Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This is a strenuous, 14-mile round-trip with an altitude gain of nearly 2,000 feet. The rewards
are worth the effort: magnificent views from the top of windward Oahu's Koolau Mountains
and a chance to see rare native Hawaiian plants. Plan a full day for this 8-hour hike.
To get here from Waikiki, take H-1 to the Pearl City exit (exit 10) on Moanalua Road; head
north and turn right on Waimano Home Road; follow it to the end, just over 22 miles. Park on
the road. Or take TheBus no. E8, 19, 20, 23, 24, or 32 from Waikiki to the Ala Moana Shopping
Center and transfer to TheBus no. 53. Tell your driver where you are going, and he will take
you as far as he can on Waimano Home Road; you'll have to walk the rest of the way to the
trail head (about 1½ miles).
You'll pick up the trail head at the dirt path to the left of the gate, outside the fence sur-
rounding the Waimano Home. Follow the trail through swamp mahogany trees to the first
junction; turn right at the junction to stay on the upper Waimano Trail. At the second junction,
turn right again to stay on the upper trail. Cross the streambed and climb the switchbacks
on the eucalyptus-covered ridge. The trail ends on the sometimes rainy—and nearly always
windy—peak of the Koolaus, where you'll have views of Waihee Valley and the entire wind-
ward side from Kahaluu to Kaneohe Bay. It's very clear that this is the end of the trail; retrace
your steps to the trail head.
East Oahu Hikes
MAKAPUU LIGHTHOUSE TRAIL
★
You've seen this famous old lighthouse on episodes of Magnum, P.I. and Hawaii Five-O. No
longer manned by the Coast Guard (it's fully automated now), the lighthouse is the goal
of hikers who risk a precipitous cliff trail to gain an airy perch over the Windward Coast,
Manana (Rabbit) Island, and the azure Pacific. It's about a 45-minute, mile-long hike from
Kalanianaole Highway (Hwy. 72), along a paved road that begins across from Hawaii Kai Ex-
ecutive Golf Course and winds around the 646-foot-high sea bluff to the lighthouse lookout.
To get to the trail head from Waikiki, take Kalanianaole Highway (Hwy. 72) past Hanauma
Bay and Sandy Beach to Makapuu Head, the southeastern tip of the island; you can also take
TheBus no. 57. Look for a sign that says no vehicles allowed on a gate to the right, a few
hundred yards past the entrance to the golf course. The trail isn't marked, but it's fairly obvi-
ous: Just follow the abandoned road that leads gradually uphill to a trail that wraps around
Makapuu Point. It's a little precarious, but anyone in reasonably good shape can handle it.
Tip:
When the south swell is running, usually in summer, a couple of blowholes on the
south side of Makapuu Head put the famous Halona blowhole to shame.
