The Kona Hiking Club will hike to the Kauhola Point Lighthouse and then on to Kapanai’a Bay on Saturday, April 17. The beach is pebbly and the surf rocky and murky so swimming is not recommended. No lifeguards will be present. Total hike distance will be six to seven miles over moderate terrain and will take between three and four hours hiking time.
We will drive to the lighthouse area and then hike to our destination and return the same way. The road to the lighthouse requires four-wheel drive vehicles, so anyone able to provide one please do so.
While erosion and some landslides have changed the shoreline since our last hike to the area in 2007, it remains a beautiful hike with only one deep, steep ravine. Hiking a bit more on a dirt road than in the past is also necessary.
The area may be warm and windy; however, be prepared for rain as well. There is ample shade. Participants must carry at least two liters of water per person. Closed-toed shoes, sun protection, lunch or snack, and a hiking stick are also recommended.
Visitors as well as residents are invited to participate in this hike. There is no charge, although carpoolers are encouraged to chip-in for gasoline. No pets are allowed.
Carpoolers will meet at 6:45 a.m. and leave at 7:00 a.m. from Lanihau Center. Please park well away from the businesses, in the corner of the parking lot near Buns in the Sun. Others may meet at 9 a.m. at the old mill parking area, about ½ mile makai of Highway 270 on Mill Road.
To get to the meeting point, proceed north from Kailua-Kona on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway to its intersection with Highways 270 & 19. Turn left towards Kawaihae and follow the signs to Hawi. Continue on highway 270 through Hawi and Kapa’au, to approximately the 24 ½ mile marker, and turn left on Mill Road (just past Halaula Road). There is no street sign, but there is an ATV business at this intersection, which comes before Arakawa Store and the Middle School. Proceed ½ mile to the parking area near old mill buildings. From there we will carpool down the narrow 4WD road to the Lighthouse where we will park and begin the hike on to Kapanai’a Bay.
For more information, please call Alice at 322-6481.
PLEASE NOTE: All members are welcome to bring guests or pass on information about our hikes to other hikers. However, if you do so, PLEASE make sure that you direct them to the Kona Hiking Club website to review the hike announcement and description. We want to make sure that everyone is prepared for the specific hike we are doing that day, whether we’re facing mud, heat, cold, steep trails, rocky trails, high altitude, exceptionally long distances, etc. Mahalo for helping us keep everyone safe!
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