Hike to Kauai’s Stone Dam in Kilauea
Kauai stone dam hike via Wai Koa Loop Trail is open daily, dawn to dusk, to the public through North Shore Dog Park on Kahiliholo Road in Kilauea. Common Ground provides pedestrian access during our business operating hours, 3pm to 6pm Monday through Friday. Please park in the designated visitor parking area and check in at the front desk to sign waivers and get directions. We welcome guests for the Regenerative Farm and Food Experience Tour or Lei Workshop to walk to the dam before or after the tour.
Grab a drink pau hana from the Common Ground bar after your walk. A selection of Hawaii beers, imported wines, and farm crafted cocktails. Cocktails featuring Hanalei Spirits are seasonally crafted and one of a kind such as: monstera gin & tonic, ʻokolehao sour, kauwa(guava) sling, Aloha Ginger Beer mule.
Access to Stone Dam from Wai Koa Loop Trail
Stone Dam public access is through the Wai Koa Loop Trail which is 4.5 miles long and takes about 2 hours. The hike is rated beginner / intermediate for mostly flat terrain. There are no bathrooms or potable water on the trail. Map shows the trial route and parking at North Shore Dog Park on Kahiliholo Road in Kilauea.
What to bring on the trail:
- Shoes: While the trail is mostly flat, you’ll want comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting wet and muddy.
- Bug Spray: The trail wind through a mahogany forest, pasture land, and river valley – all places mosquitoes like to live.
- Snacks / Water: The trail takes about 2-4 hours round trip. Make sure to pack a snack and plenty of water. There is no portable water source on the trail.
- Sunscreen: With our proximity to the equator, it can get hot! Be sure to wear and pack sunscreen even on cloudy days.
- Rain Gear: Kauai is one of the wettest spots on earth, and our tradewinds make the weather variable. Be sure to make a plan for the inevitable rainshower.
- Kids: This rail is USUALLY great for kids, but it does depend on your child’s age, activity level and the trail conditions. Proceed with caution, you might end up carrying them!
Historic Stone Dam
In the 1800s, Kilauea Sugar Plantation went through a period of intensive projects–such as building the first railroad in Hawaii and Stone Dam. Even though Kauai is one of the wettest spots on Earth, there wasn’t enough water for the thirsty sugar cane in Kilauea. The solution was building a series of reservoirs, aqueducts, ditches, and dams to service the sugar fields, town drinking water and field workers.
Each rock was cut by hand and carefully placed. The dam needed to raise the water level 20 feet in order to utilize gravity to water the canefields during the dry season. The specially angled buttresses were designed to support the natural migration of o’opu (Hawaiian freshwater goby) up the stream.
Citations: Writings of Uncle Jack Gushiken, private collection.
Images: Kilauea Sugar Plantation in 1912: A Snapshot by Carol MacLennan
Kilauea Sugar Plantation in 1912: A Snapshot, eVols digital institutional repository for the University of Hawaii (UH) Acknowledgements: The Wai Koa Loop Trail and Stone Dam are open to the public and protected in perpetuity by the Hawaii Land Trust.