Hiking the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 2.0 - 3.5 miles / 3.2 - 5.6 km
The Kaiwi Shoreline Trail on the east side of Oʻahu is a coastal hike similar to that of Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu’s North Shore or the ʻŌhai Loop Trail on Maui, except that very few hikers explore the trail in its entirety.
By this, I mean that people typically only hike the very beginnings from either trailhead, whether by starting from Makapuʻu Point to Alan Davis Beach or Kaloko Beach through the Kaiwi Restoration Area.
This explains why the distance above is so variable, as it entirely depends on which trailhead you choose to begin and how far you decide to hike.
Kaiwi Coastline Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Kaiwi Coastline Trail is located at either Kaloko Beach or the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trailhead.
That being said, the parking lot for Kaloko Beach is not suitable for low-clearance vehicles, and expect the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trailhead to be very busy because of the trail’s popularity among visitors.
Google Maps Directions: Kaloko Beach / Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trailhead
My Hawaiʻi Hiking Checklist
Hiking the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail
On this hike, I chose to begin from the Kaloko Beach Trailhead and hike toward Makapuʻu.
In any case, you can either explore the Kaiwi Restoration Area adjacent to Kaloko Beach by going right at the sign, or take the path to the left of the sign to continue on the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail.
Kaiwi Restoration Area
The Kaiwi Restoration Area is a great place to see and learn about a variety different native Hawaiian plants, such as ʻIlima, Naupaka, Mauʻu ʻakiʻaki, and Pāʻū o Hiʻiaka, to truly only name a few.
After making it to the end of Kaloko Beach, the trail simply loops back around to the beginning in order to continue further on the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail.
Kaiwi Shoreline Trail
Once back at the Kaiwi Shoreline Trailhead, go right to continue toward Alan Davis Beach and the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail, which will lead to this historic bridge to continue further.
That being said, the number of turns required to stay on the correct trail can be very confusing. Therefore, I recommend using Google Maps satellite or following along with this article, as the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail is not very straightforward to get to Alan Davis Beach.
At the split past the bridge, go right then right again.
Then, at this split, you can either go right to explore the beach or left to continue toward Alan Davis Beach.
Kaloko Inlet
The tide truly determines if you should follow the inlet here or not.
However, to avoid it altogether, go left when you first arrive at the inlet, and then go right on the service road to continue toward Alan Davis Beach.
If you choose to avoid the inlet, then go right on this less-obvious trail.
That being said, the service road going straight will still lead to Alan Davis Beach, but the hike is much less scenic compared to returning to the shoreline as I have shown in the photos below.
After reaching the far extension of the inlet in the photo above, go right at the split immediately following.
At this point, the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail to Alan Davis is much more straightforward than the beginning sections, as there are no more turns on the trail to remember.
Alan Davis Beach (Kahoʻohaihai)
Compared to Sandy and Makapuʻu Beach, located just down the road, Alan Davis Beach feels like a hidden gem, as so few visitors make the short 0.25-mile (0.4 km) hike over here from the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail.
Past Alan Davis Beach, the go right to continue on the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail to the paved Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail, or left to follow the service road around the Kaloko Inlet to the Kaloko Beach Trailhead.
Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
When hiking from south to north, the end of the Kaʻiwi Shoreline Trail is the paved Makapuʻu Point Lighhouse and Tide Pools Trail.
That being said, you can read about both of these separate adventures using the links below.
Read My Separate Posts: Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail / Makapuʻu Tide Pools Trail
Native Plants on the Kaiwi Coast
Aside from native Hawaiian plants, the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail is one of the best places on Oʻahu to see the endemic Hylaeus bees!
With that in mind, know that they are tiny (about half a centimeter long), and their yellow face is only about the size of a grain of sand.
As for native Hawaiian plants, I mentioned a few that can be seen in the Kaiwi Restoration Area, but you can also find ʻĀkulikuli, Naio, Maʻo, and Pōhuehue, to name a few more.
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
