Welcome to HIKT-Hiker 2025

Hawaii Island King's Trail 2025 - The Way of Kamehameha 

Congratulations on beginning a journey to hike the Hawaii Island King’s Trail (HIKT), the Way of Kamehameha! In a few simple steps, you will be an official HIKT-Hiker! The question is can you be a completed HIKT-Hiker and subject to all the bragging rights associated with walking around the Island from Kamehameha Statue to Kamehameha Statue, a feat very few people have accomplished.

The "HIKT" circuit (Hawaii Island King's Trail) is 18 hikes over 20 days - 16 Saturday hikes and 2 overnight Saturday/Sunday hikes - hiking from the original King Kamehameha Statue in Kapaau (Hawi area) to the 2nd King Kamehameha Statue in Hilo. This "Way of Kamehameha" is slightly over 300 mile trek (approximately 250 miles on coastal trail / 50 miles on road) is completed between February to October. If you choose to join on this "one of a kind" ADVENTURE, you will become a coveted HIKT-Hiker and if you complete the series, you will become a "Completed HIKT-Hiker" ! So far there are 6 of us that have completed the 300 mile circuit. 

The HIKT journey averages approximately 15 miles per hike, but it is not the distance but terrain that matters.  Each hike will average 8 to 10 hours and we hike one way, start to finish with little to no support.  Some hikes cover 20 miles and some segments only 10 miles, again depending on terrain and where we can get in and out of the trail. We have 18 set hiking routes. We will walk only on National, State, and County Lands, and Private Land with County Access Easements following the Ala Kahakai Trail Corridor for a majority of the HIKT. HIKT-Hikers walk as a group, not as individuals, and leave no one behind. We do not hike for speed but for the beauty of the land.  With that stated, you need to be an Advanced Hiker to make this journey.

We also need Support Members, meaning if you want to be part of the HIKT-Hikers, but maybe are not confident to complete the entire distance, come support us.  In a support role you would help shuttle us from the meet up point at 7am to the starting point.  You would start the hike with us to a point and then turn back and hike to the vehicle, move the vehicle to the finish point, and hike in to meet us to finish the hike. In this way you experience much of  the terrain as well as you help the group. You will also get stronger to be able to complete entire hikes. This is a great way to start out if you are unsure of your abilities.

Do not worry if you can't make every hike as you can make hikes up with others in the group as you will have all the information to complete the hike. We use Google Maps as our platform and you are given all the waypoints.  Your phone becomes your GPS device to show you where you are and the waypoints of the route. You must have a google account and have the google maps app on your cell phone. It is also wise to link Google Maps on your desk top computer to your phone.  This way any changes on one will be on both, your computer and phone.

 
Every HIKT-Hiker is expected to study the route for the upcoming hike, HIKT, and know how operate Google Maps on your phone to navigate from waypoint to waypoint. You are not on a guided hike, but a group member helping discover a route. We will teach you on the first couple of hikes, but every member is expected to contribute to the situational awareness of the terrain and route. Again, we will teach you if you are not familiar.  You should also take time to open up the links with each HIKT route description to learn the history of the land you are walking on. You can't appreciate where you are if you do not know where it has been.  

The dates of the 2025 hikes are as follows: 2/15, 3/1, 3/15, 3/29, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/31, 6/14, 6/28 and 6/29, 7/12, 7/26, 8/9 and 8/10, 8/23, 9/6, 9/20, 10/4, 10/18.  All information for each hike, Meet up location, hike start and finish, hike waypoints, will be fed to you on the event information tab.

For Hikes, we typically meet at the designated meet up point at 7am (usually the finish point), shuttle to the start, hike one way, have a post hike celebration at finish, shuttle drivers back to their cars at start point, and go home.  The terrain you will see is incredible and you will learn the true, raw beauty of Hawaii Island. The bond you build with the other HIKTs will be friendships for life.

If you want to challenge yourself and see this island like you never imagined, come hike with us. Come be a HIKT-Hiker! Please complete the following steps below to register for HIKT 2025. We will have more coordination as we get closer to Feb 15th first hike.

To Register for HIKT 2025 Please do the Following:

1. Please read and agree to the Acknowledgement of the HIKT.
2. Complete the Pono Pledge 
3. Agree to follow the HIKT-Hiker Group Rules 
4. Please click the registration button at the bottom of this page and fill out the email completely with your full name, cell phone number and Email address. Confirm if you are registering as a HIKER or SUPPORTER for HIKT 2025. 
5. By sending the email, you are confirming you have completed, understand, and will follow above, 1, 2, and 3.