Kukui Trail

Jun 11, 2007 7:52PM

Unlike any other trail on Kauai - feels like you are hiking on the Mainland because you never see the ocean. Be ready for the brutal climb back out of the valley!!!

Dec 03, 2007 6:01AM

My wife and I hiked this trail on Christmas Day in 2005. If you ever found yourself standing at the Waimea Canyon lookout with all the other tourists and thinking, "I wonder if you can hike down to that river valley way at the bottom," then this trail is for you. The hike down is not too bad. The only things you need worry about are the sun (there is very little tree cover most of the way down). I should also note that there is a point relatively early on on the way down where the trail gets pretty narrow and might cause some folks some hesitancy. I'm fairly certain you are no more frightful than me, and I was able to get through this narrow spot. It's narrow, but it only lasts for 4 or 5 strides. Once you get past it, the rest of the hike down is a snap.

When you get near the bootom you enter dense tree cover. It's really pretty and we wish we had more time to wander through it, but we were there to see the river and head back. The river was unseasonably low, so we got to sit on a rock right in the middle of it. Really enjoyed that. The mosquitos down by the river can be a bit of a bother (not sure if this is always the case, but there were plenty of mosquitos when we were there). The best way to get away from the mosquitos is to head back to higher elevation. That's what we did. The hike back up is as difficult as the hike down is easy (you know how that works). My thighs were killing me by the time we made it back to the top. Definitely one of the best workouts I have gotten on a hike. The hike was worth the effort though. The views along this trail are not as stunningly pretty as those on Nualolo or the Kalalau Trail, but this is one of the only trails that allows you to get down into the canyon's bottom and look back up at all the tourists who only get to see the vantage point from up top.

Apr 16, 2008 11:47PM

Great Views. We saw lots of goats. Not the worst trail I've been on, but not the best either. It appears to be somewhat maintained. I'll do it again someday.

Apr 27, 2008 1:20AM

I hiked this trail yesterday, and it was dry all the way. Some spots were steeper than others and so a little more slippery due to loose dirt or gravel, but otherwise OK. The trail at the lower level close to and in the forested area need some serious trimming, but nothing sharp that would scratch a hiker. Mosquitos appear in this area all the way to the rover's edge, but as long as one keeps moving, there is no problem. The river was calm and could be a great place to take a swim. The hike back up was a great workout, and fortunately there was little sun to make things uncomfortable.