Learn About the Trail

Welina Mai! Greetings!

The National Park Service welcomes you to the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (NHT).

Established in 2000 for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources, the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is a 175 mile network of trails and routes of cultural and historical significance. It traverses through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and over 200 ahupuaʻa (traditional sea to mountain land divisions).

The Trail corridor includes numerous cultural treasures such as intact segments of the trail, heiau (temples), royal centers, kahua (house site foundations), loko iʻa (fishponds) koʻa (fishing shrines), kiʻi pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slide), and wahi pana (sacred places). Anchialine ponds, pali (precipices), nearshore reefs, estuarine ecosystems, coastal vegetation, migratory birds, native sea turtle habitat, and several threatened and endangered endemic species of plants and animals are also present in the Trail corridor.

Where segments of the ancient and historic trails have been lost to erosion, lava flows, earthquakes and modern development, the Trail's Plan calls for the preservation of historic routes for eventual public use provided that active management is occurring along segments opened to the public.

Today, the Trail continues to be used and cared for by descendants, as it has for centuries by their kūpuna. It is a "living trail." Connecting, reconnecting and enhancing connections of families and communities with ancient and historic ties to the trail are necessary for successful community management and authentic visitor experiences of the trail.

More information is available in our Comprehensive Management Plan.