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

Did this trail again for the sunrise! Loved it. So worth it…read more Again, watch your steps, take your time, bring water and wear good shoes with a good grip. This trail is short but steep with rocks and slippery. The sunrise was amazing and we will do it again!!

Hiked the Lanikai Pillbox #2 Trail that starts from the back end on the Mauka side. It is longer…read moreand steeper than the Makai side. First takes you to #2 pillbox and #1 pillbox and if you continue on to the start of the other trail. Most hikers start at the trailhead by golf course on Makai side and only go up as far as the pillboxes. Found it to be a more interesting than the one most hikers take. Although they both shared the amazing views from the pillboxes. The beginning of hike is steep and rocky following a dry creek bed. Probably not the best route after heavier rain, can become slippery. There a variety of views of both valleys from the ridge, mountains and ocean. The trail has some scrambling, however not very difficult. Four of us that hiked it are all over 65 but seasoned hikers (well seasoned). It's best to hike this one early, not much shade. Wear proper shoes and bring plenty of water.

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.

Want a change from Kuliouou, Hawaii Loa Ridge, and Wiliwilinui? Well, look no further. Kulepeamoa…read moreRidge is it! Approximately a 5.5-mi trail. The trail begins at the dead end of Anolani Street. Street parking is abundant. Walk up the paved road after the turnaround. You'll see a water tank (white cylindrical tank) enclosed in a fence on your left hand side. Directly to the right of the fence, you'll see a small narrow opening between the fence and a short moss rock wall with several poles sticking up. This is the trail head. (Unlike it's sister hikes, this hike starts from the bottom and requires you to climb to the ridge line. Hawaii Loa/Kuliouou/Wiliwilinui begin at the ridge.) The trail is pretty well defined with pink/orange trail markers along the way. Terrain changes A LOT. You cross a stream bed but it was dry when we went. Initially, it's a steep incline. Be prepared to sweat. Take breaks if needed. At times you're under trees, but most of the time you're out in the open. Recommendation: once you complete the section of the ascent to the ridge, reapply sunscreen. I didn't and my sweat took off all the sunscreen and now I have this horrible tank top and sports bra tan. Whaaa! Didn't really encounter mosquitoes but there were bees along the trail. There is one section that requires you to use a rope to climb an eroded and steep section of the ridge. Always be sure to tug at it before relying on any ropes. There's multiple ropes to choose from. Once I reached the top of the roped area, I noticed that they were hooked on a metal stake. I can positively say there's a flat, black strap that is tied down to that stake. The rope is optional for the beginning portion of that steep section. I didn't use it but instead held it loosely in my hand in case I slipped. Some sections of the trail are narrow with drop-offs on either side. There's vegetation on both sides typically but proceed with caution. You can hug one side or the other for the most part to avoid falling. If it's windy, go slowly as you can easily lose your balance. Pictures make it look harder than it really is. This hike isn't commonly frequented by hikers. No one else was hiking this trail. There's portions (actually most of it) where the trail is slowly being overgrown with vegetation. You can still clearly see the trail but you need to push through the shrubbery and bushes. Wear long pants or long socks that cover your ankles and shins at minimum. I have bruises on both ankles due to the vegetation. (It's thick and not easy to break.) Also, there's a lot of spider webs you go through if you're the lead hiker. Since I was the first one, I ran through so many webs (I eventually used a stick to clear them before continuing). I would highly recommend starting at the base of Kulepeamoa Ridge trail and hiking along the Ko'olau Summit Trail until it meets up with the Hawaii Loa Ridge trail to the west. Stage one car at Kulepeamoa Ridge and one car at the end of Hawaii Loa Ridge. After hiking up Kulepeamoa, you probably don't want to go back down that steep slope. Apparently there's a side trail on Hawaii Loa Ridge that brings you back to Kulepeamoa but we didn't see it. Views are amazing. As you climb Kulepeamoa, you can see Koko Head and Diamond Head. As you climb between the Kulepeamoa and Hawaii Loa Ridge, you can see Waimanalo, Kailua, and Kaneohe. You basically have a clear view the entire hike unless it's covered by clouds. Probably not for the novice hiker. You will have a good cardio workout with those climbs. I would rate it an intermediate hike for the climb and length. Would consider it harder than Kuliouou and Hawaii Loa Ridge without a doubt. Tips: 1) Bring water. You'll need it. 2) Wear long pants (or high socks) for trudging through shrubbery 3) Park one car at Kulepeamoa and one car at Hawaii Loa Ridge (unless you find the side trail) 4) If you have, bring gloves. Not necessary though. 5) Pack a camera for the gorgeous views!

This trail is off of the Manoa Falls trail. Parking was $4 Kamaaina and maybe $7 for out of…read moretowners? Google maps manoa falls trail and youll get here. I didnt mind paying for parking i felt a little safer leaving my car parked there than at other hiking spots. After about 30 min youll see the manoa falls. Then there will be a sign for aihualama trail. It took approx 3 hours to get up and back down and it was a beautiful trail, lots of foliage and a gorgeous views at the top. I am definitely not a pro hiking type of person but I made it, the incline wasnt that bad and its not a crowded hike since most people just go to see manoa falls. I would recommend hiking shoes since at times its slippery and definitely water.

Started this trail off of Manoa Falls trail. Enjoyed the…read moreinteresting trail surfaces. Heavily rooted in places, some step ups and down. There is an area where there was a slide and the trail is very narrow. The ground was not loose however. The trail was muddy in spots, I would not hike after rain or during a down pour, a number of places where water would run over trail. We wore crampons to help with the slick surface. Lots of amazing trees. Once we arrived at the fork for a different trail we turned right and went to a lookout that had a view of the other side of island, the reservoir, surrounding mountains and Pali Highway. The trail is not very long, or difficult, however the conditions did slow down how quickly we could hike. We started on the Manoa Falls Trail and right by the falls took this trail. Between the Manoa falls and going to the lookout there was at a 1500 foot elevation gain.

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!

Great Taiwanese street food in Flagstaff, AZ! A good place to stop between Phoenix & the Grand…read moreCanyon National Park.

The local name of this challenging but fun trail, that rewards you with an inspiring view of…read moreKaneohe bay is Pu'u maeilele. It's a fairly popular hike that gets packed often on weekends. The entrance is about 200m from the McDonalds on the sane side of the road. Park your vehicle in the Ko'olau Shopping Center parking lot and walk carefully along the guardrail along Kamehameha highway heading towards Kaneohe. The Trail is marked but the first couple hundred meters are tough and uphill. After a rain, the thick clay turns to a reddish "gumbo" clay like consistency that is best tackled using trekking poles. Most of the hike is covered with only a few open spaces. The reward is the trail's terminus that ends at a WWII reinforced concrete artillery observation post and fire control center. You have a 180 deg or thereabouts view of K-Bay and the welcome breezes provide a welcome respite prior to the downhill return along the same trail. If you bring keiki please watch and control them as the fortifications show signs of 70+ years of decay and sections are quite slippery. Plan on 2-3 hours depending on hiking ability. Recommend insect repellent, water, hat, poles, and good hiking boots. Mahalo for reading my review.

Gorgeous shaded hike through lush green forest! Uneven dirt terrain that is rocky & pretty…read moremuddy/slippery after a good rain. The waterfall at the end is beautiful, surprisingly cold & reviving to jump into! It's between 5-6 miles round-trip. A fun & beautiful hike!

PARK ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE SCENIC POINT PULLOUT (leave a completely empty car, as there have been…read morebreak-ins here before). Really cool rainforest trail. Mostly shaded. **Wear trail shoes** for the multiple slippery patches of mud you'll surely encounter (and keep a clean pair of sandals in the trunk for the drive home). We did this hike in early September '21 from the Pali Highway viewpoint entrance (because the more traditional neighborhood entrance was closed for a 2-year renovation project). I'd rate this hike 4.5 stars; of our six Oahu hikes this trip, this trail was my 2nd favorite (my favorite Oaho hike is the Kuliouou Ridge Trail).. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS HIKE: It is a good workout (roughly 7miles and 2K feet elevation gain to the waterfall and back), there was varied terrain and views to keep me interested most of the way, and it was shaded throughout most of the trail, making it a great hike to do on a hot day (which it was the day that we went). Although the trail is clearly marked, there are a couple of places where it splits, and thus I'd recommend downloading the trailmap to your phone via Alltrails here, https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/oahu/maunawili-falls-from-pali-highway?u=i , so that you have a good feel of where to turn at forks. Some of the minor downsides (half star deduction): - There is minor overgrowth in a portion of the trail (not full blown bushwhacking, but definitely some flora rubbing up against ones legs for maybe a total of 1/4 to 1/2 mile in each direction). -- nothing pointy enough to cut you though (see pic of ferns) - There was a single exposed section of cliff that was about 5-10 feet in length, but there was an anchored rope attached to the wall that made me and my wife (who is scared of heights) feel comfortable crossing it (to tell you the truth, I was surprised my acrophobic wife was fine crossing that section, but surprisingly she was). (see pic with my hand on the yellow rope) - There were occasionally patches of mud that one had to navigate through, but it was all on flat portions and so with the proper trail shoes there wasn't really a danger of slipping; - My wife got freaked out by the single sign near the beginning of the trail that said or depicted the danger of picking up ordinance (i.e. it explodes); clearly any such ordinance must be off the trail, as we hiked the whole trail (which is clearly marked) and never saw any metal. - One needs to keep moving past the beautiful stream, rather than stopping there for a 10 minute lunch (unless one is Deeted up with bugyspray that is); we stopped there for lunch only to find out that mosquitoes hang out there and were chomping at our legs the whole time.....no mosquitoes anywhere else on the trail, and had we not stopped at the stream to eat lunch, I am confident we wouldn't have even gotten a single bite. - The parking area to the entrance, which is a viewpoint area on the highway, has suffered car breakins; we were weary leaving our car rental (for which I opted out of the insurance) there when we saw broken car window glass from previous break-ins, but we decided that given that our car was completely empty of anything to steal we'd take the chance. We were hiking for 4 hours, and fortunately when we returned our car was in tact just as we'd left it

Might be the actual worst hike I've ever been on. Went at 6am and the beginning wasn't bad. It…read moreramped up in difficulty when it started to get steep. Then, halfway through it started to turn into a thorn trap. You couldn't see where the trail was and it was covered in thorns. Every step was actually the most painful step I've ever taken. Please take pants when going on this hike. Slipped a bunch but overall had a great time.

Just happened to decide to go hiking with a bunch of folks here shortly before sunset and it was…read moreinteresting. We had all the gear we needed and lights so we know where to go in the dark. It was surreal. Definitely be careful if you do go hiking after dark. Don't want to end up in the 10pm news and the morning after newspapers. With that said, my first time here at the Wailupe loop trail was interesting on a brisk Friday evening. We ran as we could in the daylight before sunset fell and we ended up walking a bunch before night fell. The brush was picture perfect, but we were mindful to stick to the main trail before something dangerous or disastrous could occur. The beauty of east Oahu is in full display once in you are near or at the top of the tail. Picturesque views of Aina Haina are at your perview when you reach the top. During my time here at the Wailupe loop trail, my experience here was physical, mentally and spiritual cleansing, while having a good time with friends. During the COVID era, best bet is to wear masks and tread lightly on the trails. My friends and I managed to make it to the top of the trail and it was very surreal and amazing at the same time, where the wind was gently pushing your back at 8:30pm, physically tired from the evening's hike, and you can see the island below your feet in the dark. This is what adventure is made out of. The scenery was epic, especially at night, knowing that during the day is easier than doing it at night. Not recommended, if you're not experienced hiking in the dark. The overall experience here at the Wailupe loop trail was very nice and looking to go back sometime soon. Maybe in the daylight hours. Haha. The trail itself can be challenging, no matter what time of day, but obviously, 100 times more when you're in the dark even with headlamps on. With that said, the views were nice on the way up and quite awe inspiring. There's nothing like the wind in your heair and the sheer addrenaline rush that can be felt while just being out in nature this way. For the most part though, the experience with friends taught me trust is the most important thing and safety while hiking at night is a priority. Hiking during the day as well, but its definitely heightened during the night hours. The Wailupe loop trail is located in the back of Wailupe Valley in east Oahu. The physical address is the 1000 block of Hao Street in Aina Haina. Best bet would be to come and go via private car or maybe and Uber or lyft. Street parking is sometimes a challenge to find, since it's basically residential street parking. If you are like me, only bus route 1 comes through the area and stops along East / West Hind Drive. After getting off, you're on foot - traveling either on Hind Uka Drive, then Ani Street, then Hao Street, or find Hao street and walk towards the back of the valley. The walk itself is about 1.5 miles from East / West Hind Drive one way. Be sure to carry the essentials when walking or running the trail and mind your footing when you're on the single track portions on the trail. Many parts of the trail has dangerous drop zones, if you misstep and can cause a lot of hurt or pain - or worse. Carry water and essential aid in case of trouble, along with your phone and a spare battery, if necessary. My experience here at the Wailupe Loop trail took about 3 1/2 hours roundtrip, majority of it was in the dark. It was good fun with friends, but don't recommend it in the dark unless you are really knowledgable about hiking in the dark. Enjoy the scenery during the day and you'll be good to go. Best kept secret in east Oahu. Hidden hiking gem for sure. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+