This week, a Hawaii County council member dusted off a long-running wish on the Hamakua Coast: a continuous shoreline trail that could stretch more than 50 miles from Hilo to Waipio. Backers say it would reconnect scattered coastal communities and finally offer a safe, low-impact way to reach beaches and cliffside vistas that are now tough for the public to access.
Kimball's proposal and study plan
Councilwoman Heather Kimball laid out the concept to the Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions Committee and said she is preparing a request for proposals to pay for a feasibility study, according to the Star-Advertiser. The outlet reports the envisioned corridor could span more than 50 miles between Hilo and Waipio, threading through a patchwork of public and privately owned parcels.
Kimball told the committee the study would likely take about 12 to 18 months and would include community outreach to pinpoint potential routes and estimate costs. In other words, the county is still in the “sharpening pencils and listening tours” phase, not the “grab your hiking shoes” phase.
Who controls the coast
Kamehameha Schools, which picked up roughly 30,000 acres of former Hamakua sugar lands in the 1990s, is one of the largest private landowners along the proposed corridor. The trust manages those properties for agriculture, forestry and community leases. Kamehameha Schools has previously negotiated access and lease deals on Hawaii Island, making it a key player if the county hopes to stitch together an unbroken trail.
Federal and state planning documents for the shoreline Ala Kahakai trail have long noted that coastal corridors often cross both public and private lands, which means success usually hinges on easements and long-term partnerships rather than quick wins; see the Ala Kahakai planning report for context.
Access tensions and legal precedent
Not everyone on the committee sounded convinced the dream of a seamless route will survive contact with reality. Councilmember Leonard Luiz and others warned that private owners could simply refuse to grant access, carving gaps into the route that could undercut the entire concept, the Star-Advertiser reported.
The Hamakua Coast already has a track record of friction over who can go where. Past clashes over timber operations and “paper road” alignments on Kamehameha-owned lands have highlighted how quickly access can become a legal fight, suggesting the county may face a thicket of leases and lawsuits if it pursues permanent public passage. That history has been documented in local coverage by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Next steps and public input
Kimball said she plans to move ahead with the RFP and will return to the council with a proposed scope and budget once bids are in. The county’s committee process will dictate when the study actually starts and when residents get their say at public workshops, according to the Hawaiʻi County calendar.
If funded, the feasibility study is where the hard questions are expected to land: which routes are realistic, which easements are negotiable and who will be on the hook for maintenance before anyone breaks ground on a single foot of trail.
Why it matters
Supporters argue a continuous Hamakua trail could help knit together small shoreline villages, safeguard cultural sites and provide residents with low-impact recreation that might also support a more careful brand of tourism. The upcoming study will test whether those promises can actually line up with property rights, long-term upkeep and the island’s rugged coastal terrain, or whether this latest big idea for the Hamakua Coast hits a dead end at the property line.
