for the shoreline leg, while a short loop back by campground road is about half a mile. The open coast brings ocean views, but there is no beach access. Public maps differ on the exact line through the visitor-center area, so follow posted trail signs at that junction.
Shore and cultural featuresThe route follows a rugged, wave-battered coast and passes a historic wall and other old stone…
The route follows a rugged, wave-battered coast and passes a historic wall and other old stone sites. Their names and dates are not established in the sources checked. Stay on the mown trail and leave the stones undisturbed; there are no formal safe viewing platforms along this shore.
Access and nearby amenitiesStart at the parking area marked for Kahakai Trail and walk-in campsites at Kīpahulu…
Start at the parking area marked for Kahakai Trail and walk-in campsites at Kīpahulu Campground, on the seaward side of Hāna Highway. The route ends at Kūloa Point Trail; return the way you came or use the campground road for the short circuit. A separate visitor-center comfort station has water and flush toilets; the campground has vault toilets but no water or showers. Bring food and fuel before entering the district. Park admission is required, and the three-day pass also covers the Summit District. Pets are prohibited on park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Road to Hana
10 sightingsHawaiian Monk SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
127 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
86 sightingsFrigatebirdMost seen around noonSighting map
17 sightingsRed-footed BoobyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
73 sightingsNene (Hawaiian Goose)Most seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsHawaiian StiltMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Road to Hana. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
