Walk with the spirits of the ancients - Ala Kahakai, trail

Sunset, May, 1995 by Jeff Phillips

Coastside hikes and history along Hawaii's Ala Kahakai

Old-timers insist that on dark nights you can hear the clatter of spears and gourds and the scrape of woven sandals over stones as the spirits of ancient warriors march along a trail on the Big Island's west coast.

The Ala Kahakai (Coastal Trail) was part of a network of trails built around the island centuries ago by Hawaiian fishermen and farmers, primarily to provide local access for royalty and priests traveling by canoe. While portions of the ancient loop have been lost to lava flows, coastal erosion, agriculture, and resort development, some west coast segments can still be hiked today, thanks to nearly 20 years of work by a local preservation group called E Mau Na Ala Hele. Walk far enough - and look closely enough - and you'll find the toppled stone walls of old villages, the flat platforms of ancient shrines, and the petroglyphic records of long-ago travelers.

E Mau Na Ala Hele wants 175 miles of the Ala Kahakai included in the National Trails System and is working with the National Park Service on a study to demonstrate the preserved trail's value. Hikers can help the evaluation process by sending comments to the National Park Service WR-RP, Ala Kahakai Study, 600 Harrison St., Suite 600, San Francisco 94107.

TWO SHORT HIKES ON YOUR OWN

Walkers should wear sturdy shoes and broad-brimmed hats and carry plenty of sunscreen and water. Big swells on steep beaches may indicate dangerous swimming conditions. Some fishing shrines you may come across are still active sacred sites. Don't touch shells, dried leis, fish, or rocks.

Kona Coast State Beach is a new park with a shady picnic area on the sandy crescent of Mahaiula Bay. At the rocky point on the bay's north edge, smooth steppingstones set in lava mark the ancient trail that leads 100 yards to a few low, broken walls of an old village site and a small fishing shrine. Cut inland a short distance to the rough road heading north about a mile to nearly deserted beaches at Makalawena, and look for portions of the ancient trail next to and partly obliterated by the road. (Property above the beaches is private and off-limits.)

The 1 1/2-mile access road to Kona Coast State Beach parking is open from 9 to 8 daily except Wednesdays; the turnoff from State Highway 19 is 2 1/2 miles north of Keahole Airport.

From the main beach for resorts at Waikoloa, on Anaehoomalu Bay, it's an easy 20-minute walk south along the water to a thicket of kiawe (mesquite) trees growing through the rock walls of an old village site. Just beyond the grove is a swirl of smooth lava where old petroglyphs of turtles and men are interspersed with newer ones of sailing ships and elegantly printed Hawaiian names. Beyond this point, the trail edges a rugged lava coast used mostly by fishermen.

The turnoff to Anaehoomalu from State 19 is 16 1/2 miles north of the airport; follow the signs to beach access parking.

DAY-HIKES WITH A GUIDE

Hugh Montgomery, an E Mau Na Ala Hele stalwart, offers guided, customized day-hikes along remote public and private sections of the Ala Kahakai and other Big Island trail systems. The cost of $110 per person (two-person minimum) includes lunch and transportation from your hotel. For a brochure, call Hawaiian Walkways at (800) 457-7759.