Hiking the Kaunala Loop Trail on the North Shore of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 5.4 miles / 8.7 km
The Kaunala Trail in Pūpūkea, on the North Shore of Oʻahu, is a favorite among locals for being a quiet, relaxing, and, most of all, beautiful trail—much like the ʻAiea Loop Trail in central Oʻahu, but with far fewer visitors in comparison!
For this reason, on most weekdays during the late afternoon/ evening hours, one can expect to see a number of North Shore residents out for a workout on Kaunala, being that it’s one of the best local hikes to enjoy a nice trail run.
This is exactly why I love the Kaunala Loop Trail, as the trail makes for a nice run or hike—depending on the section—while Pūpūkea Road is a fun, beautiful part of the loop to run back down to the beginning.
That said, if you’re interested in learning more about other great trail runs across Oʻahu, I encourage you to read more in my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Best Oʻahu Trail Runs
Kaunala Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Kaunala Trail is located at the very end of Pūpūkea Road on the North Shore.
There is no designated parking lot for the Kaunala Trail, but since it is typically a very untrafficked hike, finding a place to park nearby on Pūpūkea Road should never be an issue.
Google Maps Directions: Kaunala Trailhead
My Hawaiʻi Hiking Checklist
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Kaunala Trail
From the parking area, the Kaunala Trail begins further up Pūpūkea Road, where the trailhead will be marked once you pass the gate up ahead.
Kaunala Trailhead
After the gate, walk up Pūpūkea Road for about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) until you come to the split for the Kaunala Trail on the left-hand side.
Kaunala Loop Trail
This area in the photo below is where the Kaunala Trail splits, and you either have the option of hiking further up the road to do the upper loop first or heading left at the trailhead sign to hike the lower loop first.
If this is you first time on Kaunala, I recommend going left here on the lower 'half' of Kaunala because there is one turn that can be very easy to miss if you’re hiking in the other direction.
Lower Kaunala Loop
The lower half of the Kaunala Loop is truly the only part of the trail that is a trail.
By this, I mean that the upper half is more roads than trails that circle back to this split in the beginning.
As you can see, the elevation changes on the Kaunala Trail are very mild, which is why I believe it is one of the better trails to run on Oʻahu.
Go right at this turn, and the trail will become more defined shortly after.
This is one of the best viewpoints on the Kaunala Trail.
Note that the trail heading up from the valley is not the Kaunala Trail, but it actually continues behind where this was taken.
As you can see here, the uppermost portion of the lower loop is almost always a little overgrown.
However, I don’t think that hiking in pants is necessary because this section of the trail is typically very short.
Just prior to the upper 'half' of the hike, the Kaunala Trail will make this hard left turn.
Upper Kaunala Loop
This turn is one I previously mentioned that could be easy to miss if you’re hiking in the other direction.
However, if you’re hiking in the direction shown here, go right to continue around the Kaunala Loop Trail.
Once on the upper loop, the rest of the Kaunala Trail follows two different roads that loop back to the beginning.
This open area in the photo below is the highest point on the Kaunala Loop Trail at about 1,400 ft. (427 m).
This gate may or may not be open.
In either case, go right at the next junction, which is the same Pūpūkea Road from the beginning of the hike.
Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
As a side note for the KST, no part of the Kaunala Trail is a part of the Koʻolau Summit, with the exception of Pūpūkea Road.
That being said, the true summit trail begins further up Pūpūkea Road from this junction, but I strongly advise against hiking any portion of the KST unless you know exactly what you are getting into.
The KST is the hardest hike in Hawaiʻi.
Read My Separate Post: Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
This is point of Pūpūkea Road that completes the loop with the Kaunala Trail from earlier.
Native Plants on the Kaunala Trail
The Kaunala Trail is a relatively low-elevation trail, meaning that it’s predominantly covered in non-native/ invasive plants, like Eucalyptus and Strawberry Guava. However, there is surprisingly a high amount of native diversity on this hike, even though the Hawaiian natives may not be in numbers.
Some of these include ʻŌhiʻa lehua, Kōpiko, ʻAhakea, ʻIliahi, Uluhe, and Maile, to name a few.
If you would like to know more about these and tons of 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
More Oʻahu Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing Oʻahu adventures, check out my separate posts below!
Best Hotels & Restaurants in Waikīkī
If you’re trying to decided where to stay on Oʻahu, check out my top 10 list for the best resorts and restaurants in Waikīkī.
I break down what makes one hotel a better choice over another, so that you can find the best fit for your stay on the island.
Read My Separate Post: Best Waikīkī Hotels & Restaurants
Waikīkī
HNL Airport-Hotel Shuttle
Prices on ride-share apps like Uber/ Lyft cannot beat the price of booking your hotel shuttle prior to arrival. I say this because there are additional fees for ride-share airport pick-ups at Honolulu Airport (HNL), which is why I recommend booking your transportation in advance using the options below.
Additionally, the last option below will go as far as the Ko ʻOlina Resorts on the West Side and Turtle Bay on Oʻahu’s North Shore!
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Oʻahu
Visiting Other Islands
If you are visiting Oʻahu or heading to another island, check out some of my personal recommendations for Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island) in these separate posts.
If you’re trying to decide which island is right for your visit, check out my overview about each island in the post below.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Hawaiian Island to Visit?
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
The weather in Hawaiʻi can often appear to be warm and beautiful throughout the year, but in my experience, there is a lot more to consider when planning what time of year to visit the islands, such as what island you are considering, what sides of each island do you plan to stay, what activities are you most interested in, the wildlife, and countless other nuanced variables that can all impact the type of trip you can expect to have.
For these reasons, I highly recommend reading through my separate article to not only understand my thoughts regarding the best time of year to come to Hawaiʻi but also what you need to consider based on the time of year that you plan to visit.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
10 Best Tours & Excursions on Oʻahu
There are a lot of different tour options to choose from on Oʻahu, but to make it easier to decide, I made a list of my favorite tours because some things simply are better with a local guide!
Read My Separate Post: Best Tours on Oʻahu
Oʻahu
Safety
All hikes in Hawaiʻi should not be compared to trails outside of the islands, and hikers should exercise due caution on every adventure, given that many are extremely dangerous.
By this, I mean that Hawaiʻi is known for hot, humid weather, steep, dramatic, and unstable cliffs, and flash floods, which can occur without warning. Therefore, it is important that you check the local forecast, understand the physical condition of your entire group, and pack sufficient food and water before attempting any adventure.
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