Experience breathtaking vistas of Kauai’s unique Na Pali Coast! Embark on a trail through the iconic Waimea Canyon, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific! Explore the incredible and distinctive landscape of Kauai’s wetlands!
What ties them all together? These are the gems found within the enchanting Kokee State Park hikes!
Surprisingly, you can capture this almost holistic view of Kauai by dedicating a day or two to traverse the diverse trails of Koke’e State Park!
For outdoor enthusiasts like you, hiking Koke’e State Park is undeniably one of the top things to do on Kauai. While not as widely recognized as its neighboring counterpart, Waimea Canyon State Park, Koke’e State Park boasts remoteness, seclusion, and rugged beauty on the northwest part of Kauai island.
Koke’e State Park holds a special place in my heart as my go-to destination during my brief stays in Kauai, typically lasting no more than three days. It allows me to make the most of my limited time.
Among the Hawaiian islands, Kauai stands out for its rugged allure, and the best way to appreciate its natural wonders is by immersing yourself in its trails, often getting your feet delightfully dirty. Yet, with just a couple of days on Kauai, you don’t need an exhaustive list of trails; you crave the absolute best!
Enter Koke’e State Park, home to the majority of Kauai’s premier hiking trails. Couple that with some remarkable lookouts, and you’re in for a day on the island that will truly make you happy.
Koke’e State Park
Arguably the most underrated of Kauai’s 9 spectacular state parks, Koke’e State Park is my favorite because, though remote and secluded, it offers an extensive variety of trail terrain for nature hiking.
Ridge trails, swamp trails, rainforest trails, and coastal view trails—you get them all at Koke’e State Park!
Koke’e State Park Directions
Take Highway 550 North from the town of Waimea on the south coast of Kauai. You will go past Waimea Canyon State Park and then come to Koke’e State Park.
Koke’e State Park Entrance Fee
Koke’e State Park charges an entrance fee of $5 / person (kids under 3 are free). You don’t need any reservations to enter the park. The entrance fee applies for Waimea Canyon State Park also, if you cover it on the same day.
Koke’e State Park Parking
Along with the entrance fee, you will also pay $10 / vehicle for parking, and that fee covers parking in any lot within the state park. The parking fee is also valid in the adjacent Waimea Canyon State Park, if you visit on the same day.
Best Kokee State Park Hikes
Koke’e State Park offers many trails for hikers of different ability, from trails for beginners to trails for experienced hikers.
As you will see though, the harder the hike, the better the payoff, in terms of fabulous views, rewarding nature scenery, and watching colourful, native forest birds. But some trails, like the Pihea Vista Trail, allow you as a beginning hiker or a family with smaller kids to still experience some exciting views near the start of the trail. So don’t give up hope!
Best Easy Kokee State Park Hikes for Beginners
Discover the Best Easy Kokee State Park Hikes for Beginners. Some Koke’e State Park trails are reasonably flat and short, yet still interesting enough for the beginning hiker or a family with smaller kids to hike and experience nature!
Pu’u ka Ohelo / Berry Flat Trail Hike (+ Water Tank Trail Hike)
Quick facts
Trail Name: Pu’u Ka Ohelo Berry Flat Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Family Friendly: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Parking: Kokee State Park Campground parking lot
Trailhead: Muhihi Road, Berry Flats trailhead across the street from the campground
Depending on where you park, you will start off on the Water Tank Trail, an easy forest hike that connects the Koke’e Road to the Berry Flat Trail loop.
On this relatively flat, easy loop trail, the Pu’u Ka Ohelo Berry Flat Trail winds through groves of beautiful California redwood trees and Japanese sugi pine trees, intermixed with native koa and Ohi’a trees.
Berry Flat Loop trail is a great hike for families with kids, with no steep climbs or scary drops like on some of the ridge hikes. When we hiked it, the ginger flowers were blooming, and the fragrance in the air was exhilarating.
The trail is named for the Ohelo berry plants that you will see scattered along the hike with pretty red berries and flowers.
Kaluapuhi Trail Hike
Quick facts
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2.3 miles round trip, out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
Family Friendly: Yes
Pet Friendly: Yes
Parking: Kalalau Lookout
Trailhead: Past Kalalau Lookout
The Kaluapuhi Trail is an easy, about 2-mile, out-and-back hike along a forest trail with minimal climbing. It’s perfect if you want to stretch your feet after admiring the spectacular Kalalau Lookout.
You can expect to walk on a sometimes overgrown trail, with exposed tree roots, through dense forests of California redwood trees, eucalyptus trees, and native Ohi’a and koa trees. The forest trail is fragrant in summer and early fall, especially when the aromatic ginger flowers bloom! We also saw many trees fruiting, including strawberry guava and plums—delicious when ripe!
While you can return on the road, I recommend sticking to the trail since the shoulder along the road is a bit narrow.
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Best Intermediate Koke’e State Park Hikes
The intermediate Koke’e State Park trails offer hikers better views and nature scenery, but they do require longer hikes or hikes with some climbing.
Canyon Trail to Waipo’o Falls Hike
Quick facts
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 3 miles round trip, out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 750 feet
Family Friendly: Yes (older kids, toddlers will find this difficult)
Pet Friendly: No
Parking: Pu’u Hinahina Lookout
Trailhead: Far end of the Pu’u Hinahina Lookout parking lot
Waimea Canyon is the most prominent geological feature on the small island of Kauai.
Haven’t explored the majestic Waimea Canyon yet, and have time only for one hike in Koke’e State Park? Then take the Canyon Trail to Waipo’o Falls hike, which takes you along the edge of Waimea Canyon, with spectacular views of the canyon walls and the canyon valleys. The hike to Waipo’o Falls takes you to the top of the falls, and you get to see mini-cascading falls before the water tumbles over the cliff.
Want a full frontal view of this amazing waterfall? Head to the Waimea Canyon Lookout, and you can see the Waipo’o Falls in the distance across the canyon.
Pihea Vista Trail Hike
Quick facts
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 2.3 miles round trip, out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 440 feet
Family Friendly: Yes (older kids)
Pet Friendly: Yes (on leash)
Parking: Pu’u o Kila Lookout (end of Highway 550)
Trailhead: Past Pu’u o Kila Lookout
The Kalalau Valley is the most scenic valley in all of Kauai, and the Pihea Vista Trail hike takes you along the rim of the valley, offering stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, the Na Pali cliffs, and the lush, emerald green valley floor. The trail ends at a spur, the Pihea Overlook, the highest point on the rim. While it offers great views, I thought the views along the way and the viewpoint near the start were much better.
But it’s not just about the valley. The trail winds through a forest reserve, making it popular among bird watchers and nature lovers.
Even a short hike into the trail is worth it! If you have time, consider extending the hike into the Alakai Swamp Trail.
Best Hard Koke’e State Park Hikes
The more difficult Koke’e State Park trails require longer trekking over more challenging terrain, either in the form of more climbing or wetter, muddier, and slippery trails.
Awa’awapuhi Trail Hike
Quick facts
Trail Name: Awa’awapuhi Trail
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Distance: 6.2 miles round trip, out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 1,850 feet
Family Friendly: Yes (older kids)
Pet Friendly: No, dogs aren’t allowed
Parking: Near mile marker 17 on Highway 550
The Awa’awapuhi Trail hike is an interesting one: you start at an elevation of 4,350 feet, and almost from the start, you are descending. Yet, at the end, you are still at an elevation of 2,500 feet, on a ridge top, with spectacular views!
The first half of the Awa’awapuhi Trail is through the Napali-Kona Forest Reserve, a jungle path through rainforest vegetation like fern, fruit trees, eucalyptus trees, and tall grass.
About 3 miles in, the trail transforms into a rocky, exposed ridge trail that takes you to a viewing platform (with a metal railing) at the top of the ridge.
You get phenomenal views of the Na Pali coast with its sheer cliffs, the Pacific Ocean, and the lush, green valleys of Awa’awapuhu and Nualolo far below.
Though you will see some brave souls venture beyond this point to further ridge tops, I strongly discourage you. The views are not that different, footing is treacherous, and the drop to the valley floor is a sheer 2000+ feet.
Alakai Swamp Trail Hike
Quick facts
Trail Name: Alaka’i Swamp Trail
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
Distance: 7 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 330 feet
Family Friendly: Yes (older kids)
Pet Friendly: No, dogs aren’t allowed
Parking: Next to the Alaka’i Picnic Area. If you can comfortably drive off-road, then go up the unpaved dirt road to 1/4 mile north of the Na Pali Kona Forest Reserve entrance sign.
The Alaka’i Swamp Trail is a different, unique kind of hike, taking you through high-elevation, swamp wetlands terrain, and areas that get the most rain on the island of Kauai!
You can expect a misty fog for the bulk of the hike, and the boardwalk over the swamp can be slippery.
The hike was interesting in a weird sort of way, with the water bubbling below you and other hikers emerging like ghosts through the fog!
The swamp scenery was unlike anything we had seen and also changed as we hiked, with the second swamp distinctly different and we thought, better! If it rains, the hike will be much harder, and you won’t get to enjoy the great view at the end (**Kilohana Lookout**).
Note, sometimes the clouds clear quickly, so be patient.
Bird Watching on Kokee State Park Hikes
For ornithologists, Koke’e State Park trails give you an opportunity to watch some amazing forest birds, endemic only to Hawaii.
While you can see birds on pretty much any of the Koke’e State Park trails, I have found the two best trails for bird watching are the Alaka’i Swamp Trail and the Pihea Vista Trail.
Common species you can expect to see on these trails are honeycreepers and flycatchers like the crimson and black i’iwi, black-beaked ‘apapane, yellow-green ‘amakihi, and the brown and white ‘elepaio. Use a good pair of binoculars, and look for movement in the trees, and focus on the flowering plants and trees that provide food for the birds, especially the honeycreepers.
Early morning and late afternoons are the best times to spot the native forest birds.
What Plants to See on Kokee State Park Hikes
Koke’e State Park showcases both the red and the yellow flowered native ohi’a lehua, Hawaii’s most iconic plant. Native koa trees are also common in the state park.
As is typical with Hawaiian rainforests, you will see fern, tall grass, mosses, and vines all over.
If you are hiking during the flowering season (usually summer and fall), you will likely smell the fragrant and pretty Kahili ginger flowers before you even reach them. For the most part, though, you will see non-native plants and trees, many of which were planted. Some common ones include California redwood trees, Japanese sugi pine, eucalyptus, and guava.
Map of the Best Kokee State Park Trails
Tips for Hiking Koke’e State Park Trails
For an optimal hiking experience in Koke’e State Park, here are some essentials:
Hiking boots are a must, especially for the harder trails. Poles are optional.
Bring plenty of water and snacks, especially for the longer hikes and the ones that involve climbing.
Sunscreen and a hat are recommended for the ridge hikes.
Ponchos or light rain jackets are advisable, given the diverse terrain.
Most trails include a rainforest, jungle, or swamp section. Use bug spray and mosquito repellent liberally.
Prefer early morning hikes, especially if views are involved. Clouds often roll in late morning and early afternoon.
If it is cloudy and you are hiking, be patient. Clouds often clear quickly or part for short intervals.
Expect no cellphone service, so download all the maps and other information you will need.
Some trails are not well signposted, so downloading maps from AllTrails or a similar app is useful.
The Best Kauai Tours
Discover the Best Kauai Tours and make the most of your island adventure:
Sunset Catamaran Tour of the Na Pali Coast: Experience a relatively more stable ride with amazing views on good weather days!
Doors-Off Helicopter Tour of Kauai: Enjoy unobstructed views and the chance to see more of the island than you can by land. No middle seats!
Kayak on the Wailua River Plus Hike to a Waterfall: A super fun activity for active travellers, albeit a little muddy sometimes!
Raft Trip to the Na Pali Coast Plus Snorkeling: Prepare to get wet on this exhilarating adventure!
Eurocopter ECO-Star Helicopter Tour Over Kauai: The most booked Kauai helicopter tour on Viator with close to 2K reviews and a 5-star rating!
Renting a Car in Kauai
Explore the best things to do in Kauai with the freedom of a rental car:
Public transport options on Kauai aren’t great, so having a rental car is key to exploring the island beyond your base.
Book your Kauai car rental with Discover Cars. They search across a variety of rental car companies, both budget and brand, to offer you the best deals. Plus, they offer free cancellations and no hidden fees. Unlock the flexibility to discover Kauai at your own pace!
Lihue Airport-Hotel Shuttle
If you’re not planning to pick up a rental car at Lihue airport, consider pre-arranging a round trip transfer from the airport to your hotel and back!
This shared shuttle service serves hotels or vacation rentals in Princeville, Kahala, Poipu, Kapaa, or Lihue, providing convenience and affordability. Save time and hassle while enjoying a seamless transfer experience.
Where to Stay in Kauai
Choose the perfect accommodation for your Kauai trip based on your preferences:
Vacation Rental: Enjoy more room and the option to cook some of your meals. VRBO offers a variety of options across different parts of Kauai.
Resort or Hotel Experience: If you prefer a more traditional stay, consider resorts or hotels based on your desired location.
Variety of Options: Depending on which part of Kauai you want to choose as your base, explore a range of options.
Since you may want to stay in multiple places during your trip, start your search for Kauai accommodations by browsing vacation rentals on VRBO. The choice and quality are generally great, and it provides a personalized experience in both Poipu and Princeville.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Koke’e State Park on Kauai stands as a hidden gem, offering a diverse range of hiking trails that cater to hikers of all skill levels. From easy trails suitable for beginners and families to more challenging ones that reward with breathtaking views and encounters with native wildlife, the park showcases the rugged beauty of Kauai’s northwest region.
The park’s remote and secluded nature adds to its allure, making it a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts seeking an immersive experience in the island’s natural wonders. The trails traverse ridge paths, swamp areas, rainforests, and coastal viewpoints, providing a holistic exploration of Kauai’s diverse landscapes.
For the optimal Koke’e State Park hiking experience, visitors are advised to come prepared with essential gear such as hiking boots, water, and snacks. The varying terrain and climates across different trails necessitate flexibility in clothing and protective items like sunscreen and rain jackets.
Early morning hikes are recommended for the best views, considering the cloud patterns that often roll in later in the day. Despite the challenges, the rewards of exploring Koke’e State Park are numerous, from encountering unique plant and bird species to witnessing the iconic Waimea Canyon. Whether embarking on easy family-friendly hikes or tackling more strenuous trails, Koke’e State Park stands as a testament to the natural beauty and diversity that Kauai has to offer.
It’s Ethan Richards, the guy leading the way at “Go Hawaii US.” I’ve been playing with the colors and designs of this tropical paradise, making your Hawaiian experience a whole lot of fun. Over at Go Hawaii US, we’re here to make your visit incredible. Let’s add some excitement and insights to your Hawaii adventure together!
