Hiking the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi
Distance: 0.6 miles / 1.0 km
The Kaulana Manu Nature Trail, formerly known as Kīpuka 21, is one of the best hikes on the Big Island, and it’s my personal favorite trail off Saddle Road because you get to see a variety of native plants and birds in a beautifully preserved Hawaiian forest that you would otherwise not get to experience around the island.
Kaulana Manu Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail is located in large paved parking lot directly off Saddle Road.
Generally speaking, Kaulana Manu isn’t as busy of a trail as you might see in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, meaning that finding a parking spot should never be an issue.
Google Maps Directions: Kaulana Manu Trailhead
Hiking the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail
From the parking area, the Kaulana Manu Trail begins up the service road, following the footprints on the pavement.
Kaulana Manu Kīpuka
When you come to the fence, please ensure that the gate locks after passing through.
These fences are what help pristine Hawaiian forests, such as Kaulana Manu, remain protected from feral non-native ungulates that destroy them.
Kaulana Manu Loop Trail
Shortly after the gate, the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail splits into a short loop through the beautiful Kīpuka.
Personally, I don’t think it matters too much which direction you decide to hike, so I decided to go right.
While there isn’t much to say about the Kaulana Manu Trail that can’t be seen from these photos, I do encourage you to take it slow.
Having the opportunity to hike through such a pristine native Hawaiian forest is quite a luxury compared to where I live on Oʻahu. Lower islands, such as Oʻahu, tend to require much more time and effort to hike up to our pristine forests as opposed to this easy-to-access trail right off Saddle Road.
Kaulana Manu Lookout Junction
On the far end of the loop, Kaulana Manu Nature Trail splits to get to a small lookout above the surrounding forest.
Go right at this split to reach this lookout.
Kaulana Manu Lookout
I have heard mixed opinions about whether or not this is the best place to see the different native birds, but what I can confidently say is to look for the ʻŌhiʻa flowers.
If you see a tree that has many crown flowers, it’s more than likely a good tree to sit and watch for a while because that will likely be an ʻŌhiʻa that the ʻIʻiwi, ʻApapane, and various other birds frequent.
Once back on the loop, Kaulana Manu simply works its way back toward the initial split.
This Lapalapa, also called an ʻŌlapa, is an interesting tree because of how different the various subspecies look between the islands.
Additionally, if you notice what looks like a raspberry, that’s ʻĀkala, and they are edible to humans, but I ask that you please leave them for the birds, so that they can continue reseeding this beautiful forest.
This is where the Kaulana Manu Nature Loop meets back up with the beginning.
Overall, Kaulana Manu is one of the most beautiful and pristine trails across all of Hawaiʻi, and it’s also one of the best family-friendly hikes that you can find across Hawaiʻi Island.
Native Plants on the Kaulana Manu Trail
I could go on and on about the many native Hawaiian plants that you are going to see along the Kaulana Manu Nature Trail, but that’s truly what the trail is for.
However, if you would like to learn more about something specific that you encountered along the hike, I encourage you to read more in my separate post dedicated entirely to helping others learn more and identify a variety of native Hawaiian plants from across the islands.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
