A safer Manoa Falls Path reopens in Hawaii: Journey Weekly

On Oahu, a well-frequented trail has been reopened after almost two years of closure for maintenance and security.

The Manoa Falls Trail in Honolulu, which attracted 700 to 1,000 hikers a day before the pandemic, was closed in July 2019 to allow the Department of Land and Natural Resources to install a fence next to the falls to contain the risk of falling rocks.

The 2.7 mile round trip winds its way through a tropical forest in the highlands above Honolulu to the base of 50 m high Manoa Falls. The trailhead near the Lyon Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is 5 miles from Waikiki and can be reached at the end of Manoa Road, where there is a $ 5 parking fee.

While the fence was being erected, Na Ala Hele, the Hawaii Trail and Access Program, made a handful of trail safety improvements, including widening the path for two-way traffic and renewing the bed of the path, with funding from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and among others the Federal Highways Administration’s Recreational Trails Program.

“It’s really about safety,” said Aaron Lowe, Oahu Trails and Access Specialist for the Na Ala Hele program, in a statement. “In a lush valley that receives 160 to 170 inches of rain annually, the trail was an eroding, slippery, and muddy mess. After a lot of work during this lengthy lockdown, we’re very excited to be on time for National Trails Day, which is also better for the watershed is. “

The Manoa Falls Trail will also include new rest areas with benches and signs informing hikers about the falls rainforest watershed.

“We value our continuous partnership with [the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources] to support these crucial improvements to the Manoa Falls Trail and, above all, to educate hikers on how to malamat the watershed through our Aloha Aina program, “said John De Fries, President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, in a statement using the Hawaiian word for caring for the earth “Mahalo to DLNR and the important work of the many individuals who have restored this path for the safety and enjoyment of our residents and visitors.”