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Waikoloa Village Post Office Hiking Trail

Where: Access trail from mauka side of Pua Melia Street (just past the Waikoloa Village Post Office).  Nearest cross street is Waikoloa Road.  Waikoloa, HI 96738    This trail runs perpendicular to the Cinder Cone trail and eventually intercepts it.  From Hawaii Belt Road, Route 190 (Mamalahoa Hwy.) (from Waimea or Kona), head makai on Waikoloa Road, and turn south on Pua Melia Street as if you are going to the Waikoloa Village Post Office.  Just past the post office you will see power lines on the opposite (mauka) side of the road, and then right after that you will see a “driveway to nowhere” and group of large boulders (to prevent people from driving on the trail).  Park somewhere along the roadway and access the trail through the boulders.  You will notice debris, broken vehicle signals, but it clears up in a moment while you head up a slight hill to a car graveyard on your left side.  You’ll reach a fork in the trail to turn left or right. ...

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Pu’u Hinai Cinder Cone – Waikoloa Village, Hawaii

Where: Waikoloa Road, Telephone Pole 96 Waikoloa, HI 96738 My favorite place to walk the dogs in Waikoloa Village is the “Cinder Cone” trail…lots of sniffing, bounding through tall weeds opportunities for your pooches. Heading east on Waikoloa Road from Waikoloa Village/post office/shopping plaza, you will drive about ½ mile to an area with a locked gate (has red duct tape wrapped around the center area) and dirt area where you can park safely away from the roadway (CLICK on photo below to enlarge it and see where and how I park).  Park on either side of the gate, but please don’t block it. Walk around the gate either side to access the jeep trail that leads to the cinder cone and beyond.  I have walked 4 miles round trip, but it goes much further.  This is private property owned by ranchers who allow public access, I have confirmed (8/2013). The conspicuous Waikoloa cinder cone, with its hidden caldera and giant mysterious cinder spot, has tantalized the imaginations of...

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Puako Beach Dr. – Puako, Hawaii

Location: Puako, Hawaii 96738 Directions: From Kona, drive north on Highway 19. Before mile marker 70, make a left turn onto Puako Road.  Drive straight, passing Hokuloa United Church, and you will soon see the first of six public access trails with the “Leash law strictly enforced” sign at the trailhead.  Park along either side of the road, making sure to pay attention to the “no parking” areas.  A quick walk will have you and your dogs on the beach where you will see a rocky shoreline with many tide pools, inlets and coves, which offer good snorkeling conditions when the ocean is calm. A long, but narrow white-sand beach spans almost the entire length of the bay.  The six public access trails are located by telephone poles #106, 110, 115, 120, 127 and 137.  I have only been to the first one, so please feel free to share your experiences with me of the other spots. I’d love to hear about them! Beach Etiquette for Dog Owners Dogs must...

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Kaloko Fishpond at Honokōhau National Park

DIRECTIONS: From the Kona Airport, drive SOUTH on Queen Kaahumanu Highway past Hina Lani Street (Costco).  Not even 1/2 mile past the Hina Lani Street traffic signal, there will be an asphalt driveway on the RIGHT with no highway signage where you will turn. Once you turn right, you will then see the National Park sign as shown below in the photo.  While it is not necessary to have 4WD, it is a bumpy, unpaved road part way down to the small parking lot. Click HERE for Honokohau National Park map. HOURS: 8:00 am to 5:00 PM daily BRING: No longer than 6 foot leash (Dogs are required to remain on leash at all times), poop bags, fresh water, water bowl.  NO SHOWERS, so you may want to bring your own rinse water.  Shady picnic tables…Bring a picnic lunch! WHAT ELSE: Very quiet and deserted first thing in the morning, I always see at least a few people bring their dogs here to walk the sandy path and then cool off...

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Honua’ula Forest Reserve Makaula O’oma Tract

Trail Names: Maka’ula ‘O’oma Tract, Makahi Trail. (Nearby is Hao Street where some people were parking and accessing the trail from, but it is located on private land and is now posted so no longer available to the public.) Directions: The trail is accessed from the end of Makahi Street, which is near the top of Kaloko Drive (mauka of Mamalahoa Highway/Hawaii Belt Road/Hwy 190). Drive to where the road just ends. There is a trail with a small sign to the right (See picture of car, trail to right).   January 21, 2015 Update: It didn’t name the trail (the wooden sign shown above was damaged and removed in 2014), but it did say Forest Reserve (See picture of white sign). There was also a sign which warned about cars being broken into, and suggested parking on Hao Street, so you can double back and park there where the “Hao Street Trail” is.  More details on Hao Street Trail are down below. Center: 19.7258°N 155.9611°W Elevation at center: 2,602 feet...

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Walua Trail

DIRECTIONS: Beginning at Lako Street (turn mauka off of the highway) just below the Kona Vista Subdivision you will find the Walua trailhead, but it intercepts a couple streets as it goes south for 3 miles. ABOUT: Friendly, social walking/jogging/biking paved path that is popular with area residents and tourists.  In places the Walua Trail is an isolated paved trail and restricted to non-motorized vehicles such as bikes, skates or pedestrians. In other areas the trail becomes Walua Road and you must share the street with cars. However, this narrow and winding neighborhood street does not see a lot of traffic, and drivers there are typically aware of you and are driving slowly. Nice shade from the trees in the morning; HOT in the afternoon, so I’d advise going in the early to mid-morning or evening. BRING: Poop bags, leash, water HAZARDS: High-traffic narrow trail.  Possible unfriendly dogs or under-socialized dogs, so it is advised to only interact with unknown dogs IF the owner agrees to it.  Please don’t let...

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