Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MM
Munro Trail
Munro Trail
doesn't look like anywhere else on Lana'i—or anywhere else in Hawai'i.
Anyone who ventures out on this 12.8-mile dirt road might swear they are in the Pacific
Northwest instead of the tropics. When you think about Hawai'i, you think about palm
trees, not pine trees, and yet wandering around the stands of Cook pines is one of Lana'i's
most iconic adventures. There are few better ways to spend a morning on Lana'i than by
rising early, throwing on a light jacket, and heading into the uplands where the smell of
eucalyptus wafts through an understory of ironwoods and pines. For clear skies and dry
conditions, it's best to hike Munro Trail in the morning hours before enveloping clouds
blow in on the trades.
To reach Munro Trail, travel past the Lodge at Koele on Keomuku Highway until you
reach a sign for Cemetery Road, where you will make a right just before the first mile
marker. On Cemetery Road the pavement turns to dirt and then branches off to the left,
bringing you to the start of the trail. Technically Munro Trail is a single-lane, dirt road
which is navigable by anyone with four-wheel drive. The Dollar Jeep rental company
doesn't allow its Jeeps to go on the steep and potentially muddy track, and even those who
have rented a Hummer have occasionally gotten stuck. The other option is to park your car
at the trailhead and make the 5.5-mile hike to the summit (one-way), choosing to stop at
lookouts along the way.
