Wai Koa Loop Trail

Kilauea, Hawaii

3.3/5
based on 4 reviews

Details

Distance

3.95 miles

Elevation Gain

384 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Dan Deublein

Adventure through a majestic mahogany forest along the Wai Koa Loop Trail to see the historic Kilauea Stone Damn built in the 1880's!

The trailhead is located next to the Kauai North Shore Dog Park, off Kahiliholo Road Highway near the Malama Kaui Community Farm & Kalihiwai Community Garden. A Waiver for the trail is no longer required. There is plenty of parking and the trail is open to the public from 9am to dusk. There is no charge unless you wish to rent mountain bikes. 

The footpath, which can be very muddy, starts at the bottom of the hill below the Kauai Mini Golf course. You will begin your hike through the largest Mahogany Forest located within the United States. Be sure to keep a look out for wild roosters, chickens and boars!

The trail will then open up to majestic lush green fields where you can appreciate the Hanalei and Namahana Mountains. Shortly after, you will arrive at a beautiful lily pond, an ideal place for a short break. 

Eventually you will reach the breathtaking beauty of the historic stone dam. There are lush green gardens, walking paths that cross small bridges and the gentle sound of trickling streams. The large stone dam was constructed in 1881 and holds 10 million gallons of water. You can hike to the backside of the damn where you will find a rope swing and enjoy swimming in the fresh waters of Kauai. 

From the rope swing, the trail will continue back as you complete the loop. You will arrive back at the trailhead and more than likely will require a good shower from the mud!

NOTE: When passing through private property easements and right-of-ways it is very important to stay on the path and respect posted guidance. Local officials and private landowners work in partnership to provide public access to this area. Staying on the path while on private property will keep everyone happy and help this trail remain open to the public in the future.

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Features

Photography
Fitness
Running
Hiking
Bathrooms
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Food Nearby
Forest
River
Romantic
Scenic
Wildflowers
Wildlife
Waterfalls
Swimming Holes

Wai Koa Loop Trail Reviews

This trail is easy and offers great views, but it has been closed since April 2018.

This was a long hike, flat hike and I feel like I didn't really get anything out of it. It actually felt like a waste of time. I think this is better suited for people 65 and older and that's exactly who we saw walking around here. The only cool part was the old dam and that is nothing compared to the many other amazing a beautiful places Kauai has to offer.

This is a nice walk through a Mahogany forest and over to a very cool old damn. Its cool to see the perfect rows of trees that have been planted along with some large old growth trees mixed in. The only downsize is that there's no bathrooms along the way so I ended up hurrying the last 2 miles.

This trail has some very pretty scenery. Would have liked to have swam in the river up above the dam but there were a ton of signs about getting sick so I didn't want to risk it. I like that the trail had a lot of signs talking about the area.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Secret Beach

Hike to the Waterfalls at Kauai's Secret Beach

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Scramble the Okolehao Ridge Trail

Hike to Turtle Cave