Kauai trail wins Rails to Trails Hall of Fame honor
Ke Ala Hele Makālae drew nearly 45% of the vote and landed in the Rails to Trails Hall of Fame, boosting Kauai’s 8-mile coastal path.
Ke Ala Hele Makālae is an 8-mile paved coastal path on Kauai’s Coconut Coast, and it won a place in the Rails to Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame by securing nearly 45% of the public vote. The route runs loosely alongside Route 56 and links Ahihi Point, Wailua Beach Park, Lydgate Beach Park, and Kapaa, where residents can leave the highway traffic behind for a safer shared-use corridor. Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame criteria include scenic value, high use, historical significance, accessibility, community connections, and trail amenities.
Signage along the route identifies archaeological and historical sites, Native place names, and the plants and animals people see on the east shore. At Lydgate Beach Park, the trail meets two lagoons protected by a stone seawall, picnic pavilions, tent campsites, and a community-built playground.
The idea was first proposed in the early 1990s by a citizen advisory group convened by the County Council. The group took the name Ke Ala Hele Makālae, which translates to “the path that goes along the shore.” The push gained momentum as agricultural production ceased and former cane haul roads became possible trail corridors, while the State Department of Transportation was updating its bicycle master plan.
It was designed to improve public health, support local tourism, stimulate businesses, protect the coastal environment, and preserve public access to the coast. A county environmental assessment placed the Lydgate Park-Kapaa route within a longer 16-mile shared-use path envisioned from Nāwiliwili to Anahola.
Buildout has come in phases over many years. Kauai Path says Phase II, from Līhi Park to Ahihi Point in Kealia, opened on June 26, 2009, and it now describes Ke Ala Hele Makālae as 7.6 miles on the east side of the island. County documents also show later work extended the path from Papaloa Road to the vacant lot north of Kauai Beach Boy, making the route continuous between Lydgate Park and Palikū, also known as Donkey Beach.
The county formally marked the honor on Oct. 19, 2024, at Lydgate Beach Park during Make a Difference Day 2024. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami attended, and the county recognized former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka for her role in bringing the trail to life.
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