Kamananui Valley
We took Kirby and Rusty out hiking today to Kamananui Valley, at the back of the Moanalua Valley suburb. It was their first exposure to anything wilder than a lawn or a park. They had a blast!
We started at the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park. There was some sort of neighborhood function going on, so parking was something of a hassle, but there were a few other hikers traveling through so we didn’t get too disoriented.
The trail zigzagged Moanalua Stream over several stone bridges.
Some were low and small…
…but others were quite impressive.
Kirby and Rusty went wild over all the interesting scents and new sights. They did fine on the way in, but after about a mile they were pooped. Judy had to physically carry Rusty back out for a ways.
Later, we realized that Kirby had torn his pads on some of the stones, but at the time he didn’t complain at all. Poor little guy! What with his housebound life, I guess he’s never had a chance to develop pad calluses.
Rusty, on the other hand, has so much fur between his toes that his pads were probably, er, well padded.
This stand of bamboo arched over our heads and almost touched the trail on the opposite side. I wonder if someone trained it to grow that way?
Hau bushes (Hibiscus tiliaceus) were everywhere. I was struck by the dramatic color contrast between the bright, pale yellow of live blossoms on the stem…
…and the dusky red-orange of the fallen blossoms on the ground.
This was the biggest damn mango tree I’ve seen in a long time. Too bad they were just common mangoes; a Hayden of that size would have completely awed me.
August 15th, 2005 at 12:32 am
Do you have a web site where I can find this trail? If I head to the back of Moanalua Valley, will I find it? How long is it? If it’s easy enough, I want to take my mom with me. Sorry for all the questions, but your pics just wants you to go.
August 15th, 2005 at 6:03 am
jj, this is the article that I used as a guide to the trail. There’s apparently also an informational booklet you can purchase that tells about the history of the area, as it was the home of the Damon family during the 1800s. Here’s a Google Map showing the location of the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park. Just go to the back of the park and the trail starts from there. Have fun!
July 6th, 2006 at 11:56 pm
was the hike hard and was there alot of bugs?
July 7th, 2006 at 8:04 am
It’s not hard — after all, the trail was an old carriage road, so it was designed to be not too steep. But it is a streamside trail, so there are mosquitoes. Don’t forget to put on some insect repellent before you start.
January 1st, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I’d love to take my 2 Labs on this hike. I hear there are pig hunters w/their dogs, though. Did you encounter any or hear them in the distance? Also, can the streams be avoided just by staying on the bridges? Afraid of leptospirosis, which I see warning signs for at Moanalua Gardens.
Went to Moanalua Neighborhood Park today but did not really see a trail. Looking mauka, it looked completely overgrown. Is it behind the basketball courts, makai side?
Thanks for your great article!
January 1st, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Patti, I didn’t see or hear any sign of hunters when I was there.
As for the stream, each time the trail crossed the stream there was both a bridge and a ford. Remember, it was originally built as the road to the Damon family house. Lepto is always a potential concern but in this case you needn’t worry — you can always use a bridge, assuming you can get your Labs to cooperate.
Ummm, the trail is at the back of the park. Just head up the slope, all the way back. It’s definitely not on the makai (towards the ocean) side of the basketball courts — did you mean mauka (towards the mountains)?
January 2nd, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Eric, thanks for the info. Have you been to Moanalua Park lately? The entire back sections are completely overgrown. In your 2nd picture of the girl w/Rusty (or Kirby?), it looks like she is on a dirt trail going mauka. It seems to be gone, because I didn’t see any footpaths anywhere.
January 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 pm
The “girl” in the 2nd picture is my wife Judy, with Rusty. Sorry, I haven’t been back there since that day so I don’t know what current conditions are like. If you can find it through the weeds, it’s actually a very nice trail. Good luck!
August 10th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
If the person who ever posted these pictures ever reads this, I just wanted to comment on your awesome pictures and descrptions were. I’ve lived down the road, in Moanalua valley for 26 years, and my friends and I would hang out there after school almost everyday. It brings back so much memories. Someone asked about hunters in the area. I know that there were times when pigs would be hunted, but there would be a big sign posted on the fence that you have pass before you enter the trail that warns you of this. (I think these hunters got permission from damon estates). And there were a few times that I have seen peoples trucks with their hunting dog cages on in their truck beds parked in the lot. If you see them, you know someone is hunting back there. Looking at these pictures gives me the urge to go back there again and reminisce about all the good times we had.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
We had a dedication memorial today Feb.20 2008, for the protection of Kamananui Valley. Now it is under the wildlife and forestry care. This is very important because I am a decendent from the old people that once occupied these mountains.Just wanted to inform you! Aloha.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
My friend and I along with our kids, took a walk in on this trail today! We just loved it. It is my friends second visit to this park, and my first. We both just had to venture in a ways. The weather was great and the trail was irresistable. It was a short 30 minute walk in. But being our first time, and un prepared or researched we had to put it off for another day. I just loved the natural overgrown plants and trees. The sound of birds echoed in the valley. We heard piglets and goats, too. It just goes to show you, that one can realy learn something new everyday!
ps- Thanks for your post! Weve learned the name and partial history of the trail. Weve got some info on the part of the trail we did not see, and we got some feedback from your readers as well. What a nice way to top off our day at the park. Aloha.