A trail runners guide to Lanai - Lanai, Hawaii
Lanai is the smallest island in the state of Hawaii that can be visited. While small, it doesn’t mean it feels crowded. In fact, to the contrary, when out on the running trails I describe in this ultrarunning guide, I felt as if I had the island entirely to myself.
Lanai, like the rest of the islands in Hawaii, is mostly privately owned. Here, 98% of the island is owned by Larry Ellison. Private ownership means you can’t just run anywhere as you see No Trespassing signs almost everywhere you go. Ellison has made many improvements to the island, but one area has not been opening up a trail system for runners. However, there are many public jeep roads heading to beaches, mountains, and culturally significant locations that make for challenging yet scenic runs.
Getting to Lanai
To get to Lanai, I flew in on a commuter airline flight from Mokulele Airlines. Mokulele Airlines flies Cessna Caravans, only seating 9 passengers, where every seat is a window seat! If you like to fly like I do, then these commuter flights are a great way to travel between the islands quickly, and also see the islands from the air. There is also a ferry from Maui to Lanai that could be a way to do a quick trip to squeeze in one of these runs on a single day.
Traveling around Lanai
Once on Lanai, you can either rent a car or use a limousine service. I used Rabaca’s Limousine Service for my airport transfers and also getting to and from runs. They were extremely responsive and had friendly drivers. I even learned a lot about the island from the drivers! On one day, I got a car to drive to the starting point of my run, but didn’t need a car any other time, especially since I could walk to places from my hotel. If you decide to rent a car, I found Turo to be really convenient as the person I rented from dropped the car off and also picked it up from my hotel.
Where to stay on Lanai
There are few hotels to stay at on Lanai, but I can recommend where I stayed, the Dreams Come True Lanai Bed and Breakfast. It was an ideal base of operations for an ultra running trip to Lanai. It’s just a short walk to the Dole Park where the main restaurants and grocery are located, and a quick walk to the Lanai City Service Station. The Lanai City Service Station is the only place to get gas on the island, but more importantly they have good coffee and you can get an excellent breakfast sandwich (maybe the best on the island?) or other food, including Poke, from the Plantation Deli located inside.
Where to eat on Lanai
Great spots to eat for dinner in Lanai are at Pele’s Other Garden and Chengdu Taste, in the Hotel Lanai, as well as any of the restaurants at the Four Seasons Resorts. One can eat outside at each, but Pele’s offers a view of Dole Park and its towering pines, while Chengdu Taste has a quaint outside patio on the back of the hotel. The food and service at each was excellent.
The running!
The weather was ideal for running while I was there, just after a week of rainstorms, so I was fortunate to have been able to do the following runs and hikes on Lanai. I don’t recommend any of these in the rain or if the trails are wet.
Day 1: Munro, Koohai, Naha, and Koloiki Ridge Trails
Day 2: Garden of the Gods to Polihua Beach
Day 3: Airport to Cat Sanctuary to Kahekili's Leap
Day 4: Hulopo'e Beach to Pu'Upehe (Sweetheart Rock) and The Fisherman's Trail
Munro, Koohai, Naha, and Koloiki Ridge Trails
The key to the best experience on the Munro trail, just like most mountains in Hawaii, is to run the trail early in the morning so you can get to the top before the clouds / fog have socked in the top. In addition, I would not run this trail in the rain, and ideally when it hasn’t rained in a few days. It had rained the day before, which meant the red mud stuck to my shoes, which unfortunately ended up giving me a blister on my heel that I had to contend with the entire week.
The Munro trail makes up most of this run, but to extend the distance I added in the Koohai, Naha and Koloiki Ridge Trails, and also ran all the way back to my hotel for about a total distance of 20 miles.
My day started with a coffee and a breakfast sandwich from the Plantation Deli in the Lanai City Service station. I scheduled a pickup from Baraca’s Limousine to where the Munro Trail starts in the south of Lanai, where it intersects with Highway 440. Baraca’s has their first shuttle to Manele Bay at 7am, so this is a really convenient way to start. Just ask them to drop you off at the trail on their way down.
I started off the run fast walking because of the sticky, red mud. The trail makes a slow climb up to Lanaihale (House of Lanai), the highest point on Lanai at 3,370 feet (1027m). While getting to the peak, you run through a rainforest and also have amazing views of the oceans and surrounding islands. It’s said on a clear day you can see all six Hawaiian islands (which I don’t think I pulled off). The trail is so interesting because the foliage constantly changes and there are periods where you are running through a tunnel of trees. The tall pines, perched on the very tip of the ridge, are one of the most striking nature scenes I’ve experienced.
The Munro trail also crosses the Koloiki Ridge Trail, which I believe is the most popular on the island because of its accessibility, but also having two commanding views of a spectacular valley. It’s worth spending some time taking a breather here, as the valley and ocean views are just incredible. This is the only part where I saw anyone else during the 4 days of my runs.
The trail portion, really the old 4x4 jeep road, finishes at the Lanai Veterans Cemetery. The cemetery is worth spending some time in for its beauty. There are rows of tall pines and well kept graves.
From the cemetery I followed the road back to the highway that I ran back into Lanai City, where you pass through the center of town, including Dole Park and its own towering pines that box it in. Along the way, you get some additional views of the ocean, a ranch, and pass by one of the other hotels, Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort. It’s a nice easy finish to a challenging run.
Garden of the Gods to Polihua Beach
The Garden of Gods is a large collection of rock formations on the north-west side of the island. To get there by car requires a 4x4, but the road from there to Polihua Beach is closed from what I’ve read. The week I was there, the local car rental agencies didn't have any cars available on a Friday, but I found one on Turo. The best part for me renting through Turo was the car was dropped off at where I stayed and I could drop it off at another location on the island that was more convenient for me that day. Be aware that when you rent a 4x4 on Lanai, you’ll probably get a message such as this:
Never drive onto beach sand. This fine sand is the #1 cause of tow-outs that cost no less than $500 to get you out.
Stay on paved and graded dirt roads only. This is a county statute meant for protecting Native Hawaiian plants and sites. Please show respect for our island.
Weather is constantly changing and as a safety precaution, we ask that you avoid any pools of water or mud puddles that you could get stuck in resulting in a tow-out.
We carry restrictions year long in the following areas:
Munro Trail is off-limits to ALL vehicles and has been closed for over 5 years. You may hike from the cemetery onto the trail only should you want to access the ridge.
Polihua Beach, Lopa & Awelua access is strictly forbidden. Our vehicles may not go beyond Garden of the Gods due to deteriorated road conditions.
Garden of the Gods is dependent on weather. And the cattle guard has been deteriorating. Please confirm clearance before trying to cross.
Narrow trails meant for ATVs, leading through heavy brush/keawe for beach access are not allowed. You’re responsible for any heavy scuffing caused by contact with trees or brush.
You are also responsible for glass and tires. Please be aware the keawe thorns in the lower-lying beach areas will cause tire punctures and we ask that you do not drive over downed tree limbs or brush.
What this meant for me is that if I wanted to see Polihua Beach, I’d have to run there, which was OK with me! My morning started with breakfast at the Blue Ginger Cafe. Knowing I would likely miss lunch, I had the pancakes and a cream cheese danish. Both were excellent, the pancakes very light and fluffy, but the cream cheese danish was out of this world. It was the most fresh and tasty cream cheese danish I’ve had in as long as I can remember. Fully fed, I was on my way by 8am for the 20-minute ride on a mostly dirt road to the Garden of the Gods.
However, on my way to Garden of the Gods, about a half of a mile from it, I came across a giant pool of water blocking the only way there. Maybe my car could have made it through, but I didn’t want to risk getting stuck, and they were really clear when I rented these pools can deceive since the red mud is slick and sticky. I turned around and parked another half mile back at the cattle gate since there was nowhere else to park on the narrow jeep trail.
Ultimately, this turn of events created a really nice run of about 13 miles. The first miles to the Garden of the Gods is through a lightly forested area that then quickly turns into a more desert environment at the Garden of the Gods. As the run continues downhill to Polihua, there are amazing views of Molokai Island to your right, but I also found the heavily rutted jeep trail a lot of fun to run. The jeep trail twists and turns on its way down and all the time there is no other sound than your feet hitting the hard packed dirt. While the sun was warm on my back, there was a nice breeze the entire day.
The payoff on this run is getting to Polihua Beach and having it for yourself. There wasn’t a single other person on this wide expanse of deep sand. The waves are scary here with the force they roll in with since there are no barriers to the ocean on this side of the island. On the land side there is a thick forest, so the beach is nicely framed between the ocean and the land, with the mountains of Molokai off in the distance. I found the sand very difficult to run in, so I just hiked around to explore for a little while, then turned it around to make the long hike back in the later morning sun.
The trail can be very steep in the area, so I mostly power hiked the 1800 feet back to the Garden of the Gods, then ran the final mile back to my car.
It’s really incredible to have an area like this completely to yourself. However, I’d only recommend this trail for very experienced trail and ultrarunners given that there is not a good Plan B if you have a problem. Cell phone service is sketchy throughout, and the road to the beach is not good, so there will be limited options if someone were to need to come and get you. There are also no services, no water, and no food, so you need to be completely self-sufficient.
Airport to Cat Sanctuary to Kahekili's Leap
The reason this run started at the Lanai Airport was because I wanted to head out early and a 6:30am shuttle to the airport was the easiest way to get there. An early shuttle to the airport was OK since the airport would enable me to get in about a 14 mile run based on my route planning.
The shuttle driver was nice enough to drop me off at the corner of Lanai Airport Road and Highway 440. The road starts by going downhill with a marvelous view of the ocean highlighted by the rising sun to your back. After a brief run on the left side of the road, you’ll see a sign for the Lanai Cat Sanctuary and the Kaunolu Village Site where the Kahekili’s Leap is. It is said Kahekili’s Leap is where cliff diving started, as the first recorded cliff dive was by King Kahekili in 1770.
As soon as you make a left off the highway and run a short way up the dirt road, you will see the Lanai Cat Sanctuary on your right. I had visited the cat sanctuary the previous day, and highly recommend that you also stop by if you like cats. The sanctuary has over 600 cats in several large outdoor enclosures with tall grasses, trees, and many places to sit. I spent several hours just wandering the grounds, sitting and reading, and, of course, also petting many cats. It was a great place to relax after the run to Polihua Beach the previous morning.
After the cat sanctuary, the dirt road trends slightly uphill where you pass the airport runway on your left. At about the 2 mile mark, you will have hit the high point of the run and began the descent to the coast where the Kaunolu Village site is located. For most of the run you can see the white lighthouse tower on the coast, and also far out to sea. As on the run to Polihua Beach, the only sound is from the wind, your feet, and the ocean waves crashing into the rocky coast.
Arriving at the Kaunolu Village, I first spent some time exploring the lighthouse area. This is perfect place to look back north at the tall sea cliffs. There are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the waves too. From there, I moved on to the heritage trail hike that will take you past the ruins of an old village and to the Kahiliki’s Leap, which looks like a portal to the ocean. From here, you have an even better view of the sea cliffs and the bay. It’s definitely not recommended to take a leap as one needs to clear the rocks and the water is also relatively shallow. A Red Bull Cliff Diving contest was held here in 2000, but they used a platform extending out into the ocean for that.
Once you’ve enjoyed the area, especially by relaxing on the rocks, it’s time to head back up the 1500 foot climb. The run back up to the center of the island is nice as well, since you have a view of the ocean to your right most of the time.
As with the Polihua Beach run, I didn’t see a person the entire time, and there are no services, food, or water. Be heavily prepared to self rescue if needed, and carry plenty of water as the entire run is exposed.
Hulopo'e Beach to Pu'Upehe (Sweetheart Rock) and The Fisherman's Trail
On my last day in Lanai, I opted to only do a couple of hikes. These two hikes for the effort had the biggest payoff in terms of natural beauty.
My first hike was from the parking lot at the Hulopo’e Beach Parking lot, where I started at 6:30am so I could watch the sunrise over Pu'Upehe (Sweetheart Rock) just shortly after 7am. The entire hike is only about a mile, but the view one gets of the rock, and of Maui in the distance, is incredible at sunrise.
After this hike, I had breakfast, then headed off to hike the Fisherman’s Trail. This out and back trail is about 5 miles, and hugs the coast, including at the end of several sea cliffs. There is also a heritage trail out and back with stories of the local area. The trail starts from the edge of Hulopoe Beach via a public access point just a short walk from the beach parking lot.
Lanai, Hawaii ultra runners guide conclusion
I hope you find your way to Lanai to enjoy the secluded runs all over the island. While the runs I made on Lanai varied from 12 to 20 miles, it is very possible, even on public roads, to put together much longer runs for an ultrarunning destination. However, it’s difficult to do any runs to scenic areas on the island that are not out and back, so I’d recommend these runs as ways to maintain your training in one of the most secluded yet beautiful areas I’ve run. And, most importantly, be prepared on these runs to self rescue as they are remote, hard to access, and there are many spots where your cell phone won’t work.
Tracks
Munro, Koohai, Naha, and Koloiki Ridge Trails
Start: Munro Trail trailhead on Highway 440
End: Dreams Come True Lanai Bed and Breakfast
Way Points: Koloiki Ridge, Lanai Veterans Cemetery, Dole Park
Distance: 19 miles (30k)
Elevation Gain: 3,119 feet (950m)
Garden of the Gods to Polihua Beach
Start and End: Cattle gate on Polihua Trail
Turn Around Point: Polihua Beach
Way Points: Kanepuu Preserve, Garden of the Gods
Distance: 13 miles (21k)
Elevation Gain: 1,768 feet (539m)
Lanai Airport to Cat Sanctuary to Kahekili’s Leap
Start and End: Lanai Airport Road
Turn Around Point: Kahekili's Leap
Way Points: Lanai Cat Sanctuary, Kaunolu Village
Distance: 14 miles (22k)
Elevation Gain: 1,850 feet (563m)
Hulopo’e Beach to Pu’Upehe (Sweetheart Rock)
Start and End: Hulopo’e Beach Parking Lot
Turn Around Point: Pu’Upehe (Sweetheart Rock)
Distance: 1 miles (1.6k)
Elevation Gain: 50 feet (15m)
Fisherman’s Trail on Lanai
Start and End: Hulopo’e Beach Parking Lot
Distance: 5.2 miles (8.3k)
Elevation Gain: 859 feet (261m)
