Oahu Hiking FAQs
Here are some answers to questions you may have about hiking the Oahu outdoors. These
FAQs are designed with specific items or topics in mind that are generally not tackled on
other pages. Please see one of the subject areas listed under Related Topics if you
want introductory and general information on items such as island geography, weather, and
hiking tips.
Don't see your question & answer here? Send feedback or post
it in the forums.
General Questions & Answers
 I want waterfalls. Where should I go?
Which are the "best" waterfalls on Oahu?
Where are the wilderness campsites accessible only by hiking?
Where are good places for outdoor/trail weddings?
I want isolation and solitude - where should I go?
What kind of hiking footwear should I use for Oahu's trails?
What should I wear on my hike?
Where are Oahu's volcanoes?
Where's the highest point on Oahu?
What government jurisdictions are out there?
About the Koolaus
Can you hike the entire Koolau summit... in one shot?
Okay, what parts of the Koolau crest can you hike?
What is the Koolau Summit Trail or KST?
About the Waianaes
What and where is Peacock Flats?
What about Camp Timberline?
Why aren't the Waianaes as urbanized as the Koolaus?
What are those giant golfball-like structures on the northern tip?
Are there waterfalls in the Waianae Mountains?
I want waterfalls. Where should I go?
Short answer: try either Manoa Falls Trail or Maunawili Falls Trail.
This is a tricky question. After you rule out the intermittent flows (the ones which are dead or
trickle until rainfall), then factor in issues of inaccessibility, inconvenient location, and
access problems, you're not really left with anything truly impressive. Plus, wanting to be
alone in a wonderful cascading gush will eliminate several waterfall trails. Essentially the level of gorgeousness is
proportional to how much time and energy (and trespassing) you're willing to commit -
some of the best waterfalls on Oahu are hidden deep in our mountains, far from "civilization",
and not easily (or legally) accessible.
If you want trouble-free access (though a good chance they'll be crowded with other hikers),
the best falls would be Manoa Falls and Maunawili Falls. Laie Falls and Malaekahana Falls,
which are within the same vicinity of one another, are both nice and far less crowded, but
are relatively far from Honolulu, are significantly more difficult, and have a more
conditional access. Unfortunately, the rest are examples of either unremarkable waterfalls
or of blatant trespassing.
Which are the "best" waterfalls on Oahu?
Let's assume you want a balance of grandeur and swimming possibilities.
Therefore, in alphabetical order, the best waterfalls on Oahu are listed here (with
the reasons these hikes are problematic, if any, noted in parentheses).
NOTE: Do not take the
"permission required" comment lightly - some of these hikes are actively guarded or
monitored and there have been incidents of citations for trespassing on these trails.
Where are the wilderness campsites accessible only by hiking?
Short answer: there are none.
There are no designated campsites that backpackers can hike to in either the
Koolaus or Waianaes. All designated campsites on Oahu are accessible via land vehicle -
most can be driven to in typical urban automobiles. Many of them are at beach parks while
some are located at the high end of residential areas perched in the mountains (i.e. Keaiwa Heiau in
Aiea) which happen to be at a trailhead.
Don't expect to find a designated or "official" campsite along any foot trail in our mountains. This
does not suggest you can't find a place to pitch a tent - but you're doing so without a permit.
On a brighter note, there is a wonderful campsite nestled high in the northern Waianae
Mountains called Peacock Flats. See below.
Where are good places for outdoor/trail weddings?
Check out this
page
for some insights and recommendations about weddings along the trail.
I want isolation and solitude - where should I go?
Short answer: avoid Na Ala Hele Trails, esp.
the ones in central and southern sections of the Koolaus.
Generally, the further north you go, the less (to none) people you'll find. The most
isolated trails include those in the Waikane, Kaaawa, Kaipapau, and Koloa areas of the Windward Koolaus,
Wahiawa to Haleiwa areas of the Leeward Koolaus, and the southern Waianaes. Of course, if
you did trails in these areas (e.g. Peahinaia, Kawailoa) you'll find they are atrociously
overgrown with vegetation and littered with slide-outs.
What kind of hiking footwear should I use for Oahu's trails?
Please see the Hiking Gear page for recommendations.
What should I wear on my hike?
Please see the Hiking Tips Chapter 5.3: What to Wear chapter.
Where are Oahu's volcanoes?
The Island of Oahu is the withered remnant of two shield volcanoes much like the kind found
on the Big Island (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Kilauea). The foot of these two volcanoes,
Waianae and Koolau, stand about 16,000-feet below the ocean's surface. What you see in
Central Oahu (the Wahiawa/Mililani/Waikele area) is the Leilehua Plateau: the overlapped
sections of the younger Koolau lava flows and the alluvial deposits from the older Waianae
Volcano. The rest of the two volcanoes - Waianae beyond the Leeward Coast, Koolau beyond
the Windward Coast - have long since crumbled and slid into the ocean.
Where's the highest point on Oahu?
Mount Kaala stands at 4,025-feet above sea level and resides above Waialua and Makaha in the
Waianae Mountains. Konahuanui, Oahu's fifth tallest, is the pinnacle peak for the Koolau
Mountains. Both are hike-accessible. For a line-up of Oahu's peaks, please see the
Trail Tidbits page.
What government jurisdictions are out there?
Agencies in several levels of government operate in areas where hiking trails exist.
Of the three levels, the City & County of Honolulu's jurisdiction does not really
pertain to any hiking trail, per se. For the most part, the state and federal levels
of government have more of an influence on hiking matters on Oahu.
Generally, the State of Hawaii owns most of the mid to upper elevations of all
mountains on Oahu. The majority of that state land is zoned for conservation.
Meanwhile, other major tracts of land are either owned or leased from the state
by the federal government. This includes massive military installations at
Wahiawa, Wheeler, Pearl Harbor, Lualualei, Mokapu, and Kahauiki.
As an example, government jurisdictions include these agencies:
State historical and recreational sites (affects trails in Aiea, Makapuu, Diamond Head) - Division of State Parks (DLNR-DFW)
State samples of native ecosystems (affects trails in Kaala, Pahole, and Kaena) - Natural Area Reserves System (DLNR-DFW)
Individual trails (affects several areas) - Na Ala Hele Trails & Access Program
U.S. Army military areas (affects trails in Makua, Kalena, Wahiawa, and Pupukea) - U.S. Army Environmental
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Can you hike the entire Koolau summit, from Kahuku to Makapuu, in one shot?
The short answer: no.
While we won't say it's impossible it's highly unlikely you'd be successful - even over several days.
Though most of the Koolau spine is passable for crest-walking and climbing, the exception
resides in the middle, specifically Moanalua Valley and Nuuanu Valley, where the crest becomes too narrow, crumbly,
and jagged. Even hikers with minimal equipment have been stone-walled while attempting these crossings, let
alone heavily-equipped backpackers attempting to complete the entire Koolau spine.
If you do attempt this, which hopefully means you've been hiking all of the Koolaus for a long
time, be sure you do the peak-to-peak crest-hikes as individual segments first so you know what to
expect - then piece it all together. Don't try to crest-hike more than a few peaks
at a time if it's your first attempt.
Okay, what parts of the Koolau crest can you hike?
Be forewarned: crest-walking is for highly-experienced hikers who have no trouble with
heights and narrow or muddy footing.
The graded Koolau Summit Trail runs the northern extent from Pupukea south through Kipapa. Beyond
Kipapa, you're on your own, meaning you start the ungraded up-and-down rollercoastering. As described
above, you'll run into trouble in the Moanalua and Nuuanu Valleys if you want to stay on the crest.
From Konahuanui (Nuuanu Valley) south through Makapuu, the crest is do-able.
Difficult, but it has been done.
What is the Koolau Summit Trail or KST?
The KST is an actual, 18.5-mile, graded trail in the Koolau mountains which majestically
follows the Koolau spine from Pupukea to Kipapa (Mililani). It was completed in January 1936.
However, decades of inattention to maintenance concerns combined with the continual pig infestation
have driven the entire trail into major disrepair.
Before the KST's construction, bits and pieces of the northern Koolau crest had been actively
scouted and significantly used by hunters. In the 1920s these hunters had the funding and blessing of
local sugar plantation owners seeking to protect their crops' watershed from the damage caused by
wild pigs. With the protection of the native forest in mind and the effects of Great Depression unemployment
which had trickled into the Hawaiian economy, construction of a trail was a positive choice for all concerned.
The official start of construction of the KST began in March 1934 under the leadership of the Territory
of Hawaii's Division of Forestry Superindentent Charles S. Judd and his assistant Glenn
Russ who oversaw Emergency Conservation Work projects.
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What and where is Peacock Flats?
Peacock Flats is an official state-maintained complex of campsites in the Waianae Mountains' northwestern arm, between Makua Valley (Makaha)
and Kealia (Mokuleia). It is accessible by both foot-trail, 4WD-trail, and paved road (the last two are gated/guarded). A combination of foot-trails
can be used to reach it, including Kealia, Mokuleia, and Kuaokala Trails.
What about Camp Timberline?
Camp Timberline is a private retreat in the southern Waianae Mountains about 3 miles behind the Makakilo residential area. It is at the base of a
gated community of luxurious private homes on the property of the James Campbell Estate Trust.
The camp is operated and maintained by a company called Kamaaina Kids and has cottages,
cafeteria, and recreational structures used by different morale and
wellness programs which take part there. See Camp Timberline Trail.
Why aren't the Waianaes as urbanized as the Koolaus?
Most of the Waianaes are privately or federally owned - they are not in the purview of the State
of Hawaii. For example, the southern Waianaes that can be seen from Honolulu (above
Makakilo) are owned by the James Campbell Estate which has leased much of it to The Nature
Conservancy for protection of the native wildlife and forest of Honouliuli. The rest, including
much of the Wahiawa-facing side of the Northern Waianaes, Mt. Kaala, Kuakokala from Kaena
Point, Makua and Lualualei Valleys are owned/leased by the federal government.
What are those giant golfball-like structures on the northern tip?
The U.S. Air Force owns several tracts of land along Kuaokala Ridge and atop Mt. Kaala itself.
What you are seeing are their radar dishes (enveloped in protective domes) which track
airplanes (Mt. Kaala surveillance radars) and communicate with military satellites
(Kuaokala radars).
Are there waterfalls in the Waianae Mountains?
No. There are no permanent nor significant, intermittent water flows to support
waterfalls.
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it in the forums.
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FAQ Categories
General Q&A
About the Koolaus
About the Waianaes
Related Topics
Hiking Tips
Island Geography
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