Okolehao Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Views · Wildlife

Be careful on the road approaching the parking lot as it is very narrow and with soft shoulders. This trail is consistently muddy throughout, and in some sections, it is VERY slippery.

Stop into the town of Hanalei when you're done for lunch, a drink, and some shopping in the surf shops.

Start by parking in the small parking lot or on the street, then head over the irrigation ditch on the small bridge. Grab a stick from the (enormous) pile left there by previous hikers. This trail alternates between moderate and very steep sections. There are several great lookout points along the trail overlooking Princeville, Hanalei Bay, and the surrounding ridges and some falls.

It was very muddy on the day we went despite not having seen rain for a couple of days. Expect mud when you go—goopy, slippery, staining mud. This trail is consistently muddy throughout, and in some sections, it is VERY slippery. In some sections, grabbing a nearby sapling, using the rope a local installed, and/or clinging to your stick will be useful or necessary. As we ascended, the mud transitioned from slippery and annoying to deep, squishy, and depressing, so we turned back before the end of the trail.

Experience a great sample of all the local flora as it feels like hiking through a proper jungle. We didn't see a ton of wildlife—the forest is very dense and the hillsides quite steep. We DID see a group of locals returning from a hunt with a wild pig on one of their backs. Much more confident folk than us!