Pololū Valley Trail

The walk starts at the Pololū Valley Lookout, where Highway 270 ends in North Kohala. The Pololū Trail drops from the end of the pavement down the face of the cliff in switchbacks. It is a stretch of the old government road to ʻĀwini, cut into red clay and still cobbled in places. At the bottom it comes out on the valley floor just behind the shore, by the mouth of Pololū Stream, and ends at the dunes above a beach of black sand and pebbles. Return the same way.

It is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) round trip with 350 feet (106 m) of climbing; allow about an hour. The grade is Easy: very short, but steep, and slippery when wet, with all the climbing on the way back.

The lookout has room for about twelve cars. Trail stewards manage the parking, and when it is full they send drivers elsewhere; much of the roadside nearby is private land, so don't park on it. There is no fee. There are no toilets in the valley and no phone signal.

Do not swim: the State warns of high surf, undertow and rip currents here. The trail can flood, and rocks fall after rain. The paths that go on beyond the valley cross private land, so turn back at the beach.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.