3 Great Hikes at Kōkeʻe State Park on Kauaʻi

The forecast called for sunshine—after all, this was Kaua‘i—and we planned accordingly. That meant leaving rain jackets and backpack shells behind.  

Luckily, that was the only mistake we made that weekend.  

When I turned 40, my husband took me on a hiking adventure to Kaua‘i. We stayed in one of the rustic cabins at Kōke‘e State Park, perched above 3,000 feet. It was March and the temperature had dropped to 45 degrees overnight. Even with a fire in the cabin’s wood-burning stove, we piled on sleeping bags and blankets to stay warm.  

In other words, we were prepared.  

I had always wanted to go back to reexperience that weekend with my son, who, at 6 years old, is already an avid hiker. I wanted him to see the otherworldly Alaka‘i Swamp on the elevated flatlands near Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, and to gaze at the mesmerizing Nāpali Coast from the end of the Awa‘awapuhi Trail.  

We decided to spend a weekend this past summer on Kaua‘i—specifically on the island’s west side. Instead of roughing it in a cabin—if you have kids, you’ll understand—we opted to stay at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, operated by Coast Hotels. Originally built in the early 1900s for sugar plantation workers, these 59 one- to five-bedroom historic cottages have been refreshed and modernized—hello air conditioning!—and come with full kitchens, spacious porches and living rooms that trick you into lingering inside a little too long. The property is right on a black-sand beach, too, perfect for long walks at sunset and, if you have a kid like mine, stick and kukui nut collecting. On clear days you can see the privately owned island Ni‘ihau in the distance.

The view of the Nāpali Coast from Kōkeʻe State Park on Kauaʻi.
Photo: Getty Images/Haizhan Zheng

Kaua‘i has some of my favorite hikes in the Islands, from the 3.8-mile out-and-back Māhā‘ulepū Heritage Trail that traverses the island’s sunny south coast to the 8-mile Hanakāpī‘ai Falls Trail along the rugged Nāpali Coast. And then there’s the 4,345-acre Kōke‘e State Park, which boasts about 45 miles of diverse trails. Because of its location—between 3,200 and 4,200 feet above sea level—the park is home to various terrains and habitats, from wet rainforests with native birds like the ‘apapane and ‘amakihi to drier scrambles within the 14-mile-long Waimea Canyon.  

The location is also why weather matters—and why you should be prepared for anything. (Lesson learned.) Average temperatures range from 45 degrees in January to 68 degrees in July, and because of its proximity to Mount Wai‘ale‘ale—one of the world’s wettest spots—this area gets about 70 inches of rainfall on average a year. (Mount Wai‘ale‘ale sees about 450 inches of rainfall annually.) So it could be sunny on your lānai (veranda) at Waimea Plantation Cottages—like it was for us—but windy, rainy and cold along the trail to Pihea Summit.

Here are the hikes we did. 

Canyon Trail to Waipo‘o Falls

3 miles round trip, easy to moderate 

Waipoʻo Falls.
Photo: Getty Images/Robert Michaud

Before we got to Kōke‘e State Park, we stopped at the lookout at Waimea Canyon. I pointed to a waterfall in the distance and told my son, “We’re going there.” And we did. The Canyon Trail to Waipo‘o Falls is one of the easier treks in the state park—and with some of the best views of the colorful canyon. It’s a 3-mile round-trip hike that’s well-marked and good for novice hikers. (No bouldering or treacherous stream crossing required!) After a hilly section, the trail opens up to near-360-degree views of the canyon, with its crested buttes and deep valley gorges. The view is breathtaking—and somewhat overshadows the trail’s end at the top of the 800-foot Waipo‘o Falls, which, since you’re on top of it, you can’t really see. 

Awa‘awapuhi Trail

6.5 miles round trip, moderately difficult 

The view of the Nāpali Coast from the Awaʻawapuhi Trail.
Photo: Getty Images/Adam Springer

The first 3 miles of the Awa‘awapuhi Trail ramble downhill toward a spectacular view of the sheer cliffs and canyons of Awa‘awapuhi and Nu‘alolo valleys along the Nāpali Coast. This is where you stop, marvel at the view, then suddenly realize that to get back to the trailhead, you have to walk back up. Yes, the 3 uphill miles back are brutal. So, as I told my 6-year-old son, enjoy the journey. The path meanders through rainforests and desertlike terrain and is dotted with more than 50 different species of native plants, including ‘ōhi‘a trees, pūkiawe and (my son’s favorite) ‘a‘ali‘i. 

Pihea to Alaka‘i Swamp Trail

8 miles round trip, moderately difficult 

Alakaʻi Swamp Trail.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox

To me, this is the park’s signature trail. There are only a few montane bog environments in Hawai‘i that you can visit, and this is one of them. And you won’t find an ecosystem like this anywhere else on Kaua‘i. The trail starts at the Pu‘u o Kila Lookout in the park. We tramped for a couple of miles, along up-and-down sections lined with amau ferns and fluttering ōlapa trees. The trail forks: To the left is the summit of Pihea, to the right is the trail that leads to the swamp. It didn’t take us very long to reach the boardwalk, first built in 1991 to minimize the impact of hikers on the environment. We walked past flowering ‘ōhi‘a trees and hāpu‘u ferns, catching glimpses of native birds flitting among the trees. The weather suddenly shifted, making the place feel much more like the boggy swamp of my imagination. It’s easy to see why this place has been revered by Native Hawaiians for centuries. 

This story was originally published in the Fall 2023 issue of HAWAIʻI Magazine.