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Trail Tidbits & Search Term Glossary
Interesting Trail Tidbits
Search Terms GlossaryThis section was designed with website searches in mind. These are actual
search terms used by past visitors to Backyard Oahu. This is a compilation
of the more popular search terms followed by definitions, explanations, and/or links to
more information when applicable. Use your computer's "find on page" or "search on page" option (usu.
"ctrl-f" on PCs and "apple-f" on Macs) to find your search term on this page.
army garrison - is now the 25th Infantry (Light) Division located at Schofield Barracks (Wahiawa) in central Oahu. Castle Trail - two trails built under the leadership and funding of a single man around 1910. Both were produced as horse-riding trails and both are now extremely overgrown and highly dilapidated. The first Castle Trail, which intersects Waahila Ridge near the Koolau Crest, can be faintly seen on both sides while climbing the final ascent to Mount Olympus. Except for the occasional efforts of trail-clearing volunteers, the entire original Castle Trail is buried under vegetation and has been damaged by landslides. A few years later, the second Castle Trail was constructed from Punaluu Valley, across upper Kaluanui Valley and Stream, and to the V-notch along Waiahilahila Ridge. Later, a connector was constructed to meet the Koolau summit which later became a junction with the Koolau Summit Trail. See Castle-Punaluu Trail. (link) Chinaman's Hat (common misspellings: china mans hat) - also known as Mokolii Island. A small sea stack remnant offshore Kualoa Beach Park. See Mokolii Island. Diamond Head Crater (misspellings: dimond head, diamondhead) - also known as Leahi. See Diamond Head Trail. (link) Hanauma Bay - a scenic snorkel point for many tourists located on southeastern Oahu behind Koko Crater (Kohelepelepe) between Koko Head and Sandy Beach. The trail that hikes just above Hanauma Bay is the Koko Head Rim hike. (link) Hawaii - the State of Hawaii has two parts: the main seven (7) inhabited islands and the northwestern chain. Population-wise, Oahu is the largest island but it is not the biggest in terms of geographic size. Other inhabited islands include: Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii (Big Island). The seventh inhabited island, Niihau, is not accessible to the public as it is privately owned and houses a native Hawaiian society. Kooholawe, located south of Maui was once a bombing range for the U.S. Armed Forces until the late 1980s and is not inhabited. Hawaii Loa (misspellings: hawaiiloa, hawailoa) - an exclusive residential subdivision perched on a ridge between Niu Valley and Kuliouou Valley. There is a popular trail along Hawaii Loa Ridge. (link) Don't confuse this with Puu Hawaiiloa, a small hill on the Mokapu Peninsula and Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe. Jackass Ginger Pool - a popular swimming hole located along the the Judd loop trail in Nuuanu. The pool can be seen while walking along the Nuuanu Pali Road. Alternate spellings: jack ass ginger. (link) Kaala, Mt. - highest point on Oahu (elev. 4,025-ft / 1,227-m). Alternate spellings: Ka'ala. link Kaau Crater (misspellings: kaau krater, ka'au krater) - also known as ka'au crater. A volcanic cone deep in Palolo Valley along the southwestern leeward Koolau Range (above Waialae/East Honolulu). The crater is often a marsh or swamp and feeds a waterfall via a notch on the east side. The waterfall is widely visible from the left side of the Lanipo (Puu Maumae) Trail. Kaaawa Beach Park - located along Kamehameha Hwy, north of Kaneohe and Kualoa, at the foot of the northern windward Koolau mountains. Offers views of the mountains the Kahekili and Puu Manamana Trails trek into. Kalalau - an extremely popular scenic valley for visiting backpackers/hikers and tourists on the island of Kauai. Kalalau Valley and Beach are inaccessible except by foot-trail, helicopter and boat landings. Expect heavy land and airplane traffic. Overnight permits, esp. by those who are not residents of Kauai can be difficult to acquire. Kalalau Valley can also be viewed from above in Kokee State Park. There exists an active, substantial but illegal squatter community. Kalawahine - (misspellings: karawahine) link Koko Crater - (misspellings: Coco Crater) link Kokokahi - also known as the Kawaewae Trail, starts at Friendship Gardens in Kaneohe and hikes behind/above Kapaa Quarry. Kolekole Pass - also known as Kole Kole. Mountain pass located in the central Waianae Mountains between Puu Hapapa and Puu Ku Makalii. It is deep within military property, access is restricted, and is often patrolled by military police. The pass itself is the gateway between two military bases: Schofield Barracks (home to the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Light "Tropic Lightning" to the east and the Lualualei Naval Supply Magazine (home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet central-Pacific nuclear ammunition storage facility) to the west. Kuliouou Ridge (misspellings: Kulioeoe) - popular ridge trail between Hawaii Kai and Niu Valley. link Maakua Ridge (also: ma'akua ridge) - a ridge trail who's trailhead is in the immediate vicinity of the Hauula-Papali Loop in the northern windward Koolaus. Mauna O'ahi - also known as Mauna A'ohi, Maunaoahi, Mauna Oahi. A trail opposite of Kuliouou Ridge in Hawaii Kai's Haihaione Valley. Maunawili Trail (misspellings: Maunowili, Maunawilie, Mauanawili, Monowilie, Maunawilli Moanaloua, Moanaloa) - also known as Maunawili Demonstration Trail, Ko'olaupoko Trail, Koolaupoko Trail. A graded trail constructed into the base of the southern windward Koolau cliffs. Under approval by Na Ala Hele and leadership of the Sierra Club, trail construction began in 1991. It extends from Waimanalo to Kailua/Nuuanu Pali behind (mauka) the Olomana peaks. A connector trail about 2.5 miles from the Nuuanu Pali side leads down the 1.5-mile Maunawili Falls Trail. (link) Maunawili Falls (misspellings: Maunawilie Falls) - see Maunawili Trail missile - The only missile sites in the Oahu mountains are abandoned - all active missile launchers are housed at their respective Army/Navy/Air Force bases. Trails including, or within the vicinity, of these abandoned Nike missile launch sites include Kuaokala and Makapuu-Tom/Tom Trails. An abandoned missile control station is located atop the highest point (Puu Mai) of Koko Crater (Kohelepelepe) in Hawaii Kai. The primary function of the U.S. Air Force's Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station does not include missile launching. Moanalua Valley - a privately-owned valley near Aiea and Halawa Valleys, handed down from ancient Hawaiian royalty in the late 19th century. mud boots - see recommendation on cleats. Olympus, Mt. (misspellings: olimpus, olympia, waakila) - Mount Olympus is the prominent peak which stands at the top of Waahila Ridge in the southeastern leeward Koolau Range above central Honolulu. A public trail leads about halfway up the ridge. The residential area the trailhead resides in is known as St. Louis Heights. link Ohulehule, Puu - the large triangular-shaped peak which stands in the central windward Koolau mountains. It stands like a monument at the apex of Kualoa and Kahana Valleys. The climb is treacherous at certain points due to its vertical and slippery nature. There have been several cases of stranded hikers and search & rescue by HFD helicopter. Pali - also known as Nuuanu Pali. A popular scenic destination for tourist groups located in the central Koolau mountains just off Pali Highway (before the Wilson Tunnels to Kailua). The windy lookout stands well above the tunnels in the mountain pass between Puu Lanihuli and Puu Konahuanui. Several trails are accessible from this point including: Old Pali Road, Likeke, and Maunawili Trails Peacock Flats - a wonderful set of campsites nestled in the whispering trees in the mountains well above Mokuleia and Makaha. Accessible via 4WD and strong/high-clearance vehicles. Foot trails into the area include Kealia, Mokuleia, and Kuaokala Trails. Pupukea (misspellings: pupekea) - an area along Oahu's North Shore, home to several residential tracts, the Boy Scout and the Girl Scout wilderness camps. Rabbit Island - also known as Manana Island. So named due to a population of rabbits which were introduced there as a food source. The island and a small islet nearby, called Kaohikaipu Island, are both state seabird sanctuaries. They are located offshore of Makapuu Beach and are visible from all lookout points including Lanikai Beach, Makapuu Lookout, Makapuu Lighthouse Road, and Makapuu/Tom-Tom Trail. ( link) snow - you won't find snow on Oahu. Try Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa during winter on Hawaii (the Big Island) or Haleakala on Maui. Stairway to Heaven - also known as Haiku Stairs, Garden Stairs, Stairs to Heaven, Steps to Heaven, Koolau Steps. link Tantalus (missspellings: tantilus) - a mountainous area (and road) above metro Honolulu which includes a vast network of popular state-maintained trails between Nuuanu and Manoa Valleys. tidepools - few trails offer tidepools on Oahu. See Makapuu Tidepools. (link) Tora Tora Tora - a movie about the December 7, 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. Opana Point in the movie was filmed atop Koko Head in Hawaii Kai. (The real Opana Point is near Kahuku Point.) The scene involving the National Wildlife Service, where the Army officer points out where he wants to "truck" the radar equipment, was filmed at Kualoa and the peak he points out is the (inaccessible) Puu Kanehoalani. While there was a radar unit in this area at the time, the famed unit which detected the oncoming wave of Japanese planes (Which was dismissed as American bombers ferried from the U.S. mainland) was at Opana Point. There is a memorial monument and information plaques on the west side of the main hotel structure (near the beach) at Turtle Bay Resort. Turtle Bay - a resort on Oahu's North Shore which sits on an ocean-front peninsula between Sunset Beach and Kahuku Point. The closest hiking area is Pupukea. volcano - there are no active volcanoes on Oahu. Remnants of the two major shield volcanoes which produced Oahu stand on the west (Waianae Mountains) and east (Koolau Mountains) sides of the island. They virtually lean against each other forming the central Oahu plains (Wahiawa, Mililani, Kunia, Waipahu). The middle of the dormant Waianae caldera lies at Mauna Kuwale in Lualualei and the western side of the volcano has long since fallen into the ocean. The middle of the dormant Koolau caldera lies in Kawainui Marsh in Kailua - the eastern side of the volcano, too, has long since disappeared into the Pacific. For more information, see Roadside Geology of Hawaii. Waimano Ridge Trail - also Waimano Trail, Waimano Home Trail. A state-maintained, graded trail in the central leeward Koolau Mountains above Pearl City. This long trail leads to the Koolau crest and views of Kaneohe Bay. weather patterns - see: weather. Wiliwilinui - a ridge trail in southeast leeward Oahu (East Honolulu). kumu hula 2 kumu hula and halau 1 kolii 1 kaapaakai 1 hau'ula 1 great wall of china 1 dolphins 1 cities of oahu 1 cities 1 snorkle 1 snorkel 1 rivers 2 kipapa gulch 2 famous people from Hawaii 2 mountain biking 2 biking 2 bike riding 2 bike 2 dirt bike riding 1 dirt bike 3 BIKE TRAILS 3 puuoni place 1 wai'alae nui 2 paradise park 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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