On October 19th, 2024, HBL’s Community Engagement Coordinator Vincent Levy visited Kauaʻi to attend Ke Ala Hele Makālae’s induction to the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame. The celebration was scheduled for the 30th annual Make a Difference Day at Lydgate Beach Park. Over the weekend Vincent toured Ke Ala Hele Makālae with Tommy Noyes of Kauai Path and Suzanne Matyas of Rails to Trails Conservancy (pictured, above) and learned about the history and future of this remarkable shared-use path.
Ke Ala Hele Makālae is Hawaiian for “The Path That Goes By the Coast.” Its current 8-mile span hugs the East Coast of Kauaʻi and gives users access to Kapa’a, beach parks, surf breaks, and ocean overlooks. The goal is for Ke Ala Hele Makālae to ultimately run 20 miles and link the population centers of Līhuʻe and Anahola.
New placards have been installed along the trail indicating its Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC) Hall of Fame status, like this one at a viewpoint above the Hikinaʻakalā Heiau and the Wailua River.
In admitting Ke Ala Hele Makālae to its Hall of Fame, RTC proclaimed: “This stunning trail was nominated for its scenic value, community connections and accessibility—creating new opportunities for people of all abilities to access nature and to walk or bike in the community where they live, supporting the region’s public health, mobility and quality of life goals.”
The first 2.5 miles of the Ke Ala Hele Makālae wind through Lydgate Beach Park. The section of the path links the park’s famous snorkeling pond with the dream-like Kamalani Playground and Bynum Bridge.
The water is often in view when riding Ke Ala Hele Makālae. I spotted fish, honu, nene, and seabirds along my ride. In the winter months the sections north of Kapaʻa make for good humpback whale watching.
In addition to Lydgate Beach, Ke Ala Hele Makālae gives users access to Kapaʻa Beach Park, Keālia Beach, and Donkey Beach.
Ke Ala Hele Makālae was designed with connector paths linking it to various East Side communities. One such path is the ADA-accessible Kawaihau Spur Elevated Boardwalk, whose gentle grade makes for a comfortable climb into residential Kapaʻa.
The Kawaihau Spur trail leads to another innovation in safe streets infrastructure: the Kawaihau Rd “round-a-peanut.” This figure-8-style roundabout, just one block away from Kapaʻa Elementary School, safely converges three roads at a key pedestrian intersection. Plants in the center of the round-a-peanut obscure the horizon and encourage drivers to approach with caution.
This intersection also has five crosswalks that employ “pork chop” safety features – raised concrete islands that shield pedestrians as they cross between lanes of traffic.
When you view this intersection on Google Maps Street View you can see how it looked November 2011 before these improvements. Here a keiki crosses an unmarked crosswalk next to open road on his way home from school.
The Hall of Fame inauguration ceremony coincided with the annual Make A Difference Day at Lydgate Park. Over 300 volunteers cleaned the park, repaired facilities, and participated in the celebration over lunch. Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami attended the ceremony and honored former Mayor Maryanne Kusaka – whose vision and leadership helped launch Ke Ala Hele Makālae in the ʻ90s – by proclaiming October 19th, 2024 as Maryanne Kusaka Day. (Photo courtesy of County of Kauaʻi)
Mayor Kusaka and friends observed Kauai Path’s concepts for future expansions of Ke Ala Hele Makālae.
Kauai Path envisions expanding Ke Ala Hele Makālae from Nāwiliwili to Anahola, a 17-mile trail that would link the population centers of Lihue and Kapaʻa.
To learn more about the future expansion of Ke Ala Hele Makālae, click here.
Crew from Kauaʻi Path’s Ke Ala Hele Makālae tour on Make a Difference Day 2024. (Photo courtesy of County of Kauaʻi)
HBL would like to thank Kauai Path, Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy for including us in the event!