Kauai has good hiking routes all over the island.   When we venture from Wailua-Kapa’a up into the highlands, we approach the Wai’aleale Crater, under the wettest spot on the planet.   After a rainfall, numerous waterfalls run down the crater to the Blue Hole area and all the water collects into several rivers that flow out to the ocean, only  8km away.  The forests in this area are very dense, jungle-like, making hiking muddy and overgrown, except for a few cleared tracks.   One of the easiest and most pleasing trails of this area is Kuilau Ridge.

To hike this trail, drive up Kuamo’o Road (Route 560) to the Keahua Arboretum.   Park on this side of the stream and walk back down the road a short distance to the trailhead.   The trail is an old forestry track climbing the ridge to a hilltop, and easy climb to a viewpoint.   Along the way, we pass hillsides of white siris, eucalyptus, and o’hia.   At the top of the ridge is a picnic area with view over to the Makaleha Mountains to the north and Kawai’kini and Wai’aleale to the west.   The trail continues on, crossing a gully between Opaekaa and Kawi Streams, the valleys full of lantana, tree ferns, ulupe, ti, guava, vervain, thimbleberry, and ferns in every square inch of light.

The trail crosses a bridge across a stream, marking the “official” end of the hike, but two separate hikes meet at this spot.   The Moalepe Ridge Hike (link to a previous article on the trail) meets the Kuilau Ridge Trail here and we know that we can hike up the ridge through paperbark trees to an east-facing ridge where wild orchids bloom, so we usually continue on for another mile before turning back.   This whole route is about 6 miles return, but the grades are gentle and the surface is well-maintained.   We often choose this hike when clouds close in the top of the mountain.   This is a walk in the trees, but what a forest!

If we lived here, we would hike this trail often.   We will return every year to this favorite place.