A beautiful day for a hike! Every time I do this hike it's a little different. Today the waterfall…read morewas cold and bracing and there were a lot of people hiking the falls. We started out around 8:45 AM and by the time we reached the waterfall, it was getting full of families and pairs of hikers. I recommend go early to skip the crowds. The hike itself isn't too technical and there are only a few places where you have to step up high over a rock or scramble through a stream.

Lulumahu Falls was definitely one of the hikes I've wanted to do for a very long time…read more I've passed by it a number of times, so I knew exactly where it was. If you've driven up Pali Hwy - Kailua-bound, then you've passed by it. The parking and entrance is right at the intersection of Nuuanu Pali Road, you'll see plenty of cars parked. While there's no true entrance, cars do somehow figure out a way to park. You technically do need a permit to visit here as you are accessing State Forest Reserve land, which you can purchase at - https://trails.ehawaii.gov/camping/ - website. It's very easy to set up an account and make your reservation. It's only $2.50 for your entire party (not per person!). Print at least two copies (1 for your car and 1 with you). This hike is not as easy as a good amount of reviews make it out to be. It's not that kid friendly either. The main entrance is at the center of the parking lot. There is also another entrance to your right, near the road. The beginning part is fine. Flat and well maintained, graveled path through a bamboo forest. It's after your first jump or hop over a streamlet that can be more difficult because the hike is essentially gradually going up towards the mountain while crossing over the Lulumahu Stream multiple times until you reach the waterfall. Crossing the stream, you'll need to jump or climb from rock to rock, go under tree branches, step on slipper rocks (or just step in the water), and etc. You shouldn't get lost here as long as you hear the stream and stay near it. The objective is to follow the stream while looking out for those bright neon ribbons. But there are situations where you don't see any ribbon with multiple paths you can take. Being that it was my first time here, I probably took a few paths that was the more difficult one, but eventually made it at the end without any difficulties or setbacks. This seems to be a popular hike as it was quite busy at the waterfall. There were hardly any places to stand, and the "safe" areas are further away from the waterfall while if you want to get closer to get that under the waterfall photo, you'll need to pass some slippery rocks, jump here and there, and pass through narrow spaces. Of course, you can just put your shoes and feet into water to bypass. In the end, it was quite a nice waterfall and an interesting journey to get there. Wish it was less busy, but it wasn't overcrowded. There's no main path, so you can end up going through many difficult paths. I can upon a family of 4 literally walk up the stream, knee high in water. No clue where they came from, but I pointed to the direction I went. On the way down, you can take a different path. I went towards the right, and went down to the watershed. Look for the cement wall with graffiti. You can keep going down the walkway, and there is an opening at the corner of the fence towards the end, which will lead you back to the beginning, bamboo forest path. Overall, this was a fun and interesting hike! It wasn't easy, but not difficult or long. A good test of your balance to not get your socks wet! It takes about 45-60 minutes both ways depending on your level and path taken. Unless you want to swim and climb up stream. Hope to come back soon!

Open to the public only a few days a year (when the military isn't having live ammo exercises), we…read morewere lucky to hike it on 4th of July. We came up Kunia Road and entered Schofield Barracks. You tell them you wanna hike Kole Kole trail. Then you pull over and get a permit. Your car must be fully legal and bring ID for everyone. They take your photo. Then we drove back into the base a while to the trail head. Nice parking and safe from thieves and vandals. The first 0.4 miles is extremely easy, like easier and shorter than Diamond Head. You get to a bench viewing area that is absolutely gorgeous. Unique views of West side. If you continue on to the left of the bench is a trail partially obscured by tall scratchy California grass. The trail is still easy for awhile, we took the left fork which is more gradual. Then you start ascending the side cliff which gets progressively more challenging, loose gravel, rock climbing but there are ropes to help you. Glad I brought spikes for the way down. Should have brought my gloves and worn long pants as I got lots of scratches on my legs from plants. We went to the top a little past where the junction is. You can see North Shore, West side, and all the way to Diamond Head. Approximately 2.5 miles total. Not too dangerous and mostly shaded until the ridge part. Sae many other side trails would love to explore.

This has been on my list of hikes to do for a long time. Ever since seeing David Chat's post on…read moreUnreal Hawaii about it http://www.unrealhawaii.com/2011/05/puu-hapapa/ I've been determined to hike this undeniably unreal hike on Schofield Barracks. Don't worry, you won't need a pass to get onto base. Just enter through Lyman Gate with your id, insurance, and car registration. Ask for directions to Kolekole Pass Road, which is about a 10 minute drive from the entrance. Park your car in the parking lot with the 'Warning Dangerous Trails Ahead' signs. The trail will start immediately. Follow the wooden steps up and you'll soon pass a huge Kolekole Rock. Keep walking till you pass a cell phone tower. Walk to the right of the tower and take a LEFT in the next fork in the road and then another LEFT in the next fork. You'll soon come out to a clearing where there is a meadow, walk to the end of this to see some spectacular views. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww Go back to the beginning of the field and find the trail that will lead you into the woods. Follow the pink trail markers. David Chat and his crew went up a steep short slope so we followed suit, and came out to a forest of paper bark trees. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww Next up: the fun part, the 2 notches. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=hRYyTfQk5-uJ4wHwa8UnCw&userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww Yes you will be climbing those so get ready to work them glutes. The first notch is a little daunting from afar but don't worry there is a safe path with ropes on the far left side. Remember this is your way to go UP & DOWN. The only reason I say this is because you don't want to be like my dear friend Dan M. and end up going down like this. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=CJkek-GPzPCtoCE6uYeokw&userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww Daring? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. But good news, he made it even with his Vans on. But in all seriousness please be careful. The second ledge is a little hairy since there is no rope or anything to help support you up the notch. Just make sure your footing is solid before making any moves because if you don't, well lets just say it won't be a good day. After you pass the two notches its pretty much all uphill climbing so don't expect to take a break till you reach the top which took about 30 minutes after climbing over the 2nd ridge. Once you see this sign, you know you are close. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww Follow the gate and soon you'll be so glad you woke up early and drove all the way to the North Shore to go on this hike. I've been on my share of hikes but Pu'u Hapapa has one of the best 360 degrees views http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJww It was so serene up at the top I could have stayed there all day and just hung out. Even through the clouds you could see all the way to Diamond Head and downtown. I'd rate this an advanced intermediate hike which should be on every hikers list. Nothing beats a 4 hour round trip hike that gives you some EPIC views and gets you out of town. Plus you are close to the North Shore so you can cool down with some shave ice after.

I only did the shorter path past the river with the beautiful rock view. Didn't go all the way to…read morethe waterfall because it started pouring rain a mile in, and I had to do the whole way back slipping and sliding in mud but the view of the river was nice and I even got to dip my feet in the water and it was real peaceful surrounding myself with the sound of the wind and river! Only rating 4/5 cause the whole mud and rain situation. I slipped at some point, not fun! Oh yeah, I started at the lower trail!

Fun great little trail, 2 walk through caves/tunnels along the upper trail. Kids loved it, would…read moredo it again. Views are amazing as always. Muddy spots for sure, lots of roots, and the reason I only gave 4 stars is the Poop!! make sure you watch out for dog POOP! But we really enjoyed the trail!

Very cool hike. Unexpected difficult hike I would guess 2 miles round trip with some steep…read moreclimbing. I wouldn't bring kids unless they experienced hikers and no small dogs. But very rewarding hike with a beautiful 360 view at the top. Bring extra water and snacks and can have a nice picnic at the top.

This west side Pink Pillbox Trail isn't as famous as the east side's Lanikai Pillbox Trail, but…read moreit's only about a 15-minute drive from Aulani and way less crowded -- definitely a nice bonus. Just set your GPS to Puʻu O Hulu (Pink Pillbox) Trailhead, and you'll find plenty of street parking along that stretch. Still, I'd recommend parking closer to the entrance for safety because we noticed broken glass scattered on the ground further down the road, probably from past break-ins. We actually parked once, saw the glass right by our car, and quickly moved closer to the entrance instead. Right after we parked, it started raining. The forecast said it would last about 30 minutes, so we just waited it out in the car before starting our hike. The trailhead is right between a yellow "Falling Rocks" warning sign and a white "Speed Limit 25" sign on a utility pole. The hike starts with a steep incline, but overall it's not too hard and just a bit narrow at parts. There are three pillboxes total. It took us around 30 minutes to reach the first one at a relaxed pace, stopping for photos along the way. The first pillbox is painted in blue graffiti inside, and from there you can continue up to the famous pink one. When we got to the pink pillbox, there were surprisingly tons of flies swarming around the entrance for some reason, so we didn't stay too close. The wind was really strong up there -- strong enough that I had trouble keeping my balance! It looked like reaching the third pillbox would require climbing over quite a few rocks, so we decided to turn back instead. On the drive back, we passed Ulehawa Beach Park, where we saw a whole row of homeless encampments right by the ocean -- literally parked and camped along the beachfront. We even saw a few people running across the road and one guy riding his motorcycle the wrong way, yelling at drivers passing by. If that's a regular thing, really sad to see this.

Visiting Pu'u Ualaka's State Park is on my top ten favorite things to do in Honolulu. The Park…read moreoffers spectacular views of the entire Southside of the Island. I travelled up Mount Tantalus to the Park yesterday with my daughter. We travelled through beautiful dense forest at the Park entrance. At the highest overlook, we could see everything and more from Diamond Head out to (and beyond) the airport. We could see all of Honolulu. I felt like we were on top of the world! Plaques offer fascinating overviews of the history and geology of the landmarks below. We could even see inside the famous tuff cone, Punch Bowl! Nearby is the first macadamia nut orchard in Hawaii. The overviews are paved with railings and easily accessible. The Park offers picnic areas with a couple pavilions and picnic tables. There is a charge for non-resident parking of $7 that can be paid electronically. Resident parking is free. Parking is limited, but there are several parking areas. We had no trouble finding parking mid week. Warning signs tell guest not to leave valuables in the car. Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park is only two miles from downtown Honolulu (maybe a couple more miles to the top). The Park is an easy 5 star and worth a visit.

Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Park offers some of the best views of the greater Waikiki and Honolulu area…read more It's well worth the drive up for the panoramic vista that stretches from Mānoa all the way to Diamond Head, and out toward Honolulu Airport and Pearl Harbor. The park officially closes at 6pm, but I've walked in after hours before to enjoy the city lights, and the views are just as impressive at night. It's a bit off the typical tourist path, so it doesn't get overly crowded. Highly recommended if you want a different perspective of Honolulu.

If you are looking for amazing views, a good workout, on the West side of Oahu, the Maili Pillboxes…read moremay be the hike for you! My girlfriend and I knew we needed to get at least one hike on our trip, and this one was close to our resort (15ish minutes for Ko Olina) and all I have to say is bring sunscreen and good walking shoes. The trail itself isn't long and pretty easy to navigate up the hill but it's pretty rocky at points. I slipped a few times going up and down but it was no biggie. The views once you get up there though is super worth it. The best part about this hike (aside from the views) is that it wasn't busy at all. We came around 8am and there was only a handful of people on the trail. Definitely recommend coming early to beat the heat or at sunset to catch the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. There's plenty of street parking available and the trail entrance is easy to find. If you are in the area and want a little bit of a challenging hike with great views, this is the spot.

It's actually the same location when you search Pink Pillbox or Puʻu O Hulu…read more This west side Pink Pillbox Trail isn't as famous as the east side's Lanikai Pillbox Trail, but it's only about a 15-minute drive from Aulani and way less crowded -- definitely a nice bonus. Just set your GPS to Puʻu O Hulu (Pink Pillbox) Trailhead, and you'll find plenty of street parking along that stretch. Still, I'd recommend parking closer to the entrance for safety because we noticed broken glass scattered on the ground further down the road, probably from past break-ins. We actually parked once, saw the glass right by our car, and quickly moved closer to the entrance instead. Right after we parked, it started raining. The forecast said it would last about 30 minutes, so we just waited it out in the car before starting our hike. The trailhead is right between a yellow "Falling Rocks" warning sign and a white "Speed Limit 25" sign on a utility pole. The hike starts with a steep incline, but overall it's not too hard and just a bit narrow at parts. There are three pillboxes total. It took us around 30 minutes to reach the first one at a relaxed pace, stopping for photos along the way. The first pillbox is painted in blue graffiti inside, and from there you can continue up to the famous pink one. When we got to the pink pillbox, there were surprisingly tons of flies swarming around the entrance for some reason, so we didn't stay too close. The wind was really strong up there -- strong enough that I had trouble keeping my balance! It looked like reaching the third pillbox would require climbing over quite a few rocks, so we decided to turn back instead. On the drive back, we passed Ulehawa Beach Park, where we saw a whole row of homeless encampments right by the ocean -- literally parked and camped along the beachfront. We even saw a few people running across the road and one guy riding his motorcycle the wrong way, yelling at drivers passing by. If that's a regular thing, really sad to see this.

This is a great little hike that is not difficult at all. The trail seems mostly maintained for the…read moremost part. It was raining when we went, so it got super muddy, but that is to be expected and was totally fine. My only real disappointment was that you cannot actually get into the water to swim anywhere along the trail or at the falls. Also, be aware that they charge for parking, though they do offer a military discount if that applies to you. Overall, it is a nice, accessible walk through nature, just do not bring your swimsuit expecting to dive in.

Service- 3 stars Ambiance- 5 stars…read more I usually hike this trail once a month to put myself out in the jungle and get away from concrete and I love it every time. This trail is located deep and all the way in Manoa valley- past the gym, Manoa elementary school where the road becomes pretty much a one lane street until you get around to the stop where you pay the attendant. I think this part is what disappoints me the most is because kama'aina still have to pay to hike this trail. Geez. If you are kama'aina, you have to present your ID to the attendant where you will have to pay $4. Not sure what the cost is for tourists or non-residents. There are lots of spaces to park when you past the attendant. You have the option to park at your first right past the old Treetops restaurant or further down. There is a restroom and little convenience shop if you want to purchase a souvenir, ice cream, water, etc for your hike. This trail can get super muddy and dangerous after rainfall so I would use caution if you choose to hike during wet season. There are big rocks you will have to step over all throughout the trail so be sure to go with proper hiking shoes with good grip. The waterfall at the very end isn't much but a good little reward as a picture opportunity. Folks can no longer go into the water due to leptospirosis. I highly recommend visiting this spot if you're a hiking person and nature lover!

Love this ridge trail for a good workout with amazing views from the summit and as you climb up to…read moreit. As ridge trails go it less narrow and a good one to start with in the Hawai'i Kai area. A good part of the trail zig zags up the mountain until you reach the picnic table. At this point we take a break, have a snack drink more water in preparation for the more difficult climb. Soon you reach the series of steps on the ridge that climb on and on up the mountain into the clouds at times. After the never ending steps you reach the summit. If cloudy wait and the clouds open up to stunning views of other side of island. This hike is well worth the journey. Make sure to have plenty of water and snacks. We use poles, they are really useful in coming back down to help save your knees. There is only street parking so be prepared to walk up road to trailhead. If raining better to go a different day.

This trail was very challenging, but the view worth every minute walking…read more It took us about 4 hours to go up and down because we were taking a lot of time. Really close to the top it became slippery, but besides that the walk is great. Parking can be an issue because there are not official parking, but going there early ensure you a spot.

This is a beautiful and easy walk. I would not call this a hike, but I do recommend tennis shoes…read more There are 2 trails to choose from. We chose the one along the water. Something that children 3 and up could do. It's not stroller or wheelchair accessible, so everyone has to walk. The views are gorgeous! It's humid, so bring water and lather up in sunscreen before you go. There is NO shade, so just be aware. I took a sun hat, but due to the winds I did not end up being able to wear it. A baseball cap works just fine. It's about an hour from Waikiki, but well worth the drive.

We lucked out that we went on a relatively cool overcast morning in January. This trail is exposed,…read moreso can be terribly hot during the summer months or on any hot day. This time we started on the north side where there is a good sized parking lot. The trail is just under 6 miles out and back. Relatively flat with gorgeous ocean views all the way. Nice little beaches you could stop at or search for seashells along the way. Near the western most point is a bird preserve which you let yourself into through a gate. Very relaxing to sit out and watch the big waves at the point before making the return walk.