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Kaʻena Point Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,977 Google reviews · Running trail in Waialua, Hawaii · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- 3.5 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Kaʻena Point Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
3.5-mile hiking & biking path on a former railroad bed & dirt road amid dramatic coastal scenery.
What runners say about Kaʻena Point Trail
“Walking along the rocks and coast is beautiful however the road path has been chopped up by big four-wheel-drives which is not unexpected.”
“I hiked during cool weather, but there is little to no shade so keep that in mind when planning the hike.”
I am rating this trail between moderate and hard, trending towards hard because although the terrain is flat, the complete lack of cover from the sun made it quite challenging, heat-wise. When there was cloud cover the heat was fine.
Beautiful Hike. Be prepared to hike 3.5 miles one way to reach the point. Some seals were on small hidden beaches & seals were also on the rocks at the point. The point is fenced in to protect the albatross. If you want to see the albatross, you need to walk beyond the fence. Plenty of them roosting on the ground.
Nice trail to go hiking. Its relatively hot compared to most of the island. Its fun to look inthe tide pools and find wildlife. Mostly crabs and small fish but still fun. Very quiet and away from other people is what's nicest.
My husband and I absolutely loved this hike. It is technically easy and mostly flat the whole way. You are in the sun for the entire 6 miles so bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water. The breezes coming off the water kept it from being too hot which was nice.
Trail conditions & character
“Walking along the rocks and coast is beautiful however the road path has been chopped up by big four-wheel-drives which is not unexpected.”
“However, it is relatively flat as it's along the coast so it's not too physically challenging, as long as you can navigate a couple of smaller hills.”
“Make sure you start heading back to the parking lot around 6 though as the parking lot closes at 7 and you might get locked in, towed and/or fined”
“I hiked during cool weather, but there is little to no shade so keep that in mind when planning the hike.”
“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Check it out 😉👍🌺🌴🥥 caution the terrain is kind of rocky where comfortable shoes.”
Plan your run at Kaʻena Point Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Distance3.5 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitedlnr.hawaii.gov
- Phone(808) 587-0300
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–7 PM |
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