Why Do So Many People Get Into Trouble While Hiking in Hawaii?
Hawaii is blessed with some of the most cinematic hiking trails on the planet. I live part-time on Maui and still find myself spellbound by vistas of plunging waterfalls cleaving to jungle blanketed mountainsides and rugged coastal cliffs spilling down to the sapphire sea. I also know how the technicolor scenery, combined with the heady, plumeria-scented air and the islands’ laidback aloha vibes can lull hikers into a false sense of security. What could possibly go wrong on a hike in this incredibly beautiful paradise free of threats like bears, snakes, or poison ivy?
I consider myself a seasoned hiker. My other home is in Boulder, Colorado, and over the years, I’ve bagged a handful of the state’s iconic fourteeners (14,000-foot peaks). The monotone, high-alpine terrain always feels daunting and motivates me to prepare meticulously ahead of a hike.
The author on a hike near Breckenridge, Colorado (Photo: Courtesy of Jen Murphy)
I’ve come to learn, Hawaii’s trails demand the same respect and precautions. Would I ever tackle Mount Sanitas, my go-to local Boulder hike, in a flimsy pair of Havainas? Never. But I was foolish enough to leave my trail shoes in the car and embark on Maui’s Hoapili Trail, a 5.5-mile route on ancient lava flows, in flip-flops, because everyone wears flip flops in Hawaii, I rationalized. The straps snapped just after mile four and I was forced to slog back to the parking lot barefoot along jagged, sun-scorched black rock. I’ve never made that mistake again.
Outside editor Mary Turner has hiked all over the West but was humbled by some of the treks on Kauai. “A friend called one trail spicy, but I wasn’t worried,” she recalls. “But it was hot and humid and sticky and the vegetation was so thick you could have easily walked right through it and off the side of a cliff. And at the end of the trail, you had to scale a rock face with a very frayed rope. The guy in front of us said it wasn’t safe and turned around. We did the same, and I thought, geez, hiking in Hawaii is for real.”
You might be an experienced hiker on mainland America, but Hawaii’s humidity, knife-edge ridges, dense jungle, and muddy rainforests present unique perils, says Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz, president of O’ahu Search and Rescue. It only takes a wrong step or two to become disoriented and lost, injured, or worse, dead.
Hawaii doesn’t have a state-level search and rescue (SAR) coordinator. Wilderness SAR is handled at a county level, falls under the responsibility of the fire department, and they are only mandated to search for 72 hours when someone is reported missing. O’ahu, Kauai, and Maui all have volunteer SAR teams as well. The lack of an overarching umbrella organization makes it difficult to accurately track the exact number of rescues per year, but government officials have estimated that about 1,000 hikers are rescued across the state annually.
Cautionary Tales
Ocean rescues are more prevalent in Hawaii, but hiking mishaps have generated a glut of coverage in both local and mainstream news outlets over the years.
Last month, a 49-year-old man died after losing his footing while hiking up a 60-foot waterfall on Maui, and one day later a California couple in their sixties had to be rescued by helicopter after sustaining multiple injuries attempting to hike Oahu’s off-limits Sacred Falls Trail. The month prior, an unidentified hiker rang in 2025 while lost on O’ahu’s challenging Wahiawa Hills Trail. He needed to be airlifted by a rescue team around sunrise.
In December 2024, 32-year-old Alaskan visitor Lauren Cameron disappeared in the waters off Hanakapi’ai Beach on Kauai’s North Shore while hiking the Kalalau Trail, which Backpacker Magazine has called one of the most dangerous hikes in America. Officials believe she was swept out to sea. A 30-year-old California man needed to be airlifted to safety last September after suffering from injuries in a ten-foot fall onto rocks at Twin Falls on Maui. On Hawaii Island, two hikers got lost without food and water during a severe winter storm last January on Mauna Loa—the largest active volcano in the world. They had to stay overnight in a shelter and were extracted by a rescue helicopter the following day. The hikers were fined for not having a permit and ignoring the summit closure posted by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. These accounts are just from 2024.
Despite the steady stream of headlines about dead hikers, fatal falls, and accidents on Hawaii’s trails, visitors are still ignoring rules and safety precautions.
One of the most alarming headlines of late hit national news in January 2023, when Ian Snyder, a 34-year-old travel blogger and hiking enthusiast from California, was stranded for three days at the base of a waterfall after surviving a 1,000-foot fall while illegally hiking O’ahu’s Koolau Summit Trail. Snyder, who suffered a broken arm and other injuries, admitted to reporters that he wasn’t as prepared as he should have been for the hike and shouldn’t have gone it alone. He also shared that he followed an online map which took him to a closed trail. A few weeks after his recovery, he filmed a PSA at the request of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, as a cautionary tale to other visitors.
Hawaii’s Terrain and Climate Pose Distinct Challenges
On the mainland, a 22-mile out-and-back hike with 1,600 feet of elevation gain, typically wouldn’t daunt me. But the Kalalau Trail, a bucket-list trek with zero cell service that hugs Kauai’s storied Na Pali coastline, isn’t just another hike. CNN has called it one of the world’s most dangerous hiking trails, with hazards including falling rocks, flash floods, shore breaks, and cliffs on the trail. I’ve attempted it five times without success and have no regrets about turning around due to raging water crossings, treacherously slippery conditions, and in another case, simply fatigue. Others haven’t been as lucky. In 2022, 46 people needed to be rescued from the harrowing route and in 2014, 121 people needed rescue over the course of a few days.
“People drastically underestimate and underprepare for the challenges of a trail like Kalalau,” says Sarah Laouxz, of Kauai Search and Rescue. “They see the pretty photos and want to be there, but they don’t take into account the physicality of getting there and back.”
They also underestimate easier trails. Take the Diamond Head Summit Trail, an iconic 1.6-mile roundtrip hike located minutes from Waikiki in O’ahu. Pearson-Pomerantz estimates his team makes more rescues a year on that trail simply because hikers aren’t prepared. “Hiking Diamond Head is a classic thing for tourists to do,” he says. “You get spam musubi, hike Diamond Head, get a shave ice, and that’s your day. Maybe because of its proximity to the city, people attempt it in high heels, without water or sun protection.” The trail is steep and uneven and climbs 560 feet. People often become dehydrated or roll an ankle, he says. When vacation brain sets in, visitors start looking through their camera lens instead of at the path in front of them. At least once a month his team has volunteer “trail angels” patrol the route with water, snacks, and sunblock. “Heat is the biggest threat to hikers and a bad sunburn is probably our most common injury,” he says.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park chief ranger Jack Corrao says its search and rescue incidents consistently increase when there are active volcano eruptions. In 2023, the park had three spectacular eruptions in the summit of Kilauea volcano and 13 search and rescues. Five of those were lost hikers near the eruption viewing site at Keanakakoi off old Crater Rim Drive. “The park is open 24 hours a day, and the best eruption viewing is usually after dark,” he says. “When people become separated after dark, the odds of them getting lost increase. We urge visitors to plan ahead, bring head lamps or flashlights, to stay on trail and out of closed areas.”
Dense vegetation can also throw hikers off track. “The trees and the trails have a way of enveloping hikers and blocking the horizon, so that seeing the ocean or other points of reference become impossible, disorienting people,” says Amanda Hess, the director of public education at O’ahu Search and Rescue. Thick foliage can also conceal potential dangers. Chalsie Honu Quel, a volunteer with Kauai Search and Rescue, notes that the terrain of Waimea Canyon has been vastly altered since Hurricane Iniki toppled many native trees in 1992. “Now the trails are overgrown with invasive species that make it easy to slip into a gulch or ravine.”
Chris Berquist, founder of Maui-based Search Tech Advisory Team, cautions that thick ginger patches hang off ledges, acting like false edges on many trails. “People step on them and it’s like a trap door,” he says. “The bottom gives out, they start to slip, and often their footing is irrecoverable.”
Social media posts of people cliff jumping into the ocean or diving off waterfalls have created the illusion that the islands are a controlled amusement park. Injuries frequently occur when people leap with no knowledge of the water depth or without considering how they’ll get back to land. “A lot of hikes lead to what look like beautiful jumping places, such as Queen’s Bath, an ocean pool in Kauai,” says Berquist. “But due to the steepness of the cliffs or looseness of rocks, a lot of adventurers can’t scramble back up.”
Weather Can Change on a Dime
Island weather is rarely uniform and frequently changes throughout the day. If it’s rainy on Maui’s north shore, it’s almost guaranteed to be dry and sunny on the south shore. And a calm, clear morning can turn into a windy, sprinkly afternoon. The resorts tend to be in areas that see 350 days of sun a year, says Chris Stankis, the public information officer for the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety. Yet, many hikes are in areas that see a fair quantity of rain on an almost daily basis,” he says. “And as you go further inland and upslope, the chance you might encounter rain, muddy, slippery terrain, and flash flooding increases.”
It may seem like summer at your hotel, but you should still pack layers, especially if you’re planning to hike the 13,000-plus foot summit of Mauna Loa in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park or the 10,000-plus foot summit Haleakala National Park on Maui, where conditions can bring weather ranging from hail to snow. Nick Clemons, chief of interpretation, education, and volunteers at Haleakala National Park, says the park averages two rescues a week and they often involve medical issues arising from altitude, dehydration, over-exertion, and hypo and hyperthermia.
Flash floods pose one of the biggest dangers to hikers. “They’re our avalanche,” says Berquist. “Once you’re in one, there’s little chance of escaping. There’s a lot of debris. I’ve seen victims stripped naked. The water gets violent.” Heavy rains and flooding bring precarious conditions to the islands’ beloved waterfalls. Berquist notes that many falls border the coast or drain into a slot canyon. If you’re standing near a slippery edge and a gush of water comes rushing at you, you’re likely going to be shot into the ocean or canyon, he warns.
Many of Hawaii’s Most Popular Trails Are Actually Illegal to Hike
The SAR volunteers I spoke with agreed, the majority of rescues take place on illegal-to-hike trails. Many of the most Instagrammed hiking areas, such as Narnia, a collection of waterfalls within the Hilo Forest Reserve on the Big Island, are off limits due to liability and safety concerns. But the pull of social media often blinds visitors to closure and trespassing signs. “‘Do it for the gram,’ is a real thing,” says Berquist. “I think Instagram kills more people than coconuts in Hawaii. A lot of times when a tourist falls off a cliff or slips we find them with their phone next to them, the camera app still open.”
It doesn’t help that many guidebooks, travel blogs, and social media posts provide detailed instructions on how to access these illegal trails. And, as was the case with Snyder, hikers often follow GPS tools that direct them to non-sanctioned trails, which aren’t inspected or repaired and most likely, won’t have signs warning hikers of dangerous conditions.
In 2006, two women fell some 300 feet to their deaths while trekking to Opaekaa Falls in Kauai. They had followed an unmarked trail featured in some Hawaii guidebooks. In most states, if you injure yourself on public lands, the onus is on you. But in Hawaii, the state can be held liable for injuries occurring on public lands if it fails to maintain a reasonable level of safety. In this case, the state was ordered to pay $15.4 million to the victims’ families. The trail remains closed.
In 1999, eight people were killed and nearly three dozen were injured from a rockslide at Sacred Falls State Park on O’ahu, where the recent rescue took place. There were signs, but a judge ruled they did not warn with the intensity of urgency of the falling rock hazard the state paid $8.6 million to the families of the deceased hikers. The park has remained closed since the incident, but that hasn’t deterred trespassers seeking the ultimate social media post. In 2022, someone hung an illegal swing at the base of the falls, which has since been removed.
Off-limits signs have been in place at the Stairway to Heaven, an infamous hike on O’ahu also known as the Haiku Stairs, since 1987. Yet posting a photo from the hike’s Edenic summit, which is reached by climbing 3,922 slick steel steps, has become a social media badge of honor. Fines of up to $1,000 and the threat of arrest haven’t discouraged hikers. Between 2010 and 2022, 118 people had to be rescued, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. The city is now in the process of dismantling the stairs to prevent illegal use once and for all.
In an effort to further dissuade reckless hikers, state legislators in Hawaii are currently considering a bill that would authorize the state to seek reimbursement from hikers who need rescue after venturing onto closed trails. Considering a helicopter rescue costs between $1,000 to $2,500, I’d say it’s a good incentive to follow the rules.
8 Ways to Stay Safe When Hiking in Hawaii
The author pauses for a summit rest on a hike in Maui. She is very careful about which trails she chooses to trek, and approaches each hike with caution. (Photo: Courtesy of Jen Murphy)
I asked members of the islands’ search and rescue teams to share their tips for staying safe on the trails. Here’s their advice:
No matter the length of the hike, pack plenty of water, food, sunscreen, a flashlight, and a cellphone battery.
Do not hike in flip flops. Wear proper footwear and sun-protective attire.
Don’t hike alone.
Create a hiking plan that includes your intended route and estimated return time. Leave one copy with a friend, family member, or neighbor, and another in your car.
Do not hike closed or unmarked trails. Check the latest trail conditions and closures via a trusted source like Nā Ala Hele, the State of Hawai‘i Trail and Access Program.
Check the weather with multiple sources like the Weather Channel, AccuWeather, and Weather Underground.
Get an early start. Hess recommends getting on the trail no later than 9 A.M.
Don’t do it for the ‘gram. When you’re looking through your phone rather than paying attention to your footing, you can easily end up in harms way.
What to Do If You Become Lost
Berquist played an instrumental role in finding Amanda Eller, a hiker who got lost for 17 days in Maui’s Makawao Forest Reserve in 2019. He joined the search as a volunteer and within days was heading up the efforts. After she was found, Eller’s father helped Berquist fund the Search Tech Advisory Team, his 100-plus volunteer organization that works throughout the islands using the latest technology, like drone satellite photography. Here are his tips for getting found:
Don’t panic. Pause and take some deep breaths. O’ahu Search and Rescue created a video demonstrating how to do the 4-7-8 breathing method to calm yourself.
Keep moving. “Everyone says stay where you are if you are lost, but I only recommend people do that when they know they are 15 or fewer steps off the trail,” he says. “People that participate in their own rescue are more likely to be found.” If you are medically injured, it may be pertinent to stay in place, but try to make yourself noticeable and make noise.
Make yourself visible. If you think you are more than 15 steps off trail, move to an openly visible area, like a high elevation clearing or stream-bed that can be seen from the sky. Make a massive ‘SOS’ or light a fire to create smoke.
Shelter in smart places. Don’t hunker down and hide from the elements in a place people won’t see you. If you do seek shelter, display your backpack out front and make an arrow pointing to where you are, he says.
“Hawaii tries too hard to feel nice with its messaging to visitors,” says Berquist. “We’re not all mai tais and leis. The message needs to feel sharp: the lava rock and coral will slice you, the selfies and cliff jumps will kill you.” So, in other words, don’t underestimate the power of nature. Be careful and prepared, don’t hike where you’re not supposed to, know what you’re getting into, and skip the selfies.
The author and a pal on a hike near Aspen in her home state of Colorado (Photo: Courtesy of Jen Murphy)
Jen Murphy is a regular contributor to Outside and usually covers travel-advice topics. She has made the regretful mistake of hiking in flip-flops on lava rock in Hawaii and always packs for all seasons any time she hikes in Haleakala National Park on Maui. She has recently written about how to travel solo, how to make the most of your first-ever Costa Rica trip, and how to get a vacation refund when the weather sucks.
The post Why Do So Many People Get Into Trouble While Hiking in Hawaii? appeared first on Outside Online.
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