Update
NPF Grants Over $1 Million to National Rivers and Trails
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Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail
Rosa Say / Flickr
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail
I believe Hawaii is the most precious jewel in the world.
Paradise of the Pacific
Come explore the 175-mile trail network of Ala Kahakai. The Hawai'ian coast is waiting for you.
Established in 2000 for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of traditional Native Hawai'ian culture and natural resources, Ala Kahakai offers visitors a trail network of cultural and historical significance to explore.
Translated to mean 'trail by the shoreline', Ala Kahakai takes you on a 175-mile journey through the hidden treasures of Hawai'i. Once the prehistoric ala loa (long trail), the network of trails that makes up Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail follows the natural contours of the land and exhibits a variety of construction methods and materials across the sandy shores and lava flows of the island.
Traversing through hundreds of ancient Hawai'ian settlement sites and over 200 ahupua'a (traditional land divisions), Ala Kahakai trail segments are managed by community-based, descendant led teams dedicated to protecting significant natural areas and ecosystems, as well as Hawai'ian culture. Ala Kahakai can be unofficially accessed through sections within the four national parks on the island of Hawai'i: Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, and Pu'ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. The section of the Ala Kahakai Trail under Hawai'i State Na Ala Hele jurisdiction is open for public use.