Ahupuaʻa o Kahana State Park

Not sure yet. I've used all trails and Strava and they show different routes. You pass several residence on way to trail head so be respectful. The trail I've only gone part way. So still exploring. It would be helpful with someone that knows the trail. But I'll give it an other try. Looks like a not so hidden gem. I've seen a few people here but not many.

3.5 stars.This is one of the nicer "preservation" trail I've visited.Warning! Do not attempt to hike here alone under the circumstances that 1. You have a satellite phone 2. Weather permitting (not raining, flooding, etc)There were some signage enough to get us started to learn about the expectation of the self-explanatory circular trail, and info on native / exotic Hawaiian plants. Including ones that are precious lying around. The birds chirping, rainforest scent (phytoncide), trees, berries, flowers, running water stream were highlight of the trail.Lots of small insects, but mosquito appear not an issue with repellent. I would highly recommend spray from time to time.Parking and cellular service are major issues here. There are residents inside the State managed park, lots of abandon stuff at one property which looks creepy. Otherwise the residents looks isolated and happy in such small community.

Reviewing the Nakoa Loop trail. Done this one twice; very easy beginner trail that is very, very muddy. You're in jungle for the entire hiking trail so use bug spray. It's a one mile walk along a paved road to reach the trailhead from the visitor center parking area. Hiking shoes are adequate for this easy hike.There's two or three stream crossings; be prepared to have wet feet unless the water's super low. At the end (if you're hiking counterclockwise) is a swimming pool with a rope swing. I skip this water and head to the beach afterwards :-)About midway into the trail look for s sign pointing left showing "Nakoa Trail". Just to the right of this are the pillboxes that were used for training during WWII. They're about 5 minutes off the loop trail and easy to find.Be prepared to be muddy and sweaty in the jungle. This is a really easy, nice trail.

Great spot be respectful and quiet beautiful view with a hammock set up hidden in the trees

So this hike.... we didn't really pursued going to the trail. Instead, we indulged on the water stream and joined the other locals in the pool. I think the water is clean, however may not be good for drinking. Just a tip: there are mosquitoes and they are thirsty. A combo of sun block and insect repellent is a must. Also, get there EARLY if you tend to take 100 selfies before actually doing something; so you can avoid photo bombers. (Hahah, sometimes that's me!) Good activity for the kiddo these summer.The drive is totally worth if you ask me. After that you can also enjoy the famous Shrimp Shacks around the area which is a probably 30 minute drive from the park.

This place is nice! Is the most clear water I have been in Oahu. There's two spots you can take a dip into. To get to the pool its about 3 miles taking the reservoir road. I prefer the road than the trail, its very muddy at the trail (your choice). Visitor Center its closed, so enter the park pass the visitor center and drive all the way until you see a visitors parking sign. You'll see a map and info.When you enter the neighborhood please be corteous and respectful. Residents are very nice. Enjoy and respect the land!Mosquito repellant is a most!!

Located in Hau'ula, there is only one road that wraps around on that side of the island. Kahana Valley's Nakoa Trail is a 6 mile double loop stroll through an undeveloped windward valley infested with mosquitoes. There are a few river crossings and a pool for swimming, but after I saw a dead boar at a mini waterfall, I decided to skip plunging into the water. There is not much skills needed to do this trail. OK for kids maybe 7 years old and up.I was a grouch during this hike, partially because it was humid and mosquito infested. I've gone on this trail years ago and again today. I have nothing memorable about it. It's far away, and I felt like I was walking through someone's back yard that hasn't taken care of it. It was almost a mile just to walk to the trail head. Got greeted by mosquitoes the whole time, and got scratched up by lauhala leaves (sharp torn-y leaves). This trail isn't for me.

A group of friends and I, along with our kiddos hiked a portion of the Nakoa Trail last friday, starting from the hikers parking lot to the first stream crossing. We all loved this hike! The portion we did was short and sweet! We drove into the Ahupua'a O Kahana State Park and drove past the Visitors Center and kept going until we reached the yellow barrier. There is a sign that says "No Hiker Parking Beyond This Point". Park there. We began our hike here and we passed a residential neigborhood and there we saw the gorgeous mountains. Some of the houses are log cabin style and with the backdrop of the mountains, reminded me of a scene in the Swiss Alps! Most of the trail is paved and very wide. There are pretty flowers, palm trees (the kind in the movie, Lorax), the Indian Banyan trees, and of course the Koa trees along the trail. Once you pass the Nakoa Trail sign pointing left or right (we went left), the trail narrows a bit and the road is like a ditch, muddy at times. Then, shortly after, you will reach the stream which is where we stopped. The main attraction is the rope swing! So much fun had by all! Bring your bathing suits and towel! Also, soak yourself in bug spray. Lots of bugs! Be careful, close to where it opens up to the stream, there is a portion of the water that is really deep. Everywhere else, the kids were able to walk on it (knee deep). And of course, always be aware the risk of Lepto! This portion was short and sweet and we were able to eat afterwards and still had time to hit a beach on the way home!

I only did a few portions of the Nakoa Trail and ended up going the short distance to check out the small waterfall instead of doing the 6 mile loop, which would have taken all day and all of my energy. Beware of lots of mosquitoes (use bug repellent!) and it can get really hot at times.There was another small loop trail that gives you a nice view of Kahana Beach and the mountains, but that was tricky and very narrow at times.Overall, it's probably not one of those hikes I'd do again. Nor would I want to spend a whole day doing the entire Nakoa Trail for that matter. Probably best to stick to places like Diamond Head and Koko Head instead.

This is a review of the Nakoa trail:This is a JUNGLE hike and about as muddy as I've seen on Oahu. Not too steep but the trail is very narrow at times with lots of roots...and mud. We had a 5 year old and I had our 1 yr old in a carrier plus 2 dogs- not a good trail for that crowd. Mud was so thick and deep in places that I had to carry the 5 yr old. Even with good hiking footwear, there was a lot of slipping, sliding, and falling. Its also VERY overgrown in places (to the point that we looked at each other wondering if we somehow wandered off trail at a stream crossing and hoping that we'd make it out before dark.) If you find yourself in 7 ft tall elephant grass surrounded by piles of rotting mountain apples, fear not- you are still on the trail.The pool in the middle of the hike was really nice. We were the only ones there for 45 mins or so. Water is cool and refreshing and the swim was a good break from the mosquitoes, which were ridiculous. We wore bug spray but my wife and daughter still look like they spent 21 days in Central America on Naked and Afraid. Bring some extra Deet and re-apply. Drive past the visitors center on a small windy road with a 15 mph speed limit. There's a small parking area across from a sign for the trail. That'll save you about a mile total or pavement walking.Overall; glad for the experience but wont be doing this one again.