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Waikamoi Forest Ridge Trail
Located within the Hana Highway Region on Maui
Maui Hiking Trails & Nature Walks
Road to Hana Sights
A little over half-mile past mile marker 9 on the Road to Hana keep your eyes open for the parking lot (mauka) to the Waikamoi Ridge Forest Trail and Overlook. It is easy to miss due to the fact it’s around a bend in the road.
After parking in the often crowded lot, head up to the open area to your left to a small overlook with picnic shelters and the Waikamoi trail head. The Waikamoi Trail is a beautiful, short nature walk through trees, bamboo, and ferns with scenic overlooks at various points along the way. There are actually two sections to the trail: one being a short loop that takes about half an hour and ends where it starts (at the picnic area), and the other a one-way extension from the loop trail. Both trails start at the picnic shelter located near the parking area.
Trail day tools
Before you drive to the trailhead, check the trail and weather layer.
Hawaii hikes can change quickly with closures, rain, mud, heat, and daylight.
The trail is usually in good condition but that can change with just one good rainstorm. The worst part of the loop-trail (when heading counterclockwise) is the part beyond the extension trail. It goes steeply downhill at times and can be filled with roots. We suspect this will be “fixed” in the future, as volunteer groups have already improved the first half of the loop.
There are no facilities at this site, and we do recommend bug spray because mosquitoes like to congregate here. The Waikamoi Trail is a total of 0.8 miles if you do the loop-trail alone and about a mile and a half if you do the extension. You can expect to spend about 30 minutes to an hour here depending on which trails you hike.
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Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
0:000:57
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
