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Update on work on the Makapu‘u Lighthouse Trail

By Catherine Toth Fox • March 24, 2015 • #CatTravels

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I’ve been hiking the trail to the Makapu‘u Lighthouse my entire life.

Located on the eastern-most point of O‘ahu — where I’ve spent most of my adult life — this mile-long paved trail takes you to an overlook above the historic red-roofed lighthouse, built in 1909 on this 600-foot sea cliff. The offshore islets are wildlife sanctuaries for Hawaiian seabirds such as the ‘iwa and frigate bird. On clear days, you can see Moloka‘i and Lānaʻi in the distance. And if you’re lucky, between November and May, you might catch a glimpse of the humpback whales the migrate past Makapu‘u to warmer waters.

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I love this trail for a lot of reasons: it’s paved and easy, there’s lots of parking, and the views of the Ka‘iwi Coastline and the Pacific Ocean are simply breathtaking.

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Oh, and it’s perfect for my dogs.

It’s one of the few state trails that allows dogs on-leash — and I’ve taken my dogs up there since they were puppies at least once a week.

In fact, hiking up Makapu‘u has become part of my weekly routine.

So hearing about its closure for repair work was incredibly distressing. Where would I take my dogs now??? I was in a panic.

For about a month, the trail was closed during the weekday — when we normally go — and open on weekends. We had to find other trails to hit in the meantime.

But the other week, as we drove by, I was astonished to see about three dozen cars parked along Kalaniana‘ole Highway. Apparently, the trail had been opened during the weekdays — and I hadn’t known about it.

So I quickly pulled over, leashed up the dogs, and headed up the familiar trail to the lighthouse.

I’ve been back several times since then, and the work has been slowly progressing.

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Repair to the trail started in February and will continue through July (though one of the maintenance guys told me the improvement project might stretch out to the end of the year). According to the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, the trail should only be closed on 25 days during the six-month project, always on weekdays. The parking lot and trail will be open during regular park hours on weekends — 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and until 7:45 p.m. after April 1.

Five new lookouts and rest stops will be constructed along the trail and in locations that are already popular stopping points. They will include interpretative signage, viewing scopes (yay!) and benches.

The existing two lookouts at the summit will be renovated to include new railings, stairs and concrete walkways.

Over the years — it’s been around for more than 100 years! — the stacked rock walls and walkways have become severely eroded and unstable. More than 400 hikers and bicyclists use this trail every day. So sections will be reconstructed, new drainage culverts will be installed, and the walkways will be repaved.

(There won’t be any restrooms, though. Cost and community protest are the main reasons.)

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It’s hard to tell if work is progressing fast enough that the trail will reopen in July. And so far, I can’t find much in terms of updates on DLNR’s website.

All I know is that the trail will be closed from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 and Friday, March 27. Future closure dates — all tentative — are July 20 to 24 and July 27 and 28. But that all depends on whether the work is on schedule.

Until then, I’ll keep driving by and checking. And I’ll post updates on my Twitter (@thedailydish).

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And look on Instagram (@catherinetoth) for more shots like this one above! That’s when you’ll know it’s open!

Department of Land and Natural Resourcesfixing the trailHawaiihike OahuhikingKaiwi CoastlineKaiwi State Scenic ShorelineKalanianaole HighwayMakapuuMakapuu Lighthouse TrailOahuRatter Pack
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Catherine Toth Fox

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3 Comments

  • Reply Lance March 24, 2015 at 11:47 am

    I’ll take you on a proper birding (Hawaii Birdwatching on FB) outing with my spotting scope to see what Hawaiian seabirds actually live on those wildlife sanctuaries. ‘Iwa and frigatebird are both names of the same bird. The Great Frigatebird does not live on Manana or Kaohikaipu Islands instead THOUSANDS of Sooty Terns (‘Ewa’ewa), Brown Noddies (Noio koha), and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (‘Ua’u kani) nest on almost every square foot of the islands.

  • Reply Dennis March 26, 2015 at 6:59 am

    Great blog. I’m not a hiker but it seems like an easy safe hike…. Maybe I need some exercise?? Thanks for sharing!

  • Reply WildeOscar March 27, 2015 at 7:50 am

    Some of the pictures that include construction barriers remind me of an old saying: “Well, it may not be the edge of the Earth, but you can see it from there.”

    Beautiful, nonetheless, and those dogs must be as sure-footed as mountain goats by now.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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