Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Cave · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

This run starts at Shipwrecks Beach. This trail follows the coastline to the Makauwahi Sinkhole. It is not marked very well and has many parallel trails.

The cave reserve is only open on certain days. Check the website if you are interested in going inside the cave.

This trail follows the coastline to the Makauwahi Cave. It is not marked very well and has many parallel social trails.

The official start of the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail starts at the end of Shipwrecks beach. This portion of the trail is in a dune area and parallels the coastline, but there are many parallel social trails that can be confusing. Your best bet is to follow the most well traveled portion. You'll run through the dunes with some ups and downs and then notice the Poipu Bay golf course on your left. You'll eventually be running on the extreme edge of the golf course, cliffside. Be aware of the golfers and watch out for errant golf balls.

You eventually exit the golf course and get back on coastline trail. Again in this area, there are numerous sub-trails that all go in the same direction. You'll pass CJM Stable on your left and then see signs for the Makauwahi Cave Reserve. The trail is split between a horse trail and foot trail with signs guiding you. The trail circles the cave with interpretive kiosks for you to check out. Eventually, you'll end up at a bridge at Waioli Stream.

Nene, monk seals, sea turtles, and humpback whales can all be seen depending on the season.

Check hikemahaulepu.org and cavereserve.org for complete descriptions of historical and archaeological information.