Watch him walk out on a narrow ridge with a 2,000-foot drop on either side:įor some more absolutely amazing views from the hike, check out David Chatsuthiphan’s blog post on Unreal Hawaii. It travels downhilll to a cliff top overlook into the Awaawapuhi and Naulolo valleys. More Stats for Awa'awapuhi Trail hike trail trail Altitude change -1,612 ft Altitude min 2,453 ft Altitude start 4,064 ft Altitude end 2,454 ft Grade -10.7 Grade max -59.5 Grade min 21. This is a singletrack forest trail with occasional ridge top views. This hike primary trail can be used both directions. And they should not go beyond their means just to see a beautiful view or to get a picture.” Awa'awapuhi Trail is a 3 mile blue singletrack trail located near Waimea Hawaii. Sharick acknowledged the danger: “Anyone hiking should be aware of the challenges of any given hike. Governments from Australia to Russia have launched awareness campaigns and closed prominent landmarks because people wouldn’t stop taking dangerous photos. And so many people were getting too close to bears in a Denver area park just to take a selfie with the creatures that the park was forced to close for a period of time. This scenic downhill, out-and-back trek traverses through lush rainforest and rugged high-desert terrain before ending with one of the most awe-inspiring vistas of Kauai's N Pali Coast. The trail starts about a mile past the Koke’e lodge, 17 miles up Highway 550 from the town of Waimea (where our shop and booking office is located). After about 3.2 miles, you will reach a clearing that overlooks the valleys, at 2,500 feet. It’s a popular Kauai trail that requires reservations to hike in certain sections. As the forest starts to thin out, you’ll get some brief views of the Napali Coast. NaPali Coast State Wilderness Park is one of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders, and the Hanakapi’ai Falls Trail is set here. For the first mile and a half, you will be descending through the forest. To give you some perspective, despite all the hype this summer over shark attacks, more people actually died this year while trying to take a selfie with the animals than from shark attacks. The trail begins right off Kokee Road at an elevation of 4,120 feet. It has incredible drop-offs and epic views down to the Na Pali Coast.

A warning on its website reads: “DANGER: Do not venture beyond the safety railing at the end of the trail! Footing is extremely unstable, and the drop to the valley floor below is over 2,000 feet.”ĭangerous selfie-taking is becoming a real problem. Awaawapuhi Trail is my favorite hike in the Koke’e State Park. “Standing on the edge of one of the ridges on the Na Pali coast is very invigorating,” Sharick told the Huffington Post. “It makes one feel so small to be in such a vast place where it looks like you are on the edge of the world.”

Awa awapuhi trail