Illustrated scene. Not a photograph of this place.
A 1.2-mile round trip on the west side of Kahana Bay, past a fishing shrine and a lookout. State Parks rates it easy to moderate, with 130 feet of gain, and says one section is steep and can be slippery.
- Access
- Published route or place
- Cost
- Confirm the cost
- Difficulty
- Easy to moderate
- Effort
- Steady
- Audience tags
- Visitors, Adults, Locals
Effort follows the agency difficulty when one was published: easy is gentle, moderate and easy-to-moderate are steady, and moderate-to-difficult or an agency description of a strenuous climb is strenuous. It is a sorting aid, not a safety rating.
Access and permission
Stay on the trail. State Parks asks people not to enter the Kapaʻeleʻele koʻa, not to move stones, and not to leave rocks wrapped in ti leaves. Mountain biking is not allowed.
No entrance fee was printed on the trail page reviewed.
Conditions, separate from permission
The page says portions have exposed roots and steep side drop-offs, and that the descent to the highway is very steep and can be slippery. Mosquitoes are expected. Easy-to-moderate is the agency phrase. It is not a safety clearance.
Figures copied from the source
- Distance: 1.2 miles round trip
- Elevation gain: 130 feet
- Agency difficulty: Easy to moderate
What to bring
- Water. State Parks says the trail can still be hot and humid under the canopy.
Logistics
- Allow about an hour, per State Parks.
- Park at the orientation center. The route uses the old rail bed, climbs to about 150 feet, and drops back to Kamehameha Highway.
- Same Kahana pin limitation as the Nakoa Trail: the fishpond marks the park, not a surveyed trailhead.
- Map pin: OpenStreetMap geocode of Huilua Fishpond, a landmark in the same state park.
Related gear
These are exact Amazon listings checked on 2026-11-07. They are optional. As an Amazon Associate, purchases through these links can earn a commission. The tag is toa03-20. Stock and formulas change. Affiliate disclosure.
- Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle, Cadet, 32 oz
For trails whose managing agency says there is no drinking water, or that stream water should not be drunk. The Amazon listing checked on Nov 7, 2026 is titled Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle, Cadet with Cadet cap, 32 oz. The listing describes a BPA-free Tritan bottle. This is one colorway, not a claim that every Nalgene bottle is the same product.
Sources and verification
Checked 2026-11-07. If a source disagrees with this page, use the source.