ReckonTrails Open the map

Hawaii trails · Ka'au Crater Trail

Ka'au Crater Trail

A 4.0-mile out-and-back in Hawaii, with 1,876 ft of climbing. Reaches Palikea and other arch/summit destinations.

Open in the interactive map →

Length
4.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,876 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Max grade
60%
Steepest mile
+1,516 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
2.6 mi
Shape
out-and-back

Elevation profile

512 – 2,388 ft1234

Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 73% of the ascent, between mile 1.3 and mile 2.7. It gives back about 2,006 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Ka'au Crater Trail

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Sections reported faint or hard to follow — carry a map or download this area offline.

Getting there

Ka'au Crater Trail access — parking nearby. About 18 min drive (8 mi) from Honolulu. 21.31089, -157.78186 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:04 a.m., the sun rises at 6:26 a.m. and sets at 6:07 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:29 p.m. (HST) — 11 h 41 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.1-mile round trip takes roughly 4 h 52 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:18 a.m. — 6 h 49 min before sunset.

Nearby trails