Any fairly easy short hikes?

Hi we%26#39;re going to be in Kauai in early January and I was wondering if there were scenic hikes maybe to a waterfall or view, or beach that isn%26#39;t very long or strenous. I%26#39;ll be 51 and my husband 55. Since I exercise everyday I%26#39;am in good condition and my husband is in okay shape, but we just aren%26#39;t too much into huffing and puffing and getting really sweaty in the hot sun. Also since we are in our 50%26#39;s we wouldn%26#39;t want to do anything particularly dangerous. Any advice any of you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!!!

Any fairly easy short hikes?

Heck, you are still kids!

If you find dirt trails too strenuous or risky take a lovely walk directly on the ocean beginning in Lydgate Park at the Wailua River crossing in front of the Aloha Beach Resort, continuing through the park, passing in front of Castle Kaha Lani condos then through the newly created campground on the ocean just behind Wailua Municipal Golf Course ultimately ending at Kamalani Playground No. 2. If you want to continue walking you can go directly down to the sandy beach then actually walk to the Hilton Kauai Beach Resort (formerly a Radisson property). I estimate the hike at about 2 miles to and fro. Sand walking leaves some folks complaining of muscles aches in their legs and if unaccustomed to it, tiring. There are similar flat maintained trails in front of Poipu hotels and condos as well.

Any fairly easy short hikes?

Lots of hikes on Kauai, but I%26#39;ll admit a lot of them can be pretty tough, especially some of the better hikes (Kalalau, Alakai, etc).

One hike I%26#39;ve always really enjoyed is into Wai%26#39;ale%26#39;ale though. It%26#39;s probably best to take this as a tour, bc they make getting to ';the gate'; a lot easier than going it alone. But the walk to the river junction is pretty easy and the views (if you%26#39;re lucky enough to catch it on a good day) are incredible. This has always been one of my favorite treks on the island, next to anything on Na Pali at least.

You can also do some scenic walking around Kilauea lighthouse, but nothing major that most other folks aren%26#39;t doing. Wouldn%26#39;t really call it a hike.

Thanks for the replies. I wanted to clarify a little that it%26#39;s not that we can%26#39;t hike. Except for the summer months I usually walk everyday for a little over a mile and some of our subdivision is very steep. In fact the name of our street means vertical earth and another street I go up has a 12% grade. It%26#39;s just that we%26#39;re not into hiking for the sake of hiking and won%26#39;t really have a lot of extra time just to hike. We visit in the Smokey Mountains a lot and we%26#39;ve gone on what%26#39;s supposed to be moderate hikes that got a liitle more strenous than we liked and took hours to get to the waterfall or whatever and just didn%26#39;t seem quite worth it. So really I guess we just wanted to not take any more time or effort than was necessary for a so so view. So I really appreciate your replies. If anyone else has any suggestions let us know. I%26#39;am sure there are plenty of others that would like to know also. We%26#39;re also going to be in Maui for 4 nights so if there are any particular ideas for easy hikes there we%26#39;d be interested in those also. Thank you again!

You might try some of the botanical gardens. Those are nice walks and can have great views.

trykauai.com/National_Botanical_Gardens.htm

http://www.naainakai.org/

You might try this in Wailea. Its a gorgeous walk and you can check out all the hotels too. :)

www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp…

Since you mentioned the 12% grade thing I can%26#39;t help but make this suggestion. Consider it the hardest mile round-trip hike you%26#39;d likely want to make, with a very steep incline to start, but well worth it.

At the end of the Highway on the north is Ke%26#39;e Beach, and the Kalalau Trail starts here. If you can make it up the initial and rocky incline to about a half mile up the trail, maybe a bit more, you will have the best views you%26#39;re likely to find anywhere on the ground (easily) on the island. To your left in front of you Na Pali%26#39;s cliffs will stretch for miles. Behind you to the right will be Ke%26#39;e Beach down below, a very beautiful scene. This is one of my favorite spots on the island, and it%26#39;s very obvious where it is... it%26#39;s the only place you can see both Ke%26#39;e and Na Pali in the same place. It%26#39;s not an easy trek... but I%26#39;ve seen young and old go a lot further on the trail. If you had more time I%26#39;d suggest going further towards the first beach (Hanakapiai) bc the trail is the worst near the start.

If it%26#39;s recently rained or is forecast to rain the day of your hike, I%26#39;d skip this however. The trail is a mess when really wet.

If you want to get another good view of Na Pali without this hike, just walk to the far right at Ke%26#39;e Beach. Turn around and Na Pali is before you. Great sunsets here too by the way.

Hope that helps :)

My husband and I are the same age as you two, and our favorite walk is from the Hyatt hotel to Mahelupe (sp?) Beach.

Most of the walk is along cliffs over the ocean or along the beach. There is a trail, but you can leave the trail often to enjoy the view. You%26#39;ll see a few people at the beginning, but as you go further, you are more alone. At the farthest end of the trail, there is a beach where we usually see only one or two people, or no one at all. We do this walk a couple of times each trip. And you can make it as long or short as you like. Bring water and snacks because you might find yourself going further and further to see what%26#39;s around the next corner.

Hey gaccatwoman, sometimes its not about the destination but the journey. For example we hiked for what would seem like hours to most people to get to this view that was supposed to knock our socks off. Well we got to the end of the trail to the viewpoint and it was totally socked in and all we saw were clouds. It was like the worst foggy day here at home. But, the hike was truely amazing. The things we saw and experienced are like no place on earth. I know this hike is way more than you want to do, and as previously pointed out, there are lots of easy walks and hikes to enjoy on this island. Also, we took a tour up toward Wai%26#39;ale%26#39;ale. It was a guided natrue walk and was really cool. They pick you up in a 4x4 van, drive up the road and then you walk a little ways. They give you water, juice, snacks, rain gear if needed and lots of info about the plants you see along the way and about the island in general. It was a very relaxing and fun time. Check out hawaiianstyletravel.com/KauaiGuide815.htm. I think you might really enjoy this. Have a wonderful wonderful vacation. You will love it!

The link above is broken, here%26#39;s the full one:

hawaiianstyletravel.com/KauaiGuide/Guide815.…

BTW, that%26#39;s the same hike I mentioned above. I also highly recommend it.