Near King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail
Amazing views of the 1790 lava flow (black fingers coming down the mountain) - the last on Maui.
Near King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail
Lord of the Rings .....
Near King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail
That's about as much vegetation as you'll find on the King's Highway!
Near King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail
The hot, black highway to Kanaio Beach. Pretty much like this the whole way... exposed, loose lava.
Near King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail
Trail

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Hike Trail

King's Highway AKA Hoapili Trail

3.7 (6 Ratings)
Rugged, exposed, historic lava flow route.
1.6
mi
Distance
73
ft
Gain
strenuous
Difficulty
SwimmingViews

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
1.58mi
Distance
73ft
Elevation Gain
75ft
Elevation Loss
10%
Max Grade
86ft
High Point
0ft
Low Point
Path Type
Point to Point
Description
This trail traverses the last lava flow on Maui, in 1790. The trail has been used for hundreds of years - imagine Hawaiians hiking barefoot along these razor-sharp, ankle-rolling lava cobbles! The trail was rebuilt in 1824-1840, which makes even the "new" version pretty historic. The trail itself is miserable - straight across black, hot rock, far from the sea (hot!) and the surface is baseball-sizes lava rocks that seem to move with every step. But the destinations are pretty amazing: especially the turnoff to Keawanaku Beach, which has some of the finest swimming and snorkeling on the entire island, and you are very likely to have it to yourself. You can continue on for many miles, but the surface is rough-going and once you past the end marked here, you've seen the high points. Definitely not recommended to continue.

Route Conditions

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