Wai‘anae Ecological Characterization

Recreational and Public Use

Beach Parks

Most of the Wai‘anae moku's 20-mile coastline consists of city beach parks that offer some facilities for recreational users (see map). The beaches of the Wai‘anae coast are used for numerous forms of marine recreation, including swimming, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and recreational fishing (see Makai: Coastal and Marine Resource Use). Some of the major beach parks of the moku include Nānākuli Beach, Mā‘ili Beach, Pōka‘ī Bay, Mākaha Beach, and Keawaula or Yokohama Bay.

Nānākuli Beach Park. Nānākuli's broad sandy beach park features sports fields, a playground, showers and restrooms, and camping sites. The beach has long been a gathering place for local families, as well as campers from all over O‘ahu.

Mā‘ili Beach Park. Mā‘ili's white sand beach has a lifeguard station, playground, and restrooms.

Pōka‘ī Bay Beach Park. The calm waters at Pōka‘ī Bay beach park make it a popular swimming place for Wai‘anae's children. The wide sandy beach at this park has lifeguard stands, restrooms, and showers. It is also the site of the Kuilioloa heiau, a large fishing heiau that was restored in 1978 by the Wai‘anae Hawaiian Civic Club and the Bishop Museum (Cordy 2002).

Mākaha Beach Park. Mākaha Beach is the Wai‘anae coast's most famous surfing beach. It was the home of Hawai‘i's first big-wave surf competition, in 1954, and still hosts Buffalo Keaulana's annual Big Board Surf Classic each winter. Big winter surf, milder conditions in the summer, and its proximity to the Mākaha Valley resorts make it a popular beach year round. The beach park features showers, restrooms, and lifeguard service.

Ka‘ena Natural Area Reserve. The beach within the Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve is Keawaula Beach, also known as Yokohama Bay. There is a lifeguard and restroom only at the reserve entrance; no facilities exist beyond that point. Under the Natural Area Reserve system, off-road driving is prohibited in the area to protect native plant and animal habitats. For more information on natural resource protection in the Natural Area Reserve system, please see the Mauka: Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems Management section.

Other Recreational Lands and Uses

Aside from beach recreation, Wai‘anae residents and visitors make use of the coasts, mountain lands, and valleys for other leisure activities such as sightseeing, golf, hiking, camping, and hunting.

Leisure Recreation and Sightseeing.   Casual sightseeing includes stops along any of numerous beach or community parks lining the coastline, in addition to the Mauna Lahilahi Cultural Garden and several heiau locations. 

Golf Courses. Two golf courses are within the Wai‘anae Moku: the Mākaha Resort Golf Club and the Mākaha Valley Country Club, both in Mākaha Valley. Both are 18-hole courses that are open to the public.

The Wai‘anae Sustainable Communities Plan, which presents guidelines for the sustainable growth of the moku up to the year 2020 (see the Development section), calls for no new golf course siting in the moku. It is considered important to limit golf courses in order to conserve Wai‘anae's limited supply of potable water.

Hiking and Camping.   The Na Ala Hele Trail and Access System lists two hiking trails within Wai‘anae: the Kuaokalā Trail and Mokulē‘ia Firebreak Road. The Kuaokalā Trail begins at the Ka‘ena Point Satellite Tracking station inland from Yokohama Bay.  The 2.5-mile trail crosses mountainous forest and open ridges.  Camping is allowed on this trail.  The Mokulē‘ia Firebreak Road begins just beyond the Kuaokalā Trail and allows for four-wheeled vehicle or bicycle access to Peacock Flats campground, hunting areas, and other trail networks within the Wai‘anae Range.

Directions, camping permits, and other information can be found on-line through the Na Ala Hele Trail and Access System (http://www.hawaiitrails.org) or through the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/IdxCampHike.htm).

Two additional hikes in the Wai‘anae Mountains are Wai‘anae Ka‘ala and Wai‘anae Kai (Ball 2000). The Wai‘anae Ka‘ala hike is an 8-mile round-trip trek through the Wai‘anae Kai Forest Reserve to the summit of Mount Ka‘ala, O‘ahu's highest peak. The hike begins at the forest reserve boundary at Wai‘anae Valley Road and ascends to the cool, wet bog of the Ka‘ala Natural Area Reserve, home to many endemic as well as indigenous plant species. The Wai‘anae Kai hike begins at the same location and winds through the foothills of the Wai‘anae Valley, in the Wai‘anae Kai Forest Reserve. The steep trail climbs to an overlook and passes through native forest. The return route traces an old Hawaiian trail (Ball 2000).

Hunting.   Hunting in Hawai‘i requires a license, whether it is on public or private lands.  There are public hunting areas for game mammals and game birds in the Kuaokalā Game Management Area, the Mākua Keaau Forest Reserve, and the Wai‘anae Kai Forest Reserve in Wai‘anae. Detailed information regarding hunting licenses, hunting seasons, maps, and other information can be found on-line through the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/IdxHunting.htm).

Public Facilities

Wai‘anae's population of 42,000 is supported by numerous public facilities, including seven elementary schools, two intermediate schools, and two high schools; a public library in Wai‘anae; two fire stations, one each in Wai‘anae and Nānākuli; a police station, satellite city hall, and Department of Motor Vehicles, all in Wai‘anae; and two post offices, one each in Wai‘anae and Nānākuli (see map). Medical care is available at the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in Wai‘anae and two satellite locations at Nānākuli and Wai‘anae Mall. The health center offers specialized community services like adult day care, nutrition and preventive health, Native Hawaiian traditional healing, mental health services, substance abuse treatment programs, and family planning.

In addition, numerous community organizations exist to support the economic, social, and spiritual needs of Wai‘anae's people. These include the Wai‘anae Community Re-Development Corporation, Cultural Learning Center at Ka‘ala, Mala Ai ‘Ōpio (MAO), Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha, Hoomau Ke Ola, Nani O Wai‘anae, Mālama Mākua, the ahupua‘a councils, and Hawaiian Homestead associations, among others.

References Cited

Ball, S.M.J. 2000. Hikers Guide to Oahu Revised Edition 2000. University of Hawaii Press.

Cordy, R. 2002. Ancient History of Waianae. Mutual Publishing. Honolulu, Hawaii.

Related References

Bendure, G., and N. Friary. 1993. Hawaii, a Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications, Australia.

City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting. 2000. Waianae Sustainable Communities Plan. http://honoluludpp.org/planning/Waianae/Wai1.pdf

Foster, J., and J. Fujii. 2000. Frommer's Hawaii 2001. IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. Foster City, CA.

Na Ala Hele. 2004. Na Ala Hele Trail and Access System. http://www.hawaiitrails.org

State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). 2004a. Camping and Hiking. Division of Forestry and Wildlife. http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/IdxCampHike.htm

State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). 2004b. Hunting in Hawaii. Division of Forestry and Wildlife. http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/IdxHunting.htm

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