9 Cool And Calming Hikes To Take In Hawaii To Help You Reflect On The Year Ahead
The start of a new year brings on lots of self-reflection: what were the highlights of last year? What could we have done better last year? What do we want to do differently in the new year? What should we resolve to do this year? For many of us, a new year is a perfect time to start a new journey, and what better way to start than spending some time surrounded by nature. From cool forest trails to coastal hikes, there’s little better than enjoying one of these 9 relaxing hikes while reflecting on the year ahead.
Nestled on Maui’s northeastern coast between Waihee and Kapalua is the Ohai Trail Loop, an incredibly scenic and short hike you’ll want to check off of your Hawaii hiking bucket list as soon as possible. Measuring in at just 1.2 miles and gaining less than 200 feet in elevation, you have no excuse not to tackle this terrific trail. After all, the sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and rock formations along the Hawaiian coast will take your breath away.
The northwestern tip of Oahu is home to Kaena Point State Park, a magical place full of hidden gems, including heart-shaped rocks, tide pools, stunning cliff faces, and a natural reserve area created to protect nesting albatrosses, Hawaiian monk seals, and the fragile native vegetation. You can hike to the point from either the west or north shores, and it’s best completed in the cool breeze of a January morning.
With sweeping vistas of Mount Wai’ale’ale, the Kuilau Trail may be long (measuring in at 4.5 miles) but is welcoming to those who want a non-treacherous hike on Kauai. The easy to moderate trail winds its way through the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve and ends at the trailhead for the Moalepe Trail. It is when you enter the lush, green interior of Kauai along the Kuilau Trail that you understand just how the island got the nickname "The Garden Isle."
What better way to kick off the new year than with a waterfall hike? Cascading 442 feet into a lush, tropical jungle is perhaps Hawaii’s greatest waterfall. Located on the Big Island’s Hamakua Coast is Akaka Falls, a place of pure paradise flowing from the Kolekole Stream. To view the falls, visitors take a short stroll leading through a jungle of banana plants, towering bamboo groves, and lush orchids.
Located approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, Polipoli Spring Recreation Area features an extensive trail system, ranging in length from .6 to 7 miles. The popular Redwood Trail is 1.7 miles, and guides hikers through a forest of baby Redwood trees. It's the access point for many other trails and is the perfect hike to kick off the new year - mainly because the high elevation means crisp, cool weather that will allow you to pretend you’re experiencing January in a wintry climate.
Within the Kaiwi Scenic Shoreline is the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail, a short and sweet two-mile hike on a fully paved trail to a historic lighthouse. The paved trail is perfect for the entire family, gaining approximately 500 feet in elevation over the course of a mile. This magical spot is home to one of Oahu’s most popular hikes for visitors and locals alike — as well as some of the best views you’ll find anywhere on the island. It’s the perfect spot to watch the sunrise and see whales frolicking off the coast!
With brilliant shades of red, brown, green, blue, gray and purple, Waimea Canyon State Park encompasses approximately 1,866 acres and is one of the island’s most popular tourist destinations. Located at the start of the Kukui Trail, the short and simple, .3-mile roadside Iliau Nature Loop trail on the western edge of the canyon not only gives adventures an up close and personal look at native upland scrub vegetation but afford excellent vistas of both Waimea and Waialae Canyons.
This four-mile loop trail, which is the remains of a massive 1959 eruption, is wildly popular among Volcanoes National Park visitors. The trail — which takes hikers through lush rainforests, near active steam and sulfur vents, and across a solidified lava lake — was voted as the Big Island’s favorite scenic hiking trail by Hawaii Magazine. Its unique terrain will certainly get you reflecting on your life.
With vibrant blue waters surrounded on three sides by lava rock cliffs resulting in calm, protected waters, it doesn’t get much prettier than this. And while Honolua Bay itself is stunning, we can’t deny the ethereal natural beauty of the footpath through the forest you must take to reach this slice of paradise. The trail meanders less than a mile through the forest from a parking lot adjacent to the Honoapiilani Highway above to a mostly rocky shoreline and a small beach sure to help you find inner peace.
Have you hiked any of these trails 9 before? What is your favorite hike to take when you just need to surround yourself with nature and think? Share your opinions with us in the comments below.
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Address: ?Ohai Trail, Wailuku, HI 96793, USA
Address: Ka?ena Point State Park, Waialua, HI 96791, USA
Address: Kuilau Ridge Trailhead, State Hwy 580, Kapa?a, HI 96746, USA
Address: ‘Akaka Falls, Hawaii 96720, USA
Address: Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area, Kula, HI 96790, USA
Address: Waimanalo, HI 96795, USA
Address: Iliau & Kukui, Kokee Rd, Waimea, HI 96796, USA
Address: P?hoa, HI 96778, USA
Address: Honolua Bay Access Trail, Lahaina, HI 96761, USA
