contents

acknowledgments / xiii

1

Islands of Adventure / 1

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK / 2 Adventuring by Car / 2 Backpacking Adventures / 3 Day Hiking / 4 Cycling / 5 Mountain Biking / 5 Snorkeling and Diving / 6 Surfing / 7 Windsurfing / 8 Kayaking / 9 Hunting / 9 Fishing / 11 Skiing / 12 Other Adventures / 12 Places to Stay / 12 Maps / 13 THE LIFE, THE LAND, AND THE SEA / 14 The Environment / 14 Flora and Fauna / 16 Hawai‘i and Its People / 21 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW / 25 Culture / 25 Government Structure / 26 Cost of Living / 27 Public Transportation / 27 Telephone Service / 28 Beach Access / 28 Camping / 29 Local Issues / 29 Personal Security / 30 Language / 31 Hawaiian Words Used in This Book / 32 HAWAI‘I’S TWELVE BEST ADVENTURES / 34

2 Hawai‘i Volcanoes from the Sea / 37

ADVENTURING BY CAR / 39 Hilo and the Kalapana Lava Flows / 39 Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park / 44 National Park to Kailua-Kona via South Point / 49 The Gold Coast—Kailua-Kona to Pololû Valley / 53 Waimea and the Hâmâkua Coast / 57 Mauna Kea Summit / 59

vii BACKPACKING ADVENTURES / 62 The Mauna Loa Traverse / 62 Hawai‘i Volcanoes Coastal Loop / 70 Mauna Ulu to the Sea / 74 Waimanu Valley / 77 DAY HIKING / 80 Crater Rim Trail / 80 Kîlauea Iki Loop / 81 Nâpau Crater via the Nâulu Trail / 83 Ka‘aha Trail / 84 New HVNP Coastal Lava Flows / 86 Kahauale‘a Trail to Eruption Source / 86 Kalapana Lava Flows / 87 Waipi‘o Valley / 88 Mauna Loa Summit from the Saddle Road / 90 Mauna Kea Summit / 92 Pu‘u ‘ô‘ô Trail / 95 Captain Cook Monument / 97 Âhole Hôlua Slide / 99 CYCLING / 99 Hilo/Kalapana Lava Flows Loop / 102 Kîlauea Crater Rim Loop / 102 Chain of Craters Road / 103 Mauna Loa Road / 103 North Kohala Loop / 103 Kailua-Kona to Place of Refuge / 105 Circling the Big Island / 106 MOUNTAIN BIKING / 106 Limukoko Point / 106 Keanakolu-Mânâ Road / 107 Circle Mauna Kea / 108 Thurston Lava Tube to Kîpuka Nênê / 109 South Point to Ka‘alu‘alu Bay / 110 SKIING MAUNA KEA / 111

SNORKELING AND DIVING / 113 Windward Sites / 113 Sites North of Kailua-Kona / 114 Sites South of Kailua-Kona / 120 Boat Trips / 123 SURFING / 123 Leeward Coast Sites / 124 Windward Coast Sites / 125 WINDSURFING / 125 ‘Anaeho‘omalu Bay / 125 Ka‘alu‘alu Bay / 126 KAYAKING / 126 Hidden Valleys and Waterfalls / 127 South Kona Day Trips / 129 North Kona Day Trips / 131 HUNTING / 133 3 Maui Beaches and Valleys / 135

ADVENTURING BY CAR / 136 The Hâna Highway—South Shore Loop / 136 Haleakalâ National Park / 145 Mâ‘alaea to La Perouse Bay / 148 West Maui Circle and ‘Îao Needle / 151

viii BACKPACKING ADVENTURES / 155 Haleakalâ Crater Loop / 156 From the Summit to the Sea via the Kaupô Gap / 162 DAY HIKING / 164 Sliding Sands to Halemau‘u Traverse / 164 ‘Ohe‘o Pools and Waimoku Falls / 164 Polipoli Loop / 166 Skyline Trail / 168 Kahua Road Trail / 168 CYCLING / 169 The Road to Hâna / 169 Hâna to Kahului via the South Shore / 171 Haleakalâ Summit / 172 Circling West Maui / 172 MOUNTAIN BIKING / 174 Haleakalâ Summit to Kahului / 174 Kahua Road / 175 Upper Waiakoa Trail / 176 Waiakoa Loop Trail / 176 SNORKELING AND DIVING / 176 West Maui—Northern Sites / 177 West Maui—Southern Sites / 179 East Maui Sites / 181 Boat Dives from Maui / 183 SURFING / 185 The Windward Shore / 185 The Leeward Shore / 186 WINDSURFING / 186 The Windward Shore / 187 The Leeward Shore / 188 KAYAKING / 189

HUNTING / 190

4 Moloka‘i Hawai‘i’s Yesterday / 191

ADVENTURING BY CAR AND FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE / 193 Kamakou Preserve / 194 Eastern Moloka‘i to Hâlawa Valley / 194 West Moloka‘i / 196 BACKPACKING ADVENTURE / 198

DAY HIKING / 200 Kalaupapa Settlement / 200 Kamakou Preserve Loop / 201 Hâlawa Valley Waterfalls / 203

ix CYCLING / 204 Kaunakakai to Hâlawa Valley / 205 Kaunakakai to Pâpôhaku Beach / 205 Kaunakakai to Kalaupapa Lookout / 206 MOUNTAIN BIKING / 206 Waikolu Lookout / 206 Other Rides / 207 SNORKELING AND DIVING / 207

SURFING / 209

KAYAKING THE NORTH SHORE / 210

HUNTING / 215

5

La¯na‘i Seeking an Identity / 216

ADVENTURING BY FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE / 217 Munro Trail and the Keômuku Shoreline Loop / 218 Kaunolû Village to Hulopo‘e Beach / 220 Garden of the Gods to Polihua Beach / 221 DAY HIKING / 222 Munro Trail / 222 Shipwreck Beach to Polihua Beach / 222 CYCLING / 224

MOUNTAIN BIKING / 224 Munro Trail and the Keômuku Shoreline Loop / 224 Garden of the Gods to Polihua Beach / 225 Kaunolû Bay / 225 SNORKELING AND DIVING / 225

SURFING / 227

HUNTING / 227

6 O‘ahu Where the People Are / 229

ADVENTURING BY CAR / 231 Southeast O‘ahu / 231 The Windward Coast and the North Shore / 233 The Leeward Coast / 240

x BACKPACKING ADVENTURES / 242 Wahiawa to Lâ‘ie—Across the Ko‘olau / 243 Kuaokalâ Trail—Peacock Flat Loop / 246 DAY HIKING / 248 Ha‘ikû Stairs—Stairway to Heaven / 249 Olomana / 251 Pûpûkea to Lâ‘ie via the Ko‘olau Summit Trail / 252 Waimano and the Mânana Trails Loop / 253 Ma‘akua Gulch / 255 Across the Wai‘anae / 256 Maunawili Trail / 256 Makapu‘u Tide Pools and Lookouts / 257 CYCLING / 258 The Southeast Coast / 259 The Windward Coast / 261 The North Shore / 262 The Leeward Coast / 263 MOUNTAIN BIKING / 264 Across the Wai‘anae Range / 264 Maunawili Trail / 266 ‘Aiea Loop Trail / 266 Hau‘ula Loop Trails / 267 Kahuku Shoreline / 268 Around Ka‘ena Point / 269 Other Trails / 269 SNORKELING AND DIVING / 269 The South Shore / 270 The North Shore / 273 The West Shore / 274 The Windward Shore / 276 Boat Trips / 276 SURFING / 276 The South Shore / 277 The Leeward Shore / 279 The North Shore / 280 The Windward Shore / 283 WINDSURFING / 284

KAYAKING / 286 Kapapa Island / 286 Moku Lua Islets / 287 Paukauila and Kaukônâhua Streams / 288 HUNTING / 288

FRESHWATER FISHING / 289

7 Kaua‘i Rain Forests and Waterfalls / 290

ADVENTURING BY CAR / 292 Western Kaua‘i / 292 Eastern Kaua‘i / 297 BACKPACKING ADVENTURES / 300 Kalalau Trail / 300 Waimea Canyon / 309

xi DAY HIKING / 311 Nu‘alolo—Awa‘awapuhi Loop / 311 Pu‘u o Kila Loop / 313 Alaka‘i Swamp Trail to Kilohana Lookout / 314 Waipo‘o Falls and the Kumuwela Trail Loop / 315 Waimea Canyon— Rim to Canyon Floor / 316 Powerline Trail / 317 Tunnel to Hanalei Valley / 318 Hanakâpî‘ai Falls / 320 CYCLING / 320 Lîhu‘e to Kê‘ê Beach / 320 Lîhu‘e to Polihale State Park / 321 Waimea Canyon and Kôke‘e State Park / 321 MOUNTAIN BIKING / 322 Kôke‘e State Park / 322 Nâ Pali Ridge Roads / 323 Waimea Canyon / 324 Powerline Trail / 325 Wai‘ale‘ale Viewpoint / 325 SNORKELING AND DIVING / 325 The South Shore / 326 The Windward Shore / 327 The North Shore / 328 Snorkel and Dive Boat Trips / 329 SURFING / 329

WINDSURFING / 331

EXPLORING KAUA‘I’S RIVERS / 332 Wailua River / 332 Hulê‘ia Stream / 333 Hanalei River / 334 Kalihi Wai River / 334 KAYAKING THE NÂ PALI COAST / 334

HUNTING / 339

FRESHWATER FISHING / 339

appendix a: useful information / 343 Telephone Service / 343 Transportation / 343 National Parks / 344 State Parks / 344 County Parks / 344 Division of Forestry and Wildlife / 345 General Information / 345

appendix b: suggested reading / 349 General / 349 Flora and Fauna / 350 Hawai‘i / 351 Maui / 351 Moloka‘i / 351 O‘ahu / 351 Kaua‘i / 352

index / 353

xii