Hike from Carambola Beach Resort to Wills Bay

Specific info for this hike:

45 minutes one way. Easy to moderate terrain. The trail is mostly forest and shaded, and it closely follows the north shore, although there is no access to the water from the trail until Wills Bay. The trail is usually clear, and short pants should be OK. (Wills Bay is sometimes mistakenly called Annaly Bay. Annaly Bay and its large tide pools is further west, and the terrain and directions from Wills Bay to Annaly Bay are difficult, so it is not described here.)

Driving directions:
- From the intersection of Route 80 and Route 69 on the north shore, go west on the shore road for about 1 mile to Carambola Beach Resort.
- Turn left just before the guardhouse. The trailhead is straight up this road, but you will park first.
- Turn right to the first parking area, or go straight and left to the second parking area, where you'll see various material piled up.

The trailhead can be hard to find. Walk back to the paved road that you took from the guardhouse, and follow it uphill until it is passable only on foot. On the right side of the road is a small embankment. When you climb up the embankment, there is a sign saying, "Trumbull Trail." If you can’t find it, ask at the guardhouse.

Follow the trail west through the forest. After about 30 minutes, you will come to an open grassy area. The main trail continues straight west, but look for a side trail on the left (south)*, marked by a piece of cloth tied to a tree branch. Turn left on that side trail, which goes downhill, ending at a dirt road. Turn right on the dirt road, which goes to Wills Bay.

* If you miss the side trail, you will soon come to a very steep downhill section of trail. It is too steep and unsafe for most people, but the view of the valley from the top is nice, so take a look, and then go back and take the side trail.

At Wills Bay, there are small tide pools on the west end of the beach (to the left as you face the water). Waves crash into the tide pools, and the water cascades out. To get to the pools, you have to climb carefully along the rocky shoreline, staying close to the water. You can be seriously injured from waves and from falling on the rocks, so be careful, or be safe and just enjoy the view from the beach.

Coming back, when you get near Carambola Beach Resort, you will find a fork in the trail. The right-hand fork is the way you came. The left-hand fork is a shortcut through the resort, but the resort management prefers that you not go that way unless you are a guest at the resort.

Latest conditions reported for this hike:

September 2016: Trail is in good condition.