The Kings’ Trail, is more properly known as the Ala Kahakai Trail (shoreline trail) or the Ala Loa Trail (long trail). The trail was created in the 1800s and stretched 175 miles from Upolu, at the northern tip of the island, down the west coast and up the south coast, to Kalapana in the southeast corner.
It passed through 220 ahupuaʽa, which were land divisions stretching from the ocean to the mountains. This meant that each ahupuaʽa contained the necessary resources to sustain its inhabitants.
These days, some sections of the trail are open for hiking, but others cross private land. The goal is to reopen as much of the trail as possible to public use. These photos are of parts of the trail passing down the Kohala coast. In many places the trail is ramrod straight to make passage easier, though the surface is often uneven.
Posted in response to this week’s Friendly Friday challenge on the theme of ‘Pathways.’ See more responses here.
Graham's Island 
Hawaii is full of wonders!!!
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It is indeed.
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Amazing pathways on such geologically new ground! Thanks so much for sharing them for Friendly Friday!
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Glad you liked them. Hiking over the lava is an interesting experience, very different from the woods and hills I was previously used to.
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Hiking over lava! Do you have to be wary of stepping in to crevasses, similar to the danger in the lava fields in Iceland? The lava is different in Hawaii, to that found in Iceland, isn’t it?
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Crevasses aren’t really a problem. On lava, the biggest issue is the possibility of falling through the roof of a lava tube. It’s not a problem if you stay on the trails, but is possible if you wander off over the lava fields. I don’t know how Hawaaii’s lava compares with Iceland’s, but I imagine there are some differences in composition. In Hawaii there are two main kinds of lava, a’a, which is rough and sharp and difficult to walk on, and pahoehoe, which is more rounded and smooth and easier to traverse. Flows of different volume and speeds will produce different kinds of lava here.
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Thanks for the explanation. The lava is rough and sharp in Iceland.
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Love the photos.
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Thanks. It’s quite stark, but the history makes the hikes worthwhile.
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I was smart to bring my hiking boots along on our trip to BI last year. I can see why they are necessary! Cool shots!
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I’ve found that decent shoes are a must on the lava. I started out wearing sandals, but that was not kind to both my feet and my sandals.
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