Absolutely gorgeous! Staying here in the rainforest overlooking Honolulu and the ocean but with a…read moretropical jungle enveloping you, it's amazing! Wonderful gorgeous hike deep into the rainforest with waterfalls and to die for scenery.

This trail no longer exists. There is a trail on the far right side of the valley (if looking up…read moretowards the mountains) that was cool, but prior posts have you starting to hike/park near a school. We ended up meandering for miles and asking around before we were directed to the crater trail.

This is a super friendly beginner hike! Well not like your first hike ever but maybe 5th one ever?…read moreIts comparable to Manoa Falls! It was not rainy at all but there is some incline. Beautiful views and done within 2 hrs. Theres not a lot of people like, starts off with lots of shade. Sun hits you for about 20 mins towards the end. Parking is sparse, but just keep driving up, its only street parking. Gl. Theres also lots of strawberry guavas!!!

Hiked this trail and Kolowalu together. This one in my…read moreopinion is easy, now that being said that you don't like hiking trails with lots of roots this one is not for you. Loved views and the rainforest vibe of the trail. There were some interesting trees along the trails. Old grown trees, one has a massive root system. Another with a root that wrap around the base of another tree. The climb up is easy, with multiple view locations along the way of Manoa Valley, mountain ranges and Honolulu. If you want a fairly quick morning hike or want to combine with another this is a nice one to do. Although easy wear good shoes/boots bring water, especially if no breeze (humid). I would not do if it looks like heavy rain, looks like water would flow down trail in some areas.

I don't hike a lot but friends wanted to go so we did the trek. Another friend who hikes a LOT told…read moreme it's one of the most beautiful hikes he's been on. While I don't have a large amount of destination spots to compare, I do have my share of hiking experiences. It really was beautiful. So many picturesque spots. Got some great photos on the way up to the falls. Be sure to have good footwear as it can get pretty slippery. While most of the path is graveled, there are numerous areas where you could easily fall. If you're a mosquito magnet, put your bug spray on before you start the hike and take it with you. I still came out with a bunch of bites, mainly cause my sweat washed some of the protection off. Had a great time. Highly recommend.

We went on a Friday morning; thankfully no police there that day to stop us. A friend tried to go…read morethe next morning - you guessed it, popo were there and stopped all hikers from accessing the trail. For us, though, another great hike up to the falls. Very few people during the week so no fighting for space at the falls. And after the walk up it sure felt great to stand under the falls and cool down. Definitely one of my fav waterfalls on Oahu and, if not blocked by the popo, a really easy 45 minute trek up. Yes, it is technically trespassing since the trail/falls is on BWS property. Apparently loud groups of hikers have pissed off the neighbors so the police now routinely patrol the gate area. Sure hope this doesn't go the way of Haiku Stairs and get permanently closed down.

Did this amazing hike again starting at a different location with an alteration due to a closure of…read moreone section of the trail. I love the combination of this trails because the variety of beautiful views, landscapes, type of surfaces. Dense lush rainforest to dryer areas with a variety of foliage. Started at the Makiki Arboretum trail, taking the loop to the right on the Maunalaha Trail. This section will get the blood flowing as you climb upward over a very rooted trail. Once you arrive at an area with metal benches there is an intersection of multiple trails. Take Makiki Valley Trail to the Right. After a short hike take the Moleka Trail to the Left. The Moleka trail becomes the Manoa Cliff trail which you stay on for a number of miles. If you struggle with narrow trails with drop offs this section may not be for you. There are beautiful views of Manoa Valley from the trail. Some sections of this trail can be muddy. In the past Hike once you go through the gate the Manoa Cliff trail takes a sharp turn to Left at Intersection of other trails. In our case there was a recent landslide and there was a warning sign not continue on the Manoa Cliff Trail. No problem we took Pauoa Flats Trail until we reached Kalawahine Trail and took a Left on it. Take this trail until you reach a paved road, take a right down the road until you see the next trailhead, Nahuina Trail which zig zags its way down. When you come to Makiki Valley trail go left. When you reach Kanealole take it to your right. This trail will take you back to trail you started on. Since there are so many different trails to do this loop I suggest using Alltrails download. We clocked over 10 miles. I'd rate it as intermediate. Bring plenty of water, I carry crampons in case there are muddy slippery areas. Would not do if heavy rain or strong winds expected.

Afternoon hike at Manoa Cliff, Kalawahine, and Makiki Valley Loop…read more Great trail, awesome views. Best if you can download the map as you loose service in several areas of the trail. My trail map also showed I hiked 7.3 miles and my husband stated 6.4, but either way it is long. Just be ready for a good long hike. We started in the rain so yes mud was around, and yes places were pretty slippery. But all in all not too bad to get around. Just wear good hiking shoes. Conditions: bugs, muddy, easy parking, great views, dog friendly, well maintained, wild flowers

This is probably one of the challenging hikes I did to see a "waterfall". Came here after a…read morerainstorm, it was still raining hard when we started our hike and the stream is flowing really good. The pools are up to high-waist / neck deep so we know there will be a nice waterfall in the end. Beware of the The 30-40ft. rock climbing in the middle of the hike.. there's a rope "use it as a guide" only. It took us 40 minutes going in ( we have a 4 yr.old ). Some parts are very slippery we decided to wear our "spikes" to make it faster.. a lot of stream crossings, holding on to the roots.. there was 2 dead boars on the path full of maggots, (2/3/18) so wait till it get washed off.. Tips: spikes, Atleast 1 bottled water, gloves, off/bug spray. Be courteous to the neighborhood. Turn to the right on the fork.

All week long, people have been asking me, "Jeff, what did…read moreyou do to your leg?" "Oh, well, hell, I took a little spill while hiking." "Where were you hiking?" "Out in Ka'a'awa (North Shore)." "Yeah, but where?" "You know what? I don't remember the name? And, it really doesn't matter, cause I wouldn't recommend it anyway." I must have said that a hundred times this week. And here's why: With any great hike, at some point, there has to be a payoff. A "Wow" moment when that the little voice in your head says, "Yeah, that's why." That never happened for me here. Was it a great work out? Hell yeah, the best. My muscles hurt from my delts to my quads and hammies. Not the kind of pain you get from gym works, but the kind from physical labor. It was a educational hike. I saw things, and figured out things that I had never thought of before (and learning is fun! Knowledge is power!). Large pockets of fresh water house an abundance of Tahitian prawns. Their slender bodies and spindly claws showing easily through the waters surface. Wild guava are in abundance, and beautiful red Hawaiian ginger is sprouting around every corner. Sadly, my brain never clicked and said "wow" (not even a lower case wow). To get to the Falls you have to traverse dried river bed, and being that it's dry? That's right...no Falls. The 30-40 foot rope climb, up a moss covered wall was exhilarating, but coming down was nerve-racking. It was here that I slipped, and, trust me, spiked shoes are the worst? Ever walk on smooth tile in golf shoes? The location is marked perfectly on the Yelp map. Parking is side of the road only, and the entrance is right at the end of the dead end road. Use common sense. Look, I'm not one to tell you what to do. You wanna go? Go. I just don't see the point, there are better hikes with more value just up the road. That being said? Fresh Guava jam dose sound delicious? Right? And Tahitian prawns in shoyu and wasabi, fresh off the bbq? Well...we'll see. Aloha :)

Great trail for the family. However; trail is full of roots and does have some rock climbs. But we…read morereally did enjoy it. Mostly shaded, not a lot of views but good hike. Loved the different trees and flowers. Bring the bug spray!!! And be patient with parking, locals do. Or want you parking in front of their house so you do have to park kinda far.

First time on this hike on the Windward side. Parked across…read morefrom the beach park, since other reviewer on Alltrails said there wasn't much parking near trailhead. The walk was pretty easy to the beginning of the hike through residential area. The beginning of trail leads to 2 different trails, we chose this one. The first third of the trail is an up hill climb and once you are at the ridge level there is some up, down and level. The elevation gain according to Alltrails is 853 ft. We clocked more miles than what was listed on site which included the walk to trailhead. The trail itself is in rainforest and varying foliage and terrain. Trail was damp in some spots and there are a few areas that you will cross a stream, where if there is hard rain that would cause fast flowing water it may not be safe to cross. We had a little rain on hike which did not cause a problem. There a few areas where the trail is narrow which is common here on the island. Once you make the ridge there are there are steps mostly going down the trail. We did it cclock wise which other hikers suggested. Although I think we would have been comfortable either way. There are views of the ocean and canyon once you make it to ridge. We all enjoyed views and the foliage on this hike. Note: we used poles and crampons on for the muddy areas. Must keep eyes on the rooted areas if you don't want to trip. There are mosquitos and it can be humid in some areas of the hike. It is mainly shaded and there are nice breezes on the ridge area of the hike. Alltrades gives it a Moderate rating which is accurate. We are all over 65 and are active and know what to expect from island trails.

I've been on so many hikes that say "Bring Bug Spray," but I never do. All those hikes, no problem…read morewith bugs. Guess I was lucky. This trail is where my luck ran out. I had no business being anywhere near this trail. It's up Tantalus for Pete's sake. Consequently, I didn't make it very far into the trail. My wife and I were with a group of people. She continued with the group. I hiked back to the trailhead to wait for them to return. I noticed how many mosquitoes were landing on me but I wasn't the least bit concerned. Hawaiian mosquitoes seemed rather harmless to me. They're kind of small compared to mosquitoes I've encountered in the past. I mean, have you ever been to Yosemite? Those are some hairy ass mosquitoes. So, comparatively speaking, the Hawaiian mosquitoes seemed kinda mellow. They buzz around, yeah, but like at half speed. They're in no big hurry to go anywhere. Now I realize they were in no hurry because there was plenty of me to go around. And every god damn mosquito on that mountain got their share. It was an epic blood feast that will go down in mosquito history. I didn't realize how many times I had been bitten until the next day when the itching started. My legs were completely covered in bites. The itching was about enough to drive me insane. Well, further insane. So, my advice, either bring bug spray or stay the hell off this hill. Mikey C says: these mosquitoes ain't playin'

Hidden gem of a trail boasting lots of covered protection from the sun and a plethora of flora…read more Peaceful, easy, and pleasant hike to get away from the noise and bustle. Rediscovered much in the way of plants and trees that I had only seen in other more remote hikes. Chicken-of-the-woods fungus, orchids, kukui trees, Cook pines, guava, lilikoi, etc... This location is frequented by trail runners, so watch out. It is also very ohana/keiki friendly due to relative gentle inclines. Very muddy and buggy so bring mosquito repellent and be prepared to clean your boots afterwards (if you remember to bring a pair of slippahs to slip into for the drive home, you're golden). Plenty of parking although we went on a weekday so might not be like this on weekends when half of Oahu hikes. Truly enjoyable in so many respects. Mahalo for reading my review.

Sometimes trail names and the location can be very confusing. Kanealole trail and Maunalaha is the…read moresame trail that loops around. Somewhere in the middle there's also Makiki Valley trail. We just did the loop and didn't venture out to Makiki Valley trail. This is a moderate trail. There's 2 entrances either on Kanealole or Maunalaha. I recommend you start from Kanealole trail even though it's slightly muddy but it easier to climb up than Maunalaha. It's drier and steep hill. Kanealole is near stream so you'll see and hear the water running down which was quite relaxing and peaceful. I saw some senior citizens on this trail so you can accomplish this 3 mile trail. This trail is located in the same area as Hawaii Nature Center. There's free dirt parking area before you enter the gate. Be sure to bring water even though this trail is quite shady and expect mosquitoes. If you're not into hiking you can walk around and admire the nature. There's lots of taro plants and greens.

This is the "easier" trail that is to the left when you are at the beginning crossroad when you can…read morechoose Kanealole or Maunalaha. I agree that it is easier. It's only 0.7 miles but I would allow an hour or so for this portion since the terrain does go up and down. I will say that it wasn't hard but my feet definitely got a work out. This hike is pretty with all the foliage and the sound of the stream. It definitely is also muddier. The trail has a good amount of gravel and roots so it's not super slippery. I didn't see any small waterfalls but you do see and hear the stream flowing as you hike which was relaxing. Most of this trip is shaded which was nice. But we were drenched in sweat because of the humidity There are mosquitos, so beware. Once you get to the sign that says Makiki Loop Trail this way, you can either turn back and go the same way you came or continue on which will lead you to the Maunalaha Trail which loops you back down or there are a few other short trails that you can explore. Overall, I would say it's easy-moderate. There are many mosquitos on this trail. Make sure you have lots of water and good shoes. It's a great trail for the family and dogs too!