Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [143]
The dusty 2.5-mile Kuaokala Trail (Map) follows a high ridge to Mokule’ia Forest Reserve. At the trail’s highest point (1960ft) is an overlook with great views. On a clear day hikers can see Mt Ka’ala (4040ft), the highest peak on O′ahu, and part of the Wai′anae Range. The trail connects to the Kealia Trail (Click here), whose trailhead starts near the Dillingham Airfield in the North Shore.
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KA′ENA POINT STATE PARK
Running along both sides of the westernmost point of O′ahu, Ka′ena Point State Park is an undeveloped 853-acre coastal strip.
Until the mid-1940s the O′ahu Railway ran up here from Honolulu and continued around the point, carrying passengers on to Hale′iwa on the North Shore. The gorgeous, mile-long sandy beach on the southern side of the point is Yokohama Bay, named for the large numbers of Japanese fishers who came here during the railroad days.
Rest rooms, showers and a lifeguard station are at the southern end of the park. It’s best to bring food and drinks with you, though occasionally a lunch wagon parks here selling beef stew and smoothies.
Incidentally, those domes sitting above the park that resemble giant white golf balls belong to the Air Force’s Ka′ena Point Satellite Tracking Station.
Sights & Activities
YOKOHAMA BAY
Locals say this is the best sunset spot on the island. It certainly has the right orientation and an attractive mile-long sandy beach, and its status as the last sandy beach on the Wai‘anae (Leeward) Coast adds to the symbolic appreciation of the setting sun.
Winter brings huge pounding waves, making Yokohama a popular seasonal surfing and bodysurfing spot best left to the experts because of the submerged rocks, strong rips and the dangerous shorebreak.
Swimming is limited to the summer and then only when calm. When the water’s flat, it’s possible to snorkel. The best spot with the easiest access is at the south side of the park. Rest rooms, showers and a lifeguard station are at the south end of the park.
KA′ENA POINT
You don’t have to be well versed in Hawaiian legends to know that something mystical occurs at this dramatic convergence of land and sea at the far northwestern tip of the island. Powerful ocean currents altered by the O′ahu landmass have been battling against each other for millennia. The watery blows crash onto the long lava bed fingers, sending frothy explosions skyward. All along this untamed coastal section, nature is at its most furious and beautiful – an incongruous harmony.
Early Hawaiians believed that when people went into a deep sleep or lost consciousness, their souls would wander. Souls that wandered too far were drawn west to Ka‘ena Point. If they were lucky, they were met here by their ‘aumakua (guardian spirit), who led their souls back to their bodies. If unattended, their souls would be forced to leap from Ka‘ena Point into the endless night, never to return.
The 2.5-mile (one-way) coastal Ka’ena Point Trail runs from Yokohama Bay to Ka′ena Point, and around the point to the North Shore, utilizing the old railroad bed. Most hikers take the trail, which begins from the end of the paved road at Yokohama Bay, as far as the point and then come back the same way; it takes about three to four hours round-trip. This easy-to-follow hike offers fine views the entire way, with the ocean on one side and the lofty cliffs of the Wai′anae Range on the other. Along the trail there are tide pools, sea arches and a couple of lazy blowholes that occasionally come to life on high-surf days.
The trail is exposed and lacks shade (Ka′ena means ‘the heat’), so take sunscreen and plenty of water. Be cautious near the shoreline, as there are strong currents, and the waves can reach extreme heights. In fact, winter waves at Ka′ena Point