Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 140

The North Shore
MALAEKAHANA BAY STATE RECREATION AREA This is one of the
most beautiful beach-camping areas in the state, with a mile-long, gold-sand beach
on Oahu's windward coast. (See “Beaches,” earlier in this chapter, for details.)
There are two areas for tent camping. Facilities include picnic tables, restrooms,
showers, sinks, drinking water, and a phone. For your safety, the park gate is closed
between 6:45pm and 7am; vehicles cannot enter or exit during those hours.
Groceries and gas are available in Laie and Kahuku, each less than a mile away.
Permits are $5 and limited to 5 nights; they may be obtained at any state park
office, including the Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Parks
Division, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809 ( & 808/587-0300; www.state.hi.
us/dlnr/dsp/oahu.html). The recreation area is located on Kamehameha High-
way (Hwy. 83) between Laie and Kahuku. Take the H-2 to Highway 99 to
Highway 83 (both roads are called Kamehameha Hwy.); continue on Highway
83 just past Kahuku. You can also get here via TheBus no. 55.
HIKING
Highlights of the island's 33 major hiking trails include razor-thin ridgebacks
and deep waterfall valleys. Hiking is a great family outing, and you can pick the
trails that will allow the whole gang to wander through a rainforest or walk to a
waterfall. Check out Stuart Ball's The Hikers Guide to Oahu (University of
Hawaii Press, 1993) before you go. Another good source of hiking information
on Oahu is the state's Na Ala Hele (Trails to Go On) Program ( & 808/973-
9782 or 808/587-0058).
For a free Oahu recreation map listing all 33 trails in the program, contact the
Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room
131, Honolulu, HI 96813 ( & 808/587-0300 ). The department will also send
free topographic trail maps on request and issue camping permits.
Another good source of information is the Hiking/Camping Information
Packet, which costs $7 (postage included); to order, contact Hawaii Geographic
Maps and Books, 49 S. Hotel St., Honolulu, HI 96813 ( & 800/538-3950 or
808/538-3952). This store also carries a full line of United States Geographic
Survey topographic maps, very handy for hikers.
Also be sure to get a copy of Hiking on Oahu: The Official Guide, a hiking
safety brochure that includes instructions on hiking preparation, safety proce-
dures, emergency phone numbers, and necessary equipment; for a copy, contact
Erin Lau, Trails and Access Manager, City and County of Honolulu ( & 808/
973-9782 ); the Hawaii Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. ( & 808/

955-0100 ); or The Bike Shop, 1149 S. King St. ( & 808/596-0588 ).
The Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, P.O. Box 2238, Honolulu, HI
96804, offers regular hikes on Oahu. You bring your own lunch and drinking
water and meet up with the club at the Iolani Palace to join them on a hike. The
club also has an information packet on hiking and camping in Hawaii, as well
as a schedule of all upcoming hikes; send $2 plus a legal-size, self-addressed,
stamped envelope to the address above.
Other organizations that offer regularly scheduled hikes are the Sierra Club,
P.O. Box 2577, Honolulu, HI 96803 (www.hi.sierraclub.org); the Nature Con-
servancy, 1116 Smith St., Suite 201, Honolulu, HI 96817 ( & 808/537-4508,
ext. 220); and the Hawaii Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. ( & 808/
955-0100 ).
Casual hikers and walkers will enjoy the maps put out by the Hawaii Depart-
ment of Health on great places to walk. The two brochures are The Honolulu