Hawaii is one of the most gorgeous places on the planet. It’s a place that’s filled with beautiful lush mountains, gorgeous ocean coastlines, and amazing panoramic scenery that are great for hiking. There’s a whole list of reasons why you need to discover these top 5 most popular hikes on Oahu, but none more important than to see the real beauty of the island.
1. Kuliouou Ridge Trail
The entire trail is incredibly beautiful and the views from the top are out of this world. For the first few miles, the trail consists of switchbacks in the trees while you make your way up from the valley floor. At the top of the ridge, you are rewarded with sweeping views of the dramatic landscape around you.
Difficulty: intermediate
Lengths: 4.7 mi
Location and Parking: Kalaau Pl, Honolulu, Hawaii 96821. No parking at the entrance, street parking on Kalaau rd. and surrounding neighborhood.
2. Aiea Loop Trail
If you’re looking for a hike that’s not too intense—no rock-climbing, no ropes, no stairs—but that immerses you in a verdant forest, including native trees, consider ‘Aiea Loop Trail. This beautiful, mostly shady hike runs along the ridge on the west side of Hālawa Valley, with views of Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and the Ko‘olau Mountains.
Difficulty: easy
Lengths: 4.8-mi loop
Location and Parking: 99-1849 ‘Aiea Heights Drive, ‘Aiea. There is a free parking lot.
3. Koko Crater Trail
Koko head is also known as “Koko Crater Trail” is a good challenging leg workout, with rewarding picturesque views up top. The top of Koko Head Crater includes spectacular panoramic views of the East Honolulu shoreline, Hanauma Bay, and parts of the Big Island. “The best view comes after the hardest climb” therefore, Koko head is definitely one of the most popular hikes on Oahu, where you can take amazing pictures.
Difficulty: difficult
Lengths: 1.6 mi
Location and Parking: Goeas Baseball Field, 423 Kaumakani St. There is a parking lot close to the beginning of the trail.
4. Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
Lush rainforests, layer upon layer of green mountain ridges, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. You can experience all of these things and so much more, along the Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail. Wiliwilinui Ridge is an excellent introduction to ridgeline trails- the trail is well-maintained and fairly wide, therefore is one of the most popular hikes on the island which provides a safe way to enjoy those fantastic vistas.
Difficulty: intermediate
Lengths: 4,7 mi
Location and Parking: Kuliouou – Kalani Iki. There’s only a handful of parking spots for hikers near the trailhead, so the guard passes out a certain number of laminated parking passes each day.
5. Pink Pillbox
On the west side of Oahu, the Puu o Hulu, also known as the Pink Pillbox hike, has some incredibly beautiful vistas. There are many pillboxes on Oahu, however, Pink Pillbox is the most popular one, which takes less than 45-minutes to reach the top, but along the way, you will have an amazing panoramic view of the highly underrated western shoreline of Oahu.
Difficulty: easy
Lengths: 1,6 mi
Location and Parking: Maili, Hawaii 96792. You can park off the road on the right or left.