Alakai Swamp Trail
Photo Credit: Kelvin Lu
Alakai swamp trail

**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**

⚠️ Always monitor weather reports and ocean conditions before your park visit. 

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[KAUA’I] UPDATED 5/27/26

Kalalau Trail from mile marker 2-11 after Hanakapiai Valley, will be CLOSED for a feral animal control hunt from June 1-4. The 2 miles of the trail from Keʻe beach at Haʻena State Park to Hanakapiai falls will remain open during this time.

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Puʻu Hinahina parking lot will be CLOSED for road work from May 25-29 and again from June 15-19.

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Koke’e State Park camping will be CLOSED for campground improvements. Construction to begin May 2026 and extend through Spring 2027.

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Pāʻulaʻula State Historic Site: CLOSED for construction.

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[O’AHU] UPDATED 5/19/26

Heʻeia State Park partial parking lot road closure due to landslide and upcoming stabilization work.

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Wahiawā Freshwater State Recreation Area: Portions of the park which access the reservoir (Also known as Lake Wilson) will be closed Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 1 a.m. the park will remain open to visitors for onshore activities, but lake access via the boat ramp, reservoir banks, and reservoir shores will not be allowed until further notice.

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Ka’ena Point State Park, Mākua Section has REOPENED to beach access. The Keawa’ula section remains CLOSED due to road repairs. The Mokule’ia vehicle access road remains CLOSED due to unsafe road conditions, this section remains open to pedestrian and bicycle access. 

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[MAUI] UPDATE 4/20/26

‘Iao Valley State Monument: Will be CLOSED until June 26, 2026 for safety improvements.

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Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area: Polipoli cabins and camping areas are CLOSED until further notice.

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[MOLOKAʻI] UPDATE 4/20/26

Pālāʻau State Park: Pālāʻau Wayside Pavilion and Campgrounds remain CLOSED until further notice.

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[HAWAI’I] UPDATED 4/10/26

Notice to bidders for Mobile Food Truck Concessions opened today for certain Hawai’i Island parks. More information at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/announcements/mobile-food-truck-concessions-hawaii/

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Akaka Falls State Park: Water and comfort station CLOSED, park open with portable toilets.

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.