Alakai Swamp Trail
Photo Credit: Kelvin Lu
Alakai swamp trail

**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**

Monitor weather reports before your park visit!

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[OʻAHU] - UPDATE 4/19/25: He’eia State Park is CLOSED on Easter Sunday - Holiday. 4/22

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[KAUA’I]—UPDATE 4/19/25: Kalalau Trail, Nāpali Coast SWP has REOPENED. The Ha’ena shuttle has RESUMED.

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[MAUI] - UPDATE 4/17/25: Puaʻa kaʻa Wayside and Restrooms will be CLOSED for renovations April 21 thru May 12.

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[MAUI] - UPDATE 4/17/25: Makena State Park’s Black Sand Beach Access Road has REOPENED.

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[MOLOKA’I] - UPDATE 3/24/25: Pala’au State Park Pavilion: Due to demolition and renovation work, the pavilion will be closed from March 25 to May 31.

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[KAUAʻI] - UPDATE 3/21/25: Pā‘ula‘ula State Historic Site - Due to construction improvements, the park closure will begin starting March 24 until further notice.

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[OʻAHU] - UPDATE 3/18/25: Mauna ʻAla, Royal Mausoleum State Monument, will be undergoing improvements that may temporarily prevent vehicular access. Please check the Royal Mausoleum State Monument website for updates.

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[OʻAHU] UPDATED 3/18/25 – Diamond Head State Monument (DHSM): Partial Park Closures Hours with operating hours from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM will occur from April 21 onwards Monday through Friday, (except holidays).  Normal Park Hours from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM will resume on the Good Friday Holiday on April 18, and on Weekends. During Partial Park Closures Hours from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the last reservation time slot for Parking and Entry and Entry Only will be 12:00 p.m. If you reserved at 12:00 p.m., you must enter the Park no later than 12:30 p.m. or you will be denied entry. The project began January 6, 2025, and will run until July 25, 2025, upon completion of the rock fall mitigation construction project at the Kahala Tunnel. Please check back for updates.

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[MAUI] UPDATE 3/4/25 - Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area: Beginning April 1, 2025, through April 30, 2025, the park, cabin campgrounds, and access road to Polipoli Forest Reserve will be closed due to tree mitigation work. 

Alakai Swamp Trail

CAUTION: Deep mud and fog along trail.
Trail Length 3.5 miles (one way)
Time approx 3 hrs.
Activity Pedestrian
Difficulty Difficult
Elevation Gain 329 ft
Park Name Kōkeʻe State Park

Route

The trail starts at a parking and turnaround area 1/4 mile north of the Na Pali Kona Forest Reserve entrance sign. This trail leads across the Alakai Swamp through scrub native rain forest and shallow bogs. There are excellent opportunities for birding and botanizing. It ends at a vista called “Kilohana” on the edge of Wainiha Pali. On a clear day, the views of Wainiha and Hanalei Valleys provide for an unforgettable experience. If you hike this route, be sure to wear appropriate clothing. Portions of the trail are a boardwalk, and the trail is often wet, slippery and very muddy.

Additional Info

  • No commercial use (Paid guides or ecotours) allowed within the Alakai and Pihea Trail and the Alakai Wilderness Preserve.
  • No commercial use allowed on the Alakai Swamp Trail.

As of March 22, 2014, the Kauai recreational trail map is temporarily unavailable for distribution or purchase.

Do not use any trail or access road that is not delineated by name and color and that may also be displayed on these maps. The marked features are managed for public recreational use. Other trails or roads that branch off from the public features may be on private property, and are not managed for any public recreational use. Access is subject to adjacent landowner approval, and if used without authorization, you will be trespassing and possibly putting yourself at risk.