Halewai via Ainapo Road and Trail is a 20.7 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Pahala, Hawaii, Hawaii that features beautiful wild flowers and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, mountain biking, and backpacking and is accessible year-round.
The road to the trailhead is very hard even for a 4WD. Public access is restricted to the hours of 4:30 am to 8:30 pm.
Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, 2270 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite 801 , Honolulu, HI, 96815, Phone: 800-GOHAWAII, Fax: 808-924-0290
Directions from Kau: Ainapo Road begins at the cattle guard located on the mauka side of Highway 11 in Kau, at approximately the 40.5 mile mark. Open during daylight hours only. Parking at either end on unvegetated sides of road and at trailhead.
July 14, 2019steep, but 3.20 min up with a 4 year old isn't bad. cabin is nice
October 27, 2018To say the “road” to the Ainapo trailhead is rough, is like saying magma is hot. Having said that, I could not imagine hiking from the highway to the trailhead. The trail itself is beautiful with both lava types and beautiful scenery. Very well marked with blue ribbons in the trees. We continued up the Ainapo trail to the Mauna Loa summit cabin after a one night stay at the Halewai cabin. That was very arduous. Two-thirds on Aa lava, through fog, rain, and snow. The descent much worse than ascent. Not sure I would recommend this portion of the trail because of the difficulty of the hike and the elements.
September 21, 2018
First to ReviewThe 4 Wheel Drive Rd. to the Trail head is very rough, but the trail is very beautiful up to the cabin. I would highly recommend this trail.
