Hiking in Hawaii

Hiking in Hawaii covers a remarkable range of terrain inside the volcanic Hawaiian islands, from low-elevation walking paths to long backcountry routes deep in protected wilderness. Trail Compass currently lists 2 parks and 20 trails for Hawaii, accounting for roughly 86 mapped trail miles in total.

By difficulty rating, the Hawaii catalog breaks down to about 9 easy, 8 moderate, 3 hard, and 0 expert hikes. State parks, national forests, recreation areas, and a handful of NPS units all sit inside this index. Each parcel has its own permit rules, parking situation, and seasonal access — confirm current details with the managing agency before your visit, especially during winter or in fire-affected regions.

Best season to hike across most of Hawaii runs year-round, with the drier months April through October generally most reliable on leeward slopes. Outside that window, expect more variable conditions, possible road closures at higher elevations, and a much shorter daylight window for long routes.

Wildlife you can expect across Hawaii trails includes nēnē (Hawaiian goose), spinner dolphins offshore, native honeycreepers in the upper forests, and wild pigs along lower trails. Most hikers go years without an aggressive encounter, but every season produces a few — store food correctly, give predators wide berth, and never approach a young animal even when no parent is in sight.

If you are new to Hawaii, start with shorter, well-signed routes near major visitor centers. They give you a feel for the local terrain, weather patterns, and trail surface before you commit to a longer outing. Carry water, sun protection, and an offline map; cell service in Hawaii backcountry is intermittent at best.

Use the parks list below to drill into a specific destination, or browse the full trails table directly. The difficulty filters at the top of every page let you narrow to easy, moderate, hard, or expert routes in Hawaii in a single click.