Kaiwi First Day Hike 2026 and ‘Year of Our Coastal Kuleana’ campaign

As dawn breaks over the Kaiwi Channel on Jan. 1, hundreds will once again gather at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline for Hawaiʻi’s iconic First Day Hike, an experience that blends cultural protocol and community connection to place. 

This year’s event carries special significance, serving as a precursor to the “Year of Our Coastal Kuleana,” which Gov. Josh Green will launch on Jan. 9 at a proclamation signing ceremony. The campaign calls on all who live in and visit Hawaiʻi to care for our coastlines with intention, respect and responsibility.  

This marks the 13th anniversary of the Kaiwi First Day Hike, reconnecting people to the land, sea and one another at the threshold of a new year. Since Hawaiʻi joined the nationwide First Day Hikes movement in 2012, the Kaiwi sunrise walk has become one of the most well-attended First Day Hike events in the country, at times drawing as many as 700 participants.

Unlike rugged summit hikes elsewhere, Kaiwi’s First Day Hike is a one-mile paved walk each way along the scenic ridgeline trail to the Makapuʻu overlook, offering sweeping mauka-to-makai views and the possibility of spotting migrating humpback whales offshore.

“More than a walk, the event is a powerful and grounding way to begin the year,” said Alan Carpenter, acting administrator of the DLNR Division of State Parks. “As the new year’s first daylight reaches the islands, participants experience protocol and sound that reflect Hawaiʻi’s deep cultural roots. It reminds us that this landscape is not just scenery, it is a living place that carries kuleana, our collective responsibility to care for it.”

The sunrise ceremony begins with the sounding of the pū in the four cardinal directions, followed by oli led by Sam Gon, Ph.D., of Hālau Mele. At dawn, students of Sensei Kenny Endo from the Taiko Center of the Pacific offer a dynamic taiko performance, echoing across the cliffs and ocean. Together, these voices create a shared moment of intention honoring traditions, welcoming the new year and reaffirming our kuleana to Hawaiʻi’s coasts.

The 2026 hike also reflects the broader goals of the “Year of Our Coastal Kuleana,” which emphasizes collective care for Hawaiʻi’s shorelines,from reducing impacts and protecting native ecosystems, to practicing pono behavior and strengthening our relationship with place. By beginning the year at Kaiwi, participants are invited to reflect on how everyday choices, whether on land or at sea, shape the future of Hawaiʻi’s coasts.

There will be opportunities for attendees to register as volunteers for community stewardship opportunities in state parks, as laminated QR code signs will be posted on rails along the path. DLNR encourages volunteer participation with community partners leading coastal kuleana stewardship activities throughout the state. For a list of “Year of Our Coastal Kuleana” partners and events, visit https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/coasts.

“The Division of State Parks extends its gratitude to the cultural practitioners and community partners who help ground this event in ʻike kūpuna, ensuring that cultural practice remains central to how we gather, celebrate and steward state parks,” said Kekai Mar, park interpretive program specialist for DLNR’s DSP.

To allow space for protocol and performance, the summit viewing platform will be closed before and during sunrise and will reopen following the ceremony.