Hao Springs Road / Whale's Tail

The Hao Springs Road is a small one-lane road that is one of the few public routes accessing the Ka’u Forest Preserve (some others being the Waterfall Road and Mountain House Road). It’s given the name “Hao Springs Road” on Google Maps, but there is no signage to mark it, other than the large “Whale’s Tail” sign for the business by that name near its start. It ascends 1500 steep feet above the small town of Waiohinu before skirting the perimeter of a large ranch, finally joining the Mountain House Road to plunge into the forest.

The bottom section of the road is paved, but is nevertheless “4wd only” due to its steep grade. The pavement fades within the first mile, giving way to gravel and finally muddy two-track as it levels out. The lower portions are flanked by Guava trees, bathing the area in their rich, sweet aroma when fruiting (a divine fragrance far more appealing than the fruits’ flavor). Cows grazing among the trees might be spooked by a runner passing through.

Near the apex of the first rise is a water facility that is closed to the public. While the satellite imagery and Google Maps show Hao Springs Road making a straight-line bearing through the forest, try as I might, I never succeeded in navigating that route. It seems that the southern end is closed off due to the water facility, and the northern end is overgrown enough to be a rough bushwhack, despite the obvious clearing of trees. A more meandering, but easy path runs along the ranch/forest perimeter on the eastern boundary of the forest, with occasional views of the ocean peeking through the tall elephant grass.

Once in the forest, the Mountain House road continues for another 2-3 miles, giving the opportunity to extend to around a half marathon.

Charlie’s notes: A good hill climb route if you’re looking for steep grades, especially in the first 2 miles. Apart from the hill, there’s nothing in particular to recommend this route over the Mountain House route into the Ka’u forest, but both are beautiful.

Laura’s notes: I found this hill climber to be a nice run in and of itself. Depending on the time of year, the fragrance of guava, the misty yellow-ginger lined road, and the open two-track trails through fields provide an appealing diversity of landscape and scentscape. Good for an afternoon or early evening run to catch a rainbow or sunset clouds.