Maha’Ulepu Heritage Trail, South Shore Kauai, Hawaii
View of Maha’ulepu beach from the elevated shoreline on south east Kauai, Hawaii
What you need to know to Hike the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail
What: This is a lovely, easy trail that winds along the cliffs and beaches of the Southeastern Shore of Kauai
Where: Starts at Shipwreck Beach, near the Grand Hyatt and Poipu Bay Golf Course and extends to Punahoa Point and Mahaulepu Beach.
Distance: 3.7 miles total out and back
Difficulty: easy
Pay out: 7 (scale of 1-10)
What we liked about the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail:
:There are several secluded tidal pools along the way for exploration. Tidal pools are small, isolated little ecosystems that you can observe up close. Gus and I can spend hours just staring into these little marvels.
Varied terrain with sandy paths, lava rocks, and some cool shady tunnels made by evergreen trees.
Beautiful secluded beach at the end of the hike with protected areas for swimming.
What we didn’t like about Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail::
There were multiple smaller, common use trails leading off the main trail that made the trail difficult to follow at times. We took an unnecessary detour through an exposed section and ended up wading through head high weeds to get back to the main trail.
The trail is exposed for large portions, so the sun and heat can get a little intense.
A portion of the trail passes along the golf course, which was a little weird.
Tips for the Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail:
Wear hiking shoes. We wore beach shoes and ⅗ Owens ended up walking barefooted. I am accustomed to hiking in Chacos, and have the calluses to do 5+ miles in them, but the rest of my family isn’t. If I did this trail again, I would put my kids in hiking/tennis shoes and carry thin aqua socks in our bag for the tidal pools. I really like these cheap, thin shoes for this type of thing.
Wear/bring your bathing suits for nice swimming at Mahaulepu Beach.
Wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water.
Pay close attention to the trail on the way out so that you don’t make the same mistake we did on the way back. If in doubt, take the trail closer to the coast since you can’t really get lost that way.
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