Scenic Hiking Trails on Oahu

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Why is Oahu a great destination for hikers?
- Oahu is heaven for hikers with tall mountains, volcano cones, lush jungle, waterfalls, and streams.
Are there hikes suitable for all skill levels in Oahu?
- From easy hikes perfect for families to really challenging trips to the mountain peaks and steep ridges, there is a hike for everyone.
What should hikers be aware of when exploring Oahu's trails?
- It rains a lot in Oahu, so the trails get muddy and erode quickly even with the best maintenance, so planning is important as well as good hiking shoes.

Diamond Head State Monument Trail

What is Diamond Head?
- One of the major Honolulu landmarks, Diamond Head is a volcanic cone of a 300,000-year-old crater that dominates the city and offers spectacular views of the island and the ocean beyond.
Why is Diamond Head important?
- It is today a State Monument, protected for its natural and historic importance.
How do visitors enter Diamond Head State Monument?
- To enter the park, you have to approach it from the eastern side through a short tunnel that leads to the center of the crater.
What can visitors expect from the hike to the top?
- Once inside, walk to the west side to start the 560-foot climb. The dirt path is full of switchbacks, loose gravel, and potholes, and it ends in 99 steps, so you will probably work up a bit of a sweat, but even kids can do the hike, and the view is definitively worth it.

Diamond Head State Monument Trail, 18th Ave., Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, HI 96815

Aiea Loop Trail

What is the Aiea Loop Trail?
- The Aiea Loop Trail is a 4.8-mile-long trail with an elevation gain of 900 feet and a trailhead in a park near the campground.
What kind of scenery does the Aiea Loop Trail offer?
- The trail runs most of the way along the ridge above the Halawa Valley and is surrounded by groves of fragrant lemon eucalyptus trees, Norfolk pines, and native ohi’a and koa trees.
What challenges does the trail present?
- It is full of steep switchbacks, and you will have to jump over a stream and a few tree roots, but you will love the view of Oahu’s southern coastline from Pearl Harbor and the Wai‘anae Range to Diamond Head and Honolulu.
How difficult is the Aiea Loop Trail?
- The trail is considered moderately strenuous and can be done in less than three hours.

Aiea Loop Trail, 99-1849 Aiea Heights Dr, Aiea, HI 96701

Ka'ena Point Trail

What is the Ka'ena Point Trail?
- The trail to Ka'ena Point Trail follows an old dirt road that goes to the westernmost point of O‘ahu.
What is special about Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve?
- The area is now part of the Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve, a wild and remote area that protects some of the last remnants of Oahu’s coastal sand dunes and native plants and birds.
Is Ka‘ena Point a good place for wildlife viewing?
- It is a great spot to watch whales in the winter.
Where does the Ka‘ena Point Trail start?
- The 3.5-mile-long trail starts in the Keawaula Section of Ka‘ena Point State Park at the end of the paved road.
What can hikers expect along the trail?
- The dirt trail follows the shoreline with small beaches hidden among large boulders and occasional tidepools, with steep cliffs looming above.
Are there any unique natural features on the trail?
- About halfway through, you can see two small blowholes.

Ka'ena Point Trail, Farrington Hwy, Waialua, HI 96791

Kuliouou Ridge and Valley

What is the Kuliouou Ridge Trail?
- The 2.5-mile trail to the Kuliouou Ridge starts about 0.2 miles on the Kuli‘ou‘ou Valley Trail and from there keeps climbing up the ridge to the summit of the Ko‘olau Range.
Are there rest areas along the trail?
- About two-thirds of the way up the ridge, there is a small shelter with picnic tables and a guava forest just beyond.
How difficult is the Kuliouou Ridge Trail?
- From the shelter onward, the trail follows the ridge and becomes very steep, gaining 2000 feet in elevation.
What kind of vegetation can hikers expect?
- The trail runs through a canopy of native trees such as haole koa, Formosa koa, Christmas berry, ironwood, and Norfolk pine.
What views does the trail offer?
- The trail ends at the summit where spectacular views of Oahu’s windward side will take your breath away.

Kala'au Place, Honolulu, Oahu, HI

Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail

What is the Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail?
- The 3.3-mile long Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail (both ways) is one of several trails running through the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline.
What is the trail's starting point?
- The nice paved trail starts right at the parking lot and goes uphill along sea cliffs to the observation deck.
What views can hikers expect along the trail?
- The views of the windy southeastern coastline with Koko Head and Koko Crater are spectacular.
Can visitors access the Makapu‘u Lighthouse?
- From the lookout, you can take a short trail downhill to the historic 1909 red-roofed Makapu‘u Lighthouse, but the lighthouse is off-limits.
Is the Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail good for whale watching?
- The lookout and areas all along the trail offer great views of the ocean and occasional passing whales.
How difficult is the Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail?
- The trail is fairly difficult and steep, and you will gain 1,220 feet.

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