This is a hard hike lol. I did the Puu pia trail which is same start point and nice and easy. This…read moreis all uphill super steep parts (there's rope i guess). But yeah I also hate kokohead. Its nice and shaded though..

Really enjoyed this trail. The parking is on a narrow…read moreresidential street, so you may have park down the road and walk up. The entrance of the trail is down a private looking road. You will see sign for trail start. Start on the Pu'u Pia trailhead, you will see the sign for the Kolowalu trail after a short walk in. Don't let the Moderate rating on Alltrails fool you into thinking it's a cake walk. It's a 1,243 elevation change in a little over a mile so you will be going up the whole trail. First half was very shaded with tropical foliage, this section was a little slick in areas. The trail is dryer as we climb higher, reaching a ridge area and foliage changes. Lots of roots, few downed trees, trail is narrow in some areas and can be muddy. We hiked up to the cross trail of Wa'ahila trail. At this point you could choose to go left and go up to mt Olympus or go right to the park where Wa'ahila trail starts. We turned around at this point because we had plans to do the Pu'u Pia trail. When you go up you must go down. Although we made better time going down, have to be careful with your footing. I wore crampons for the damp areas that were slippery. There are some narrow areas on the trail with serious drop offs. The conditions were pretty humid, brought plenty of water. Don't let the over 2 mile trail fool you it will give you a work out. The travel offers some beautiful views of mountains and Honolulu.

Staying in Waikiki and don't want to travel too far for a trail? Go here. It's about a 15-minute…read moredrive from your hotel and most of it is steep uphill into a rich neighborhood, so make sure your car can handle the incline. The only drawback, I'd say, is that because it's so close to the city and next to bunch of homes, you'll feel like you're in someone's backyard; you can literally hear dogs barking and garbage trucks coming and going. So if you're looking for peace and serenity, maybe this isn't for you. Google will take you to a gated, private property area. Parking is on the street. The entrance is a narrow opening at the end of the fence line. Easy to spot. So I've seen some reviews that say the trail is a couple miles roundtrip, but it's much, much further than that. Most people will hike to the first bench, and then turn around. You can go further up and it's pretty hard work. Lots of rocks to traverse and it's steep in some parts, so be prepared to climb a little. Also, because it's on a ridge, it's narrow in a few areas so don't look down if you're afraid of heights. Having said that, wear hiking shoes with good traction. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time for sure. Didn't have time to do the whole trail, but I went in far enough to feel the bit of elevation change. Went on a hot, dry day, so the trail was in good shape. I can only imagine how difficult it would be if it rained. Anyway, even you don't go deep into the trail, the first bench will still provide you with a fantastic view of the ocean and city. I'll definitely come back to do the whole thing.

Great hike, like the other ridge hikes to the east but longer. Took right around 4 hours of moving…read moretime, longer with a couple of stops for pictures and to enjoy the views and breeze at the top. Some area with ropes that aren't really necessary when it's dry, would probably be needed in the wet. Some very overgrown areas where you have to watch your footing.

Wow! Killer tough advanced hike to the top of the Koolau Summit Trail. Plan on 5-6 hours…read moreroundtrip to complete this tough hike. It's a difficult trail to find and follow since it's not widely used. Once you pass the houses at the very end of the street, just follow that path (easy to follow here). About one mile in you'll come to an open area where the dirt is open. The path into the forest veers left here; go right and STRAIGHT uphill. This uphill is described as the same distance and steepness as Koko Head stairs -- and that's about correct! Go up, up, up until you reach the plateau, then veer left and follow the decent trail all the way up to the KST. You'll need good hiking boots, gloves, and micro spikes for sure. The views of Hawaii Kai and south while heading up are fantastic. The views from any KST ridge hike are spectacular. Good luck and hike this one with a partner.

This hike is my favorite from now! I saw so many amazing views, plants and birds. I was lucky…read morebecause I had a nice hiking weather....no cold no hot. You won't see many people around because this 5.8 miles hike is little bit difficult - lots of ups and downs. I would recommend to go to the right at the begging of the loop (please check my pictures). You will be happy to walk down using the stairs (Hawaii Loa Ridge hike) connection. Also you should wear a long pants! Otherwise, you will need some ointment for the cuts on your legs - Hawaiian plants get overgrown at the top. Enjoy and take plenty of water.

One line summary: 6.6 miles, 4 hour hike roundtrip (not including rest at the peak)…read more We actually went up to Mt. Olympus from the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail, but whichever way you get here BE PREPARED. This hike will kick your butt, at least it did for us. We were not prepared for this one. Countless times we were going to throw in the towel but pushed to the end. Unlike most of the major ridge peak hikes (Kuliouou, Mariner's Ridge and Hawaii Loa Ridge) the finish point at Mt. Olympus doesn't have a large area to relax and take in the view. Still, you won't find many people up here because this hike is pretty tough. At least for us. The total hike was 6.6 miles (according to Mapmyhike app). It took us about 2 hours and 15 mins to get from the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail head to the top of Mt. Olympus. It took us about 1 hour and 45 mins to get back down. Part of the problem was that we were just so exhausted that climbing out of Wa'ahila Ridge Trail took us much longer than it should have. There are A LOT of ropes on this trail, A LOT of going up/down, up/down, up/down... so that when you're going back down (finished) the trail you still are working out after being exhausted. There is a section of ropes that I would say is about 50 feet up a pretty steep incline, a part of this has small footholds and another part is just hillside you can scale (with ropes). Either way, pretty wicked for someone that isn't prepared. Once you hit that section of ropes you're close to the end but still not quite there, you'll want to give up but push a little more. The views are pretty amazing at the top and you'll have some great panoramic shots from Hawaii Kai to Diamond Head all the way to Ewa Beach from the last 1/2 mile as you're ascending. The views of Manoa get even more dramatic but the views of Waikiki and Kakaako are pretty fantastic too. I know we'll be back to do this one again but it will definitely be awhile, this was truly one of the harder hikes we've been on.

After my first failed attempt at a hike last week I was all about "maintained" hikes this week…read more Mount Olympus had been on my list for some time but I had been avoiding it because its known for being a cloud magnet and it had been cloudy all week. I woke up to cloudy skies but I was in need of a hike so we decided to attempt hiking up to the top of Mount Olympus via the Kolowalu Trail. The Kolowalu trail shares a trailhead with Pu'u pia but is a steeper and shorter alternative route to get up to Wa'ahila Ridge. Most of Kolowalu was covered and cool which was a nice change from most of the hot exposed ridge hikes I had been doing but it was definitely no easy walk in the park. The trail is steep and never really plateaus out, so don't plan on having a picnic or anything. I think it took us about an hour till we got to the junction of Kolowalu and Wa'ahila Ridge. At the junction you will see a sign warning you that upper Wa'ahila Ridge is unmaintained, don't let that scare you away. There a couple narrow, sketchy spots at the end but nothing that can't be done if you stay on the trail and don't try anything stupid. :-) From the beginning of the junction, to the top expect to go over at least 4 or 5 hills. Make sure you have shoes with good traction because you'll be doing a lot of climbing up red dirt stairs that you see on most of the other Ko'olau trails.You'll think you're close, but your not. I think we came across a couple of open grassy areas to take a break, but unfortunately those are not the summit. Once we actually got to the top, we walked along the ridge with Olomana, Kaneohe on our left and Ka'au crater on the right. It was my first time seeing Ka'au crater from the left side, since Lanipo gives you a good view from the right. We finally made it and were all smiles when we saw the stake with a few pink ribbons tied on it. It was pretty windy so we didn't hang out for too long. It rained on our way down so I cannot emphasize the importance of good shoes. Thank god for my vibrams because I think I could have gotten seriously hurt if I had been in old sneakers. Make sure to bring water, snacks, and a extra t-shirt for after. Both of my friends were shivering at dinner after because they were still in their sweat and rain soaked shirts. *Going up to Mt. Olympus from the beginning of the Wa'ahila Ridge is an easier route that starts from the top of St. Louis Heights. YELP 365: 125/365

Nice trail. Great for picture taking. Wanted to change up our Christmas pictures and thought a…read morebamboo forest would be a great backdrop. Moleka was our second choice and eventually ended being the perfect choice. Not too much foot traffic, which gave us more than 10 mins to click away. So happy we chose Moleka Trail.

Pretty cool short trail. I was taking a 2.6 miles loop where you start from tantalus on the u'alaka…read moretrail which crosses over round top drive twice then you head on the makiki loop, go out and back on Moleka then back on makiki loop to a four point junction and head back via the other end of u'alaka. I went about 90% of Moleka it gets narrow and it drops straight down there's a switch back I guess right before the bamboo forest. Anyway it started raining and with less than a yard wide of slick cliff slide path I decided to turn back. But it's a short nice little detour I'd like to check out again when it's drier. Nice views out to the airport and of the Makiki Valley. Lots of cool banyan trees and suck. The area is generally cool and lots better when you know your way around because there are so many routes to take

Believe the reviews, this trail is overgrown...but don't let that stop you from going! It starts in…read morea neighborhood in Hawaii Kai so be respectful of the residents and park a block or so away from the hike and walk down to the cul de sac. When you get to the Heiau there are no hiking signs, so this is your own choice to move on or not. If you decide to continue on, go to the left of the heiau and follow the overgrown path with pink and yellow ribbons. It's not difficult to find. Once you get up on top of the trail it's simple to follow. Be sure to wear a hat and/or sunscreen! It was really hot when we went and I had wished I wore a hat and pants. The trail took us through some cool terrain and was shady after the first half hour. It was windy at the top but totally worth it! It took me 1 hr and 20 min to get to the top and I stopped a few times to have water and take a breath. The views were spectacular. I can't wait to do this hike again. Total it took a little under 3 hours. I highly recommend it!

Very easy to get lost. Bushes were very high which can hide holes and rocks. Look for ribbons and…read moreuse intuition to go up. Do not go into people's yards. Once you reach pine forest the summit is very near. But this is the trickiest part. Keep a sharp eye out for the ribbons. Just remember to keep going up not around the cliff. Views are awesome during and the end.

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!

If you are out of shape, newbie or a bit overweight then this course is no fun. Recommend walking…read morearound Ala Wai canal for a few months then slowly build up your leg muscles. The path up is not flat but I noticed alot of hikers walking up with their Hydroflasks.

I admit, we found this trail while we were looking for the Makiki Loop Trail and mistakingly…read morethought this was the start. We weren't completely wrong...it does lead to the Hawaii Nature Center but is a separate trail. This is a super short trail that starts where you park your cars to do the Makiki Loop Trail. You can walk this way to get to the Hawaii Nature Center. This is the more scenic way instead of walking on the concrete road. It's a nice little walk if you have some time and just want to sit in nature since there is a bench.