Pihea Trail

Jun 11, 2007 7:48PM

Pihea is super easy and wide open (no bushwacking). The views of Kalalau valley are truly breathtaking - if there are clouds just wait around for them to clear because Hawaiian trade winds push weather over the ridge. It's super cool when you are in the clouds then it just opens up all of a sudden.

Jun 26, 2007 2:00PM

We hiked this yesterday and the road is now open and nicely paved all the way to the end.

Jul 07, 2007 6:11PM

The views were amazing! A little hard to find without an open ranger station. The trails were very muddy and steep, but we loved every minute of it!

Oct 03, 2007 4:56AM

My husband and I are going to Kauai at the end of October and we are really excited about the hiking opportunities. Neither of us is an experienced hiker, but we love the outdoors and are in good physical shape. Could you possibly recommend a type/brand of shoes that we could purchase and break in before our trip that would be best for us to do a considerable amount of hiking while we are there? Thanks for any suggestions!

Oct 08, 2007 7:11AM

Thanks! You totally saved me from getting the wrong shoes. I ended up with the Merrell Chameleon (womens), which are SO comfy. Luckily enough the shoe salesman was born and raised on Oahu, so he was super helpful! I can't wait to hit the trails, and this website rocks!

Oct 20, 2007 9:44AM

could someone please tell me how I can get to this trail from Poipu?

Nov 15, 2007 7:27PM

Looking forward to celebrating 24 years of marraige in December 07 trip. Would like to go on this hike but was wondering how steep is the trail and how long is the hike. We are in fair condition from a high altitude state (Colorado). Would you recommend this hike for us? Love your website!

Nov 29, 2007 10:34AM

I wouldn't recommend this as a hike to celebrate a marriage. I would go out to the Kilohana lookout at the end of the Alakai swamp trail, or I would do the Honopu ridge trail. The honopu ridge trail ending has one of the most spectacular views I have found on the island. It really rivals what you see in a helicopter, believe it or not!

Feb 03, 2008 2:12PM

Scott,
I've always wanted to do the Honopu ridge trail, but all the guidebooks say the trail is closed, but kept up by volunteers. How was it when you went? I'll be on Kauai for 2 weeks next summer and would love to do this for a dayhike. thanks for your input.

Feb 28, 2008 3:38PM

We were here EARLY in the morning. Got on the trail and enjoyed the sights that disappeared under the clouds just before noon. This hike rates at the top of some of our most memorable hikes. Just wish we had more time.

Feb 29, 2008 6:42PM

Did this hike in Jan. 08. Turned back, at the junction of the Alakai swamp trail - about 1.7 miles. The day was beautiful but (word of caution) it was VERY muddy and slippery on the trail. Pretty steep in places, harder down than up, of course. Five of us went, all different levels of experience, me being the least experienced. But, I have to say, I LOVED every minute of it. The closest to heaven you can get - absolutely gorgeous. Went back and did the Alakai Swamp Trail two days later. Beautiful hikes.

Mar 29, 2008 4:16AM

just hiked this today. View is spectacular. It's one mile to the Pihea Vista and one mile back but with the mini stops along the way to find our footings and catch our breath, it took 2 hours! Well worth it though. I felt like a rock climber!

Apr 01, 2008 7:49PM

we have a 4 year old and a 6 year old who are avid hikers. they have great endurance and great balance...but they are young. can they do this? how long is the drive from lihue? i believe that will be hardest part for these two kids who would rather be on their feet than sitting in the back seat of a car! thanks, in advance.

May 12, 2008 5:35PM

Hello, we will be visiting Kauai in June and would like to hike a bit. Is Pihea do-able with 3 children, ages 10, 7 and 3 1/2? Thanks

Jun 03, 2008 3:18AM

How do you get there from Kappa

Jul 01, 2008 11:09PM

has anyone been onthe honopu trail lately. i will be there in late july and really want to do this trail. is it in decent enuf shape to enjoy w/out getting lost ? thx.

Jul 14, 2008 12:22AM

Great Website!!! Our family never hiked before, can we do this trail? Do we have to get special hiking shoes, or would ordinary shoes be okay? Children ages are 12 and 7.

Jul 26, 2008 6:43PM

Where is the best birding on Kauai? Are there scheduled birding trips? Birding guides?

Aug 08, 2008 2:20AM

Hi:
Just returned from Hawaii. Great trip! First day in Kauai, we hiked the Pihea Trail. My wife and 14 year old daughter went too. Not that I am a whimp but, that hike to the end was tough! You have correctly labeled this trail as 2.1 miles (one way) but the Park Service has it labeled as 1 mile out and 1 mile back. It's a tough 4 mile hike. I would call it a tough moderate. On the other hand, it all depends upon the weather. If that trail gets wet, then all bets are off! Wet it's a difficult ++. That trail reminds me of the old stories of my depression parents that walked to school up hill both ways. On this trail you start out going down hill and end up hiking up hill at the end. It's the same thing on the return trip. Heavy tree roots, pot holes and mud! I made it to the brass trail marker but, I was determined. Wife and daughter bailed out about 3/4 of the way and I heard about the tough hike for the rest of the 2 week trip. Frankly, I thought it was a character builder but, the family felt otherwise. Great views! Beautiful hike! Not for the casual family outting.

At one point the clouds traveled through a break in the trail. It's like a notch in the mountains. The clouds passed through at 50 mile per hour, very cool! I loved it!

Aug 15, 2008 7:34PM

This web-site is fantastic! A big mahalo to everyone who has posted their amazing exepriences. I have been to kauai twice, but have not hiked there yet. Do you have any info for the lodge/cabins at Koke'e. We are going first week of Oct & staying in the north, but its 2 hour drive around the island, we would be interested in spending one nite in Koke'e to take advantage of a full day of hiking.

Sep 01, 2008 4:42PM

my family and i are traveling to kauai in january. we are not hikers by any means, but, we want to hike none the less. please help with any trails that you think we novice's would enjoy.

Oct 24, 2008 4:43PM

My wife and I took the Pihea Trail hike on Sept 19, 2008 and it was a fantastic experience. We went to the Pihea Vista and must say the last portion of the hike (after the boardwalks) to get to the Vista was very rough, steep and muddy. It was a challenge and the view once we got there wasn't worth the effort but the challenge of the trail was. If not interested in the trail challenge, when you hit the boardwalk on the trail, you've seen the best view of the Kalalau Valley. I highly recommend the hike.

Nalani Brun

Jan 02, 2009 10:21PM

Pihea is wide and slick right now but doable. Just have to watch your step. The path has a lot of hard clay so "burning rubber" occurs if you don't have good hiking shoes. Beautiful views as always!

Barry and Michelle

Jan 08, 2009 11:45PM

We loved the hike up to Pihea. It was late afternoon and while the clouds shrouded the valley much of the time, we were still able to catch clear views from time to time that are stunning and worth the wait. The last 1/4 of the hike up is challenging and on the muddy side in places right now. We're both in decent shape and experienced hikers...it was challenging enough to be fun without ever being too tricky. On the way back we unsuspectingly took the wrong fork in the trail and ended up going 150 yds or so before thinking it wasn't the right trail due to the different "boardwalk" that, we later found out, leads down to the Alika'i Swamp. Good thing we noticed when we did otherwise we could have been hiking a relatively slippery and technical trail at night. A good reminder to take cautionary provisions (light, etc.) if there's ANY chance you're going to be out later than expected.

Jan 18, 2009 5:06AM

Hey there. My sweetie and I took this trail out towards the Alakai Swamp with my four year old. We're not what you'd call typical hikers. I have serious injuries that have me walking with braces and a cane, my four year old is a spitfire pilot reincarnated, and my sweetie is a pretty active forty something. We tried this twice, and had to turn back the first day due to extreme fog and slippery rainy weather. The second time, we managed to make it about 1.7 miles in before turning around, and by the time we had made it back to the parking lot, me and the kiddo were done. It was a grand experience, I must have taken 300 photos, and the kid enjoyed it as much as I. A word to parents though: I kept him on a leash/rope harness the whole time, and he still terrified me going near the edges. NOT FOR SMALL WILD CHILDREN without CLOSE supervision. On a hiking scale for the somewhat crippled, it was a definite 7 on a scale of 1-10 hardness, 10 being fahgetaboutit. I'm glad I did it though, was worth the pain, and in my younger less battered years, it would have been a piece of cake. Beautiful trail, well worth the hassle.

Feb 11, 2009 8:33PM

Hi, this is a question not so much about trails but accomodation. We are a family from Germany and will come to Kauai in August. As we like to do some hikes in the northern part of the island and we are looking for a nice and not to expansive accomodation there. Anybody who has an idea? We are two adults and our 7 year old son.
Mahalo!

Mar 24, 2009 7:03PM

Great Website! Will be walking Pihea in a week! Is Pihea overlook of the Kalalau valley before or after the intersection with Alakai trail? How long is the total round trip if you take Pihea to the Alakai intersection and then Alakai to Kilohana overlook? How long would that "combo" hike take at a moderate but steady pace? Thanks!

May 16, 2009 10:56PM

I am currently in Kauai and would love to see the forest on foot. I am 58 yrs old female and not in great shape. I get winded climbing but can do it if I stop and rest. Are there any hikes that are guided that would meet my needs. Please reply asap.

thanks

Jun 22, 2009 7:22PM

We would like to spend 2-3 days looking for endemic and specialty birds on the Big Island of Hawaii and another 1-2 days looking for endemics & specialties on Kaui. We would like to do this on our return from a bird watching trip in Papua New Guinea, so our exact dates are unknown, but should be sometime after 11 OCT 09 and before 29 OCT 2009.

Please advise as to your availability and recommendations regarding lodging, vehicle rental, etc.



Nancy & Bob Dean

701 58TH Street, NW

Bradenton, FL 34209-1721

Jun 23, 2009 1:43AM

Are there any good trails for viewing sunrises?

Jun 28, 2009 3:13PM

I understand you can't hike all the way to Honopu Beach, but is the Honopu Ridge Trail accessible and if so,would this be a trail you would recommend?

Jul 07, 2009 4:15AM

We are going to Kauai soon and would love to see as much as possible. We will be traveling with a 6 foot 6..290 pound 13 year old that has an size 18 shoe. My concern is safe trails for such a large kid. We are unable to find any shoes that would be suitable for hiking. Just basic sneakers. We are hoping to see some falls and swimming holes? What would be the best way to travel if hiking is out?

Aug 03, 2009 3:37AM

Great work staff. I wanted to do some camping this time around. Hanakapiai, not Kalalau. Kokee, and various beaches: secret, lumahai, polihale, anahola, hideaways. How does the permit thing work? Do I need a permit for every place I want to camp? got a number? cost? Do you know anyone who could drop me off on Honopu and swoop me up the next day? Thanks again for all your great work/suggestions.

Sep 06, 2009 3:40PM

My boyfriend is 6'5" and his legs went to sleep when we kayaked the Hanalei River. I think the 13-year-old with the big feet would be better on terra firma or trying surfing. My suggestion for finding all the great trails is the Kauai Trailblazer guidebook since it has so many safety tips and includes water hazzards. We were there last April.

Oct 21, 2009 3:17AM

My gf and I did the Pihea vista hike today and it was spectacular! The views along the ridge are unbeatable and the weather was fantastic up there. The trail looks as though it would be really slippery in some sections when rains come, but for us the trail was dry and firm. I would recommend avoiding the trail during rain unless you have good hiking shoes and possibly trekking poles. If you take the side trip to the vista, be advised the last 100ft before the is quite steep, requiring good footing and use of roots and trees for support. The views along the trail were generally better than at the vista due to the overgrowth of bush around the viewpoint. When you reach the viewpoint you can go another 50ft past the marker, through the trees, for a nice view of the next ridge and valleys to the north. Great short and sweet hike!

Oct 30, 2009 3:33AM

We hiked this trail today and out toward/through the swamp. It was very cloudy when we got to Waimea Canyon, (even early in the morning) and we couldn't see anything. Rather than go home, we decided to hike this trail. It was drizzling and very slippery. We weren't prepared for the length of the trail and couldn't see anything. It was very relaxing while we were out in nature, but the views were clouds right in front of us. Definitely skip it on a rainy/cloudy day.

Nov 12, 2009 11:14PM

Agree with Andy. Easier hike than most, but can't see anything when it's clouded in and the trail gets quite slick in the rain. Can imagine great views when it's sunny though!

Dec 02, 2009 8:59AM

I hiked this trail today.Good luck best weather you could imagine.Hiked over to Alaka`i Swump Trail and Kilohana Lookover.GREAT!!!Wear good shoes and just go for it!

Byron

Jan 21, 2010 4:47PM

Love the website, very informative. My fiance and I will be going to Kauai for our honeymoon in July. We are flying in 5 day before our check in date at the resort. We are wanting to hike all the way around the island hitting the various camp grounds. I can't find any information about if any trails connect to get through going from south to north on the west side. Any suggestions.

Jan 24, 2010 9:45PM

Thanks for the great site. We will be on Kauai in March. The Pihea Trail sounds great. Is there a Honopu Trail or not? I read mixed information. What is the best way to find it? Being from Colorado it sounds like one we would like to try.

Jan 27, 2010 8:18PM

We are going to Kauai in April and wanted to know if there was a way trail into Kalalau Valley? I am experienced cross country hiker and would like your input.

Jan 28, 2010 8:02AM

Hiked the Pihea trail today, and it was very muddy and slippery. My wife and I are enthusiastic hikers if a bit out of practice, and this was well beyond us. We turned back after a mile. Had a great time, took many wonderful pictures, but had to take it really slowly. Heard from someone we met on the trail and then saw again in the parking lot that one person broke an ankle and another broke a wrist while we were on the trail! Not surprising, since half the trail is steep up and down "stairs" of slippery mud. Also, no views of the ocean side the whole time, but lots of nice views of the other side. One of our most amazing experiences of our trip, but definitely a challenge!

Feb 01, 2010 2:52PM

I am coming to Kauai in early August and would like to do the hike from Jurassic park but don't know which one that is, or if it is several different ones.
Can you advise me what I look for and how I go about arranging this?

Feb 03, 2010 10:33PM

Hi, I'm staying on the North shore and am planning on hiking Pihea Trail tomorrow (Thursday). How are the conditions? Muddy, safe? Thanks!

Feb 07, 2010 2:59AM

Is there a Honopu Trail? How do you find it?

Mar 07, 2010 3:58AM

We plan on doing some great hikes on Kauai. Do you recommend we get topo maps before we arrive? Also could you please advise us on this? If you had to choose only one...a grand helicopter tour of Kauai, a day of horseback riding on Kauai, or a boat tour along the Na Pali coast...which would you choose? This is our first trip to Kauai.

Mar 14, 2010 11:01PM

We hiked this trail on March 11th, along with the Alakai Swamp trail. Both trails have beautiful views, great forested areas for birding, and very interesting and lovely plants and other scenery. We took the very steep trail to Pihea vista, which rewards you with an amazing view where you are surrounded by mountains on all sides. We saw a rat up there--very cute, looked like a mouse. We also saw a beautiful red forest bird at Pihea vista. These are amazing trails, but people should be aware that the Pihea trail is really very difficult. It is significantly harder than the first 2 miles of the Kalalau trail. Hiking poles are an absolute must! As a previous poster noted, the Pihea trail is basically a muddy, slippery staircase. It's worth the effort, but be prepared for a strenuous first mile and half or so.

Mar 15, 2010 6:01AM

Lisa, Would you recommend the the first two miles of the Kalalau trail over Pihea for scenery? Did you hike into the falls? Thanks for the feedback.

Mahalo!

Mar 15, 2010 6:02AM

Thank you Lisa. That is good advice. I will make sure we bring the trekking poles. Did you like the Pihea or the Alakai Swamp trail better?

Mar 17, 2010 6:56PM

Jim, Both trails offer beautiful scenery, but I think the Kalalau trail does offer more stunning and majestic scenic views than Pihea. I only hiked to Hanakapi'ai beach, so I can't really speak to the falls. But on the first 2 miles of the Kalalau you have those amazing cliffs, plus the beautiful surf. One of the best views on Pihea is actually the one pictured at the top of this page, and you can see that pretty much from the lookout at the top of Waimea Canyon where the Pihea trail starts. If you go all the way to the end of the Alakai Swamp trail there is supposed to be just an absolutely amazing view, but unfortunately it was cloudy the day we were there. Regarding Alakai versus Pihea, I would pick Alakai, but you have to do Pihea to get to Alakai. I believe you can only access the Alakai trailhead directly with a 4WD vehicle.

Mar 24, 2010 7:06PM

Lisa, You were absolutely right. The Kalalau Trail is the way to go. The trekking poles were helpful. The view from the lookout is great as you start Pihea. It was a cloudy day. Lots of rain last week! Thanks again! Jim

Lisa Elliott

Apr 04, 2010 8:27PM

My husband and I hiked up the trail on Saturday, March 27th. It was a beautiful and clear day. The trail was muddy and the soil compacts into your boot treads which makes it rather slippery (I slipped and fell twice). Poles would have made it easier, but it without them works if you just hang on to the branches and roots sticking out of the ground. It was fun!

Apr 05, 2010 2:28AM

If I was to take Pihea trail and link up with the Alaka‘i Swamp trail, is there camping locations? where can I find a detailed map of these trails/camps on the internet? How long of a hike would it be?

Jun 25, 2010 7:36PM

My wife is a reasonably good hiker but she has some trouble with heights. We are hoping to use this trail to link up with the Alaka'i Swamp trail and don't necessarily need to climb up to the Pihea overlook. As the trail goes around the rim of the Kalakau Valley, does it skirt close to the edge of cliffs, etc., in a way that would be frightening to someone with a fear of heights? Are there any other parts of the trail like that? Thanks, Howard.