Hilo Bayfront Trails project nears next phase in Wailoa Park

A roughly mile-long trail segment through the west side of Wailoa River State Recreation Area moved closer to construction. The next phase will run past the Wailoa Art Center and the tsunami memorial, then up toward Kilauea Avenue, with part of the route set behind Cafe 100.

Its original master plan laid out a three-phase path system from the Wailuku River at Reed’s Island to Hilo Harbor’s cruise ship terminal, with eight stakeholder advisory committee meetings and three community meetings shaping the plan. About two miles of trail had already been completed in phases by the state and county.

The first phase opened in late 2016 and totaled 5,125 feet, or about a mile, connecting Mooheau Park to Pauahi Street, Pauahi Street to the Bayfront canoe hale, and Pauahi Street to the Bayfront soccer fields. Phase 2 ran into trouble in 2020, when bids came in well above budget. Base bids ranged from $457,887 to $1.23 million, while full-scope bids ranged from $1.1 million to $1.95 million.

Construction on Phase 2 began in April 2022. That work included one section from the soccer fields trail to Kilauea Avenue and another from Pauahi Street to the Kamehameha Avenue entrance to Wailoa River State Recreation Area. The first section was funded with a $440,000 National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, about $65,000 from private contributors and $130,000 from the county. A separate second-part section was supported by about $860,000 in Transportation Alternatives grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

By November 2023, the latest completed trail section finished under budget at about $762,000. County Parks and Recreation Director Maurice Messina said the trails had improved the Bayfront area and transformed the character of the park, adding that "the whole park is so much cleaner now."

The next gap remains the Waiākea Peninsula and Banyan Drive corridor, including Liliuokalani Gardens. A trail counter there recorded an average of 931 people a day, yet there was still no dedicated multi-use path in a corridor used by walkers, bikers and people in wheelchairs. The full network is envisioned at nearly six miles of trails across more than 700 acres, with future links through Wailoa River State Recreation Area, Waiakea Canal and ultimately the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus.