
807 views • posted 12/29/2017 • updated 10/16/2019
The Waiakea trail provides 22 miles of authorized off road use on public land where none existed before on Hawaii's big island.
The Upper Waiakea ATV/Dirt Bike Park is the first of its kind in Hawaii— an off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding area in a Hawaii state forest reserve.
$10,000 in Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds helped provide for a management and risk assessment plan, waiver and permit system, clearing 11 miles of overgrown roads, building a parking lot, providing a portable toilet facility, unloading ramp, information board and also adding 22 miles of single track trail.
The State of Hawaii Trail and Access Program, commonly referred to as Na Ala Hele (NAH), and the ATV Riders of Hawaii also coordinated with the local pig hunters who use the area to minimize conflict between the two user groups.
Hawaii forests tend to have pervasive and year round growth of lush tropical vegetation on frequently occurring steep slopes and shallow tropical soils. Environmental conditions require that careful evaluation must occur prior to developing an area for OHV use.
Future plans include the establishment of a camping area and comfort stations. This trail is a great example of how innovative thinking can provide quality recreational opportunities for OHV users in Hawaii.
2021: Vermilion Falls Trail
2021: Climax Tunnel Rehabilitation
2020: Blue Ridge Tunnel Rehabilitation & Trail Project
2020: Milan Trail Huggers Nash Stream Bridge
2019: Weed Patch Mountain Trail
2018: Ouachita National Recreation Trail Shelters - Arkansas and Oklahoma
2017: Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area - Pennsylvania
2016: Kanab Creek OHV Bridge - Utah
2015: Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point Trail Project - Colorado
2015: Joanna Trail Project - Missouri
2014: Abbott Motocross Park - Nebraska
2014: Millersburg Historic Park and Trailhead - Michigan
2013: East and West Twin Creek Bridges - Michigan
2012: Chattahoochee Nature Trails - Florida
2012: Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway - Nevada
2011: Iron Range OHV Recreation Area - Minnesota
2010: Agassiz Recreational Trail - Minnesota
2009: Sam Houston Multiple-Use Trail - Texas
2008: Wanoga Snopark Shelter - Oregon
2007: Potato Knob Trail at Holly River State Park - West Virginia
2006: Indian Canyon Trailhead - California
2006: County Line Acres Bikeway - Ohio
2005: River Bluff Trail Project - Indiana
2005: Red Creek Bridge - Michigan
2005: MKT Trailhead Project - Missouri
2004: Diana Bend Conservation Area Trail Project - Missouri
2004: Sweetser Switch Trail Project - Indiana
2003: Jane Addams Trail - Illinois
2003: Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Area - West Virginia