From amazing coastlines and beaches to emerald rainforests and volcanic craters, the Hawaiian Islands offer visitors natural wonders to explore. One of the best ways to experience it all is on a hiking trail, getting up-close with Hawai‘i’s unique landscapes. Find a full, interactive list of public trails for all levels on the State of Hawai‘i’s Nā Ala Hele Trail & Access Program website and Outerspacial mobile app.

Kauaʻi
Ke Ala Hele Makālae, meaning “the path that goes by the coast” in ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (the Hawaiian language), is an 8-mile oceanside trail that travels along the island’s Royal Coconut Coast. Dozens of interpretive signs along the way share information on significant archaeological, cultural and historic sites, and breaching humpbacks are a common sight during the winter. Because of the trail’s exceptional contribution to community health, connectivity and environmental preservation, it was recently added to the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame. Situated 4,000+ feet above sea level, the 7-mile roundtrip Alaka‘i Swamp Trail in Kōke‘e State Park winds through a misty, otherworldly rainforest landscape and across a montane bog environment. Clients can see the native ‘ōhiʻa lehua tree and may encounter the song and sight of endemic honeycreepers, like the ‘apapane and ‘iʻiwi.

Oʻahu
Suggest your clients hike to the summit of one of Hawaiʻi’s most famous natural landmarks, Lē‘ahi, nicknamed Diamond Head. The 475-acre Diamond Head State Monument volcanic tuff cone’s 1.6-mile-roundtrip crater-floor-to-summit hiking trail is its most popular attraction, ascending to a panoramic view of much of O‘ahu’s south shore and portions of the Ko‘olau mountain range. Hiking the trail requires a reservation, which clients can make up to 30 days in advance. Advise they see the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline and its two-mile roundtrip Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail. A century-old lighthouse sits at the trail’s end, breaching humpbacks are visible in the winter and the islands of Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are distantly visible on clear days. Parking is limited and alternative modes of transport are encouraged.

Maui
Famous for its majestic summit views, Haleakalā National Park is a hiker’s paradise with 30+ miles of trails through various landscapes. Clients can traverse a desert at the 10,023-foot-elevation summit or hike through forest acreage at the misty 7,000-foot elevation Hosmer Grove Nature Trail. At sea-level sits the 30,000+-acre Kīpahulu District, accessible via the Hāna Highway, and the Pīpīwai Trail offers a winding trail along and through a chilly mountain-fed stream, diverse forest areas and two waterfalls, including the 400-foot Waimoku Falls, the island’s tallest waterfall.

Hawaiʻi Island
On the slope of Maunaloa, the world’s most massive volcano, is Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. The diverse 116,000+-acre landscape offers rugged day-hikes with glimpses of the still-active — but as of this writing, not erupting — volcano’s geological history or grassy meadow strolls along the Kamakapa‘a Trail. Suggest clients check out restored portions of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, a 175-mile coastal alaloa (foot-trail) system created by early Hawaiians to travel between settlements. The trail touches significant Hawaiian cultural sites and sublime scenery in all four Hawai‘i Island National Park Service-managed sites but is best traversed in Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park and Pu‘ukoholā National Historic Site.