Hiking the Kahaualeʻa Trail on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi
Distance (Roundtrip): 7.6 miles / 12.2 km
The Kahaualeʻa Trail, also known as the Captain’s Trail, is a weird trail. I don’t know how else to say it.
If there’s ever a trail where you ask yourself, 'What am I doing?' or 'What’s the point of this hike?' that’s Kahaualeʻa. If there’s also ever a trail where I felt like I could go hiking and never be seen again, it’s Kahaualeʻa.
That being said, I chose to hike the Kahaualeʻa Trail because there is so little information about the hike online. It left me curious, but needless to say, this was not a trail that I should have started with less than two and a half hours of daylight, and I know myself to be a very good and very fast Hawaiʻi hiker.
The entire Kahaualeʻa Trail traverses through a very thick, poorly marked rainforest, and yes, there are unmarked turns! On top of this, as I was hiking, I just kept getting a weird feeling about the forest in my gut because within the first two miles of the trailhead, I passed someone else’s trash and clothes draped across the trees. I am aware that there can be some not-so-safe people who live off-grid on the Big Island.
However, I kept pushing further and further because I was tracking the hike very meticulously, only to learn that the posted 3.4 mile (5.5 km) one-way distance was wrong! When I reached 3.4 miles (5.5 km), I was a frustrated, confused because of the turns, and also determined to finish the trail since I felt that I was so close. I’m also positive that I recorded one of my more accurate distances because I was moving so fast.
Overall, I’m not sure that I recommend hiking Kahaualeʻa, and I say this knowing full and well that I hiked the trail in very ideal weather. Other than the forest getting so dark because I was hiking way too late in the day, this area of the Big Island can get very rainy, and there were large muddy areas, even with the rainforest being so dry.
Kahaualeʻa Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Kahaualeʻa Trail is located at the very end of Cook’s Drive off of Highway 11.
Out of caution, do not leave bags or any valuables visible in your car. Don’t take what I said above to think that my thoughts about the trail mean that parking here is unsafe, but in my experience, trailheads in areas that are poorly trafficked usually have the most problems in Hawaiʻi. Areas with high amounts of foot traffic tend to deter would-be thieves.
Google Maps Directions: Kahaualeʻa Trailhead
Hiking the Kahaualeʻa Trail
Overall, the Kahaualeʻa Trail has no noticeable elevation change.
However, the winding trail through the dense forest is more challenging than anything else in my opinion. But if it’s raining or has been recently raining, the mud on Kahaualeʻa may present another challenge.
I fully recognize that any one of these photos doesn’t distinguish certain points of the trail from another, but at the least, try to take mental notes of the two turns later in this post.
This is just one out of a number large cracks to watch out for along the trail. I couldn’t see the bottom on any of these cracks.
Kahaualeʻa Emergency Helipad Junction
The emergency helicopter pad is the only mental halfway checkpoint on Kahaualeʻa.
I didn’t go explore the helipad because I felt that time wasn’t on my side, but it doesn’t surprise me that people may get in trouble back here.
Unmarked Turn 1
I can only hope that this trail, meaning these turns, will become better marked in the future. Please comment below if they do.
In any case, go left at the first split to reach the Kahaualeʻa lava flow.
Unmarked Turn 2
Then, not long after the first turn, the Kahaualeʻa comes to another unmarked junction.
Go right at this second split to reach the lava flow and the Puʻu ʻŌʻō viewpoint.
After the second turn, there is one more earth crack to watch out for.
This last one may have been the most hidden, as it was the most overgrown in my experience.
Kahaualeʻa Lava Flow
With almost no warning, the Kahaualeʻa Rainforest comes to an abrupt end at the Kahaualeʻa lava flow from 2014.
Kahaualeʻa Lava Flow (Puʻu ʻŌʻō)
When I reached the Kahaualeʻa lava flow, it was honestly hard to tell myself why I chose to hike the Kahaualeʻa Trail. I think I was hoping to see the coastal view that may be visible closer to Puʻu ʻŌʻō.
According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), venturing across the Kahaualeʻa lava flow to Puʻu ʻŌʻō is off-limits, as special permissions are required from the National Park Service to explore Puʻu ʻŌʻō.
Second Turn (First on the Return Hike)
As the sun was getting lower and lower on my return hike, these two turns were trickier than I imagined to find again.
Remember to go left at the first split to stay on the Kahaualeʻa Trail.
First Turn (Second on the Return Hike)
It was this first turn, or second turn, on the return hike that was the trickiest to find. I ended up taking some wrong spur trail for a second before realizing it wasn’t correct.
Remember, at this first turn, second on the way back, to go right to keep on Nā Ala Hele trail.
Native Plants on the Kahaualeʻa Trail
The Kahaualeʻa Trail starts off through a very non-native and invasive forest filled with Strawberry Guava and Koster's Curse, to name a few species.
However, as the trail moves deeper into the rainforest, Kahaualeʻa becomes more and more native, with species like ʻŌhiʻa, Hāpuʻu, Kanawao, ʻIeʻie, Maua, Uluhe, and ʻŌlapa, to truly name only a few.
If you would like to learn more about these and tons of other native plants from across the islands, I encourage you to read more in my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
