History & Culture

Hawai‘i Island Trails

Hawai‘i’s first trails followed the natural contours of the land. Major prehistoric trails, or ala loa, connected networks of shorter coastal trails (ala hele or ala lihi kai), and intersected mauka-makai (mountain-ocean) trails known as ala pi‘i mauna or ala pi‘i uka. Some trails followed streams or cliff edges, and some were boundaries between neighboring ahupua‘a (land divisions). Often, many trails radiated out of population centers, like the spokes of a wheel.

Trails exhibit a variety of construction methods and materials, based on terrain, intended use and mode of transportation. Trail names also varied by place and through time, based on specific location or community/family tradition. For instance, the Ala Nui Aupuni, is also the Māmalahoa, and the Puakō-Kīholo Trail. Hawaiian trail systems are, and will always remain dynamic.

Highways Act

One of the final acts passed by Hawai‘i’s last reigning monarch, Queen Lili‘uokalani, prior to the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, was the Highways Act of 1892. It stated that “All roads, alleys, streets, ways, lanes, courts, places, trails and bridges in the Hawaiian Islands, whether now or hereafter opened, laid out or built by the Government, or by private parties, and dedicated or abandoned to the public as a highway, are hereby declared to be public highways.” The Act, which provides for public ownership of “highways” was carried through into State of Hawai‘i law (HRS 264-1(b)). This law applies even if the trail is not physically on the ground – as with instances where trail segments have been destroyed over time due to various land uses or natural processes.

Learn More

Continue learning about Hawai‘i’s trails with our resources for further reading.