Kapalua Coastal Trail

Just a beautiful trail with jaw dropping views. Our favorite short hike in west Maui (3.5 miles round trip). Wear sneakers or hiking boots because you will be on a dirt path that isn’t level for part of the way. The J.T. Fleming beach part at the north end has picnic tables if you want to bring a lunch or snack along to refuel for the return trip. And by all means bring your camera!

We did this trail as a sunrise hike, although it faces west so you don’t see the sun rise from the horizon. You still get the beautiful colors of the sky and ocean though. I’d image that this trail makes a beautiful sunset hike though!
We took my 5 year old, so it’s a super easy, relatively flat trail. It rims the coast, and you get to see several ways of how the water meets land — from nice sandy beaches to very rocky black cliffs. There are a lot of people doing this trail, probably because it is easy and because there are a lot of condos and hotels in the area. I’d recommend this as a nice stroll, especially if you are staying in Lahaina like we did.

Great trail. The views are *spectacular*. And it’s an easy-​going trail so pretty much anyone can do it. But wear sneakers or hiking shoes so you can safely go out on the rocks for views/​photos — so pretty.
You can then go further onto a different trail which take you up into the jungle (OK…jungle of Maui :)) and that was HOT and humid but duh… rainforesty = wet. That was fun too but you definitely needed trail shoes as it’s mud so can get slippery. But a cool combo of beach, rocks and then jungle :)

This trail is full of guava– yum!!!
Breathtaking views, and easy to navigate trails with endless amounts of sweet guavas on the way!

Oh I love this trail so much. It’s fantastic!
Go in the morning because there’s literally no shade. It’s windier and cooler in the morning too and parking in the Kapalua beach parking lot (which holds maybe 20 spots). Just start along the beach boardwalk and keep walking.
Walk slow, walk fast, run, it’s all wonderful. And so peaceful. There is nothing like looking over a crashing, angry ocean on a cloudy day from the cliff, with the wind in your hair. Gives you a real perspective on how small you are. There’s a ton of people, so you won’t get lost. Around the Ritz, the trail gets a little confusing.
If we had more time, I would’ve like to climb down the cliff alittle and explore the tide pools and all the nooks and crannies.

Nice trail for walking with amazing views. Not great parking unless you get there early. A couple of spots toward the end of the trail around ritz Carlton not well marked.

This trail is simply perfect for any level of hiking, running or a simple stroll. The trail begins at the Merriman’s restaurant. Park at the lot dedicated for beach parking with posted signs. Walk down the steps through the short tunnel and you will be welcomed by breathtaking Kapalua Beach open to the public, including the trail. The trail starts off paved adjacent to the Montage Kapalua Bay Resort, and continuous as a dirt trail ending at the scenic Oneloa Beach. Along the way there’s black lava rock formations, extending into the ocean, offer solitude and great photo opportunities. When hiking after sunset, make sure to bring a headlamp, since only the paved area is lit up. The trail is roughly 2 miles long (each way) and provides access to the Dragon Teeth rock formation past the Oneloa Beach.

I’m obsessed with finding great coastal trails in Maui. This is one of the best right now. It’s riddled with little nooks and crannies where you can stop and stay away from the crowds.
Oh yeah some crowds here. They thin away as you go further into the rocky outcrops. This is an easy two mile walk. Parking would be more of a task here than walking.
Three things you will love here: Kapalua Beach for the lovely sunset between two islands. Second best reason ever? Secluded little coves. The third best reason ever? The least known but best and closest whitish sand beach! It’s called Oneloa Beach. Haul your stuff and walk that two miles and do your tanning here.
You will pass private properties like the Ritz Carlton, the Montage and the famous Merriman Restaurant.
YOU ARE WELCOME.

Beautiful walk along the ocean between Napili beach and Flemming beach on north west Maui coast. Beautiful homes and the Ritz Carlson are along the way as well.

This was a fairly easy walk, but the scenic views are gorgeous. You start at Napili Kai and make your way past Kapalua Bay, Dragon’s Teeth, Kapalua Villas, the Bay Course, Ritz Carlton and ending at D.T. Fleming Beach Park.
My wife and I walked the trail this morning and had a lot of company on our walk. Folks were very friendly and respected the signs along the way. It’s about a 3 mile round trip. Definitely worth the time and effort.

So it’s time to explore Maui, aside from the beach and the mai tais you’ve been nursing. This is the perfect baby step in a more active direction. With a well maintained path and the ocean just a few meters away, Kapalua Coastal Trail is a nice, easy walk for all ages.
This part of the island is known for its wind, but the beautiful vistas and cover photo worthy moments make it a fun exploration of the island’s coast. We walked along four different bays with swimming opportunities (if you’re ready to brave the accompanying wind). Volcanic rock juts out between the beaches creating gorgeous vantage points. On one side of the trail there’s a golf course and luxury homes and the other side has pure coastal beauty.

Amazing snorkeling always!
I love that there is a bay to protect from unruly waves, and just enough sand to be able to lay out. There is also a lot of shaded grassy area to post up on as well.

Nestled between lucious land and blue sea, this little trail is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. My favorite scenary is the tidepools surrounded by the volcanic rocks. The sea bird nests and their precious eggs was a nice bonus. The trail is good for any age, it is relatively easy and only 3 miles roundtrip. Although the Ritz advertise it to be a running trail, it gets rocky in certain areas so unless you don’t mind spraining your ankle, I really wouldn’t recommend running the entire trail.

Amazing view.
My husband and I walk the trail every morning while we are staying at Ritz Kapalua. You would just appreciate the beautiful ocean and the nicely done trail. It is only the approx. 3 miles round trip, it is a great way to start Aloha day!

This trail is probably the easiest, prettiest trail to walk and take in the sights on all Maui. By far my favorite! The views of the ocean are absolutely gorgeous. !

Hard to believe I’ve stayed on Napili Bay (in west Maui) so many times and never knew about this trail. Great for walks. Jog at your own risk.
Stay on the trail and leave the dogs at home to avoid spooking the birds who nest in the rocky areas.
The southern part of the trail is the most scenic with a couple beaches and a large lava flow area. The northern part turns inland on sidewalks/​streets that take you past the Ritz and then eventually dead-​ends at Fleming beach. Skip that part unless you must see how the 1% vacation.

A wonderful trail to wander and absorb all there is to see. A great place to trek out to right when the sun rises and feel as if Maui is all for you. Wear plenty of sunscreen before you venture out, since the ocean breeze will *feel* cool, but you’re most likely burning and won’t know it until hours have past.
A great place for people of all ages, and for those of you who are bird nerds, there is a nesting site close to Dragon’s Teeth. If you walk the entire trail, you can walk along 3 beaches, Kapalua, Oneloa, and DT Fleming. During the months of Dec-​April, you can see the whales and get a fantastic view of them as you walk toward Dragon’s Teeth.
The absolute best.

On this fairly short trail there sure is a lot to see. The scenery is beautiful and varied. From rocky outcroppings to soft white sand beaches, you’ll see as much as up might on a day driving around the island. I started out at Kapalu Beach where we parked. Get here early because when we arrived at 9:30 there were only a few parking spaces left.
Oneloa Beach was amazing. There was nobody else there on this beautiful beach.

If you need to work off some of that luau dinner from the night before, this is a beautiful, moderate hike to try out. Wear decent shoes or reef walkers– even I wouldn’t recommend flip flops for this one. But wear your swimsuit if you feel like detouring off the trail on to the actual beach for a bit. T and I took this walk in the early afternoon, and it was still very peaceful and almost deserted. Watch out for dog poop! Inconsiderate people, ugh. If you feel extra adventurous, there are fun tide pools to look at and you can sit on the rocks and watch the water smash the cliffs at various points. Bring your camera, watch your footing, and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Talk about a beautiful setting for a walk/​jog. Take your camera and soak it in. I didn’t do this primarily for exercise because I knew I’d stop constantly to take photos.
We stayed in Napili Bay and this trail head was just a few minutes away by foot. I couldn’t find any directions to it online so I grabbed water, put on sun screen and just went exploring.
The train begins at the Kapalua Bay beach entrance. There’s an outdoor shore, water fountain and facilities. Be sure to take water with you no matter what time of day you walk. It’s open from sun rise to sun set. It’s 1.73 miles, ending up at DT Flemming Beach Park.
I would only recommend the first quarter of this trail for jogging. This part is paved and goes across the Ritz-​Carlton properties. Keep following the signs and the trail with go out along the coast, becoming rocky and uneven. You could run, but it wouldn’t feel good to fall on lava rock.
I decided not to run and took my camera. The costal vistas were beautiful. I stopped constantly to snap pictures. As I walked, enjoying the breeze in my face, I imagined what it’d be like to live in those beautiful beach front mansions. What beautiful scenery.
Parts of the trail do not allow dogs to protect the wildlife nesting. If it rained much the night before, the trail may still be wet in the morning. It’s difficult to get photos of the coast in the early morning because of the angle the sun rises. If you want photos, I’d wait till after 9am and take most of them on your walk back. Also in the early morning some properties have their sprinklers on, making you jump and dodge the water.
I highly recommend this path for for exercise or just to soak in the beauty of Maui. I walked it twice, both in the mornings and I imagine it’s pretty at dusk too.