Kona Trail
in Hawaii
A day hike on the Kona Trail takes you through scenic pasturelands scattered with large ʻōhiʻa trees and other vegetation. The trail also traverses the 1887 lava flow from Mauna Loa where lava flows reached the ocean in less than a day. Relics of Kahuku’s ranching era, pasture land and the 1887 lava flow define this trek.
Kahuku Road above Upper Palm Trail to the ROD Quarantine Gate is not recommended for low-clearance vehicles. Hikers must decontaminate at the ROD quarantine gate.
- States
- Hawaii
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 19.1102°, -155.6969°
About Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
This trail is inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $30 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/kona-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Kona Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
The Palm Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
1871 Trail Tour Conclusion
25 miles from this trail's centroid
N - Mauka-Makai Trail
25 miles from this trail's centroid
J - Shoreline Viewpoint on the 1871 Trail
25 miles from this trail's centroid
Junction of the 1871 Trail & Coastal Trail
25 miles from this trail's centroid
1871 Trail Introduction
26 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.