WEST MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 106

to the established trails. If you get lost, just choose a path heading downhill and you will
eventually emerge either at the trailhead or the highway.
MAUNALEI ARBORETUM TRAIL
To climb even farther up the mountainside, follow the Maunalei Arboretum Trail as it
winds its way through a forest planted by the great D.T. Fleming. The manager of Honolua
Ranch during the 1920s, Fleming forested the mountainside with numerous plant species
from across the globe in an effort to preserve the watershed. Today, over 85 years after
the arboretum was established, hikers can still climb the ridges of this historic upland and
be immersed in the serenity of a global forest. Trails in the arboretum range from short,
0.5-mile loops, to a moderate, 2.5-mile round-trip which winds its way up Honolua Ridge.
Reaching the trails, however, is strange: You need to take a shuttle to the trailhead since
access crosses over expensive private property. Shuttles depart from the Kapalua Village
building at 9:30am and 11:30am, and there are pickups at the trailhead at 9:50am, 11:50am,
and 1:50pm. For more information on the shuttle or to arrange a ride call 808/665-9110.
The other—albeit longer—option, is to catch a ride on the shuttle up to the Maunalei Ar-
boretum and then hike your way back down the Mahana Ridge Trail for a grand total of
around seven miles.
MAHANA RIDGE TRAIL
The Mahana Ridge Trail is the longest continuous trail in the Kapalua resort area and the
best option for serious hikers. Although you can access the Mahana Ridge Trail from the
village trails, a less confusing and more scenic trailhead may be found in the parking lot
of D.T. Fleming Beach Park along the access road from the highway. This trail climbs up
the ridge for nearly six miles and offers dramatic ocean and gulch views. Unlike the paved
village trails, the Mahana Ridge Trail is a proper hiking trail with narrow areas, moderate
uphills, and exposed tree roots. The trail can either be hiked as an out and back trip, or if
you are connecting the trail with the Maunalei Arboretum Trail, you can arrange to catch
the 1:50pm shuttle for a sticky and sweaty shuttle ride down. A better option is to catch
the 9:30am shuttle ride up to the Maunalei Arboretum trailhead in the morning and then
hike the Mahana Ridge Trail all the way down to D.T. Fleming Beach Park for a refreshing
dip in the ocean. Maps are posted at the Kapalua Adventure Center and are also available
online at www.kapalua.com .