Hiking For Fun

One of the best activities you can engage in when visiting the Hawaiian Islands is to take an Oahu hike. The island of Oahu has about fifty hiking trails. Of these, 33 are considered major trails. They vary in difficulty from novice to advanced and in length from two to fifteen miles.

Oahu is partitioned into districts. The Leeward coast is on the western side of the island and includes the Waianae Mountain Range and the Honolulu Forest Reserve. Novice hikers can try the four mile Kaena Point Trail, an easy shoreline walk. Two trails for advanced hikers are situated in the Waianae Range. These are the Kamaileunu and the Waianae-Kaala Trails, both crossing ridges and between five to seven miles in length.

The tallest mountain on Oahu, Mount Kaala at 4096 feet above sea level, is located in the northwestern part of Oahu and can be reached by one of the advanced hiking trails, the five mile long Dupont Trail. In the northern section of Oahu, the Hauula area offers a variety of hikes for different levels of experience. The four mile long Hauula-Papali is for novices and traverses a hillside, while the Kaipapau trail for intermediate hikers runs five miles along a ridge. If the intermediate hiker wishes to remain in the valley, he can take the six mile Maakua Gulch trail. Advanced hikers might like the Puu Ohulehule Trail which combines valley and ridge hiking into an eight mile trek. The areas around Laie and Haleiwa also have hiking opportunities.

The Koolau Mountain Range extends from the north down to the southeastern tip of the island. If you are a novice hiker, the eastern section of the island abounds with trails for your level. The Judd Trail is one of the most popular of these. It is a three mile walk through a valley. You may visit Ulupau Head near Mokapu for a half mile shoreline walk or you can visit Makapuu Point, a three mile hike along a hillside. The intermediate hiker can find an Oahu hike for his level in the Koolau Mountains, too. The Lanipo trail, a rigorous seven mile walkalong a ridge above Kaimuki, gives an excellent view of Koko Crater all the way over to the distant Waianae Mountains. One trail, the Tom-Tom, in the Waimanalo area, is only two miles but winds along a cliff face.

The southern area of Oahu is where you may hike the popular Manoa trails. The novice hiker can see Manoa Falls by walking through a valley for two miles. Intermediate hikers might enjoy the four mile long Luaalaea valley trail or the three mile ridge hike to Koko Crater, an extinct cinder cone. Advanced hikers can choose from longer hikes along the Bowman trail (twelve miles) or the Halawa Ridge Trail (fourteen miles). Two shorter six mile ridge trails, the Kulepeamoa Ridge and the Puu O Kona Trails, are also for advanced hikers.

Whether you are a novice or advanced, there is an Oahu hike for your level of experience.