Hiking in Hawaii: KULI'OU'OU RIDGE TRAIL

One of the coolest parts about living on Oahu is the wide array of activities the island offers. Most people think of the beautiful beaches when they picture Hawaii, but one of my favorite things to do in Hawaii is hike! There are so many mountains with beautiful trails and views of the island. During my time in Hawaii, I plan to hike as a much as possible and document those hikes here on this blog.

P.S. I apologize ahead of time for the low quality iPhone photos. It is hard to capture the beauty with a camera phone, and for me, it's more about being present in the moment and enjoying all the scenery around me.

Hike 1: Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail 

Recently, my coworkers and I hiked the Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail. The location of this trail is designated by the red pin on Google Maps in the photos. As you can see, it is located on the eastern side of Oahu. This hike offers an incredible view of Waimanalo, Hawaii Kai, and the windward side of Oahu.

   

Fast Facts:
Distance: 4-5 miles
Time Length: Typically 4 hours
Ascent: Almost 1800 feet
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
View: Incredible!

It takes anywhere between 25-40 minutes to drive out to the
beginning of the trail from downtown Waikiki by car. Parking is up along the hill, but it is a residential area so be mindful and respectful of residents and their property. Typically you will want to park 2-3 feet away from a driveway. Once you park, you will walk up the hill to the start of the trail. Continue along the path until you see the signs indicating the split between the valley and ridge. When you get to this sign, go right and begin your ascent up the Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail.

Time:

We began our hike at around 2:30pm so it was quite hot. The trail is around 4-5 miles long and according to other reviews, it should take about 4 hours round trip. Our group took about 3 hours and 15 minutes total. A rough timeline of our hike is as follows:
  • To the top: 2:30- 3:50 (1 hr 20 mins) 
  • At the summit: 3:50 - 4:20 (40 mins)
  • Back to bottom: 4:20 - 5:25 (1 hr 5 mins) 
During our hike up, we probably stopped for a total of 10-15 minutes to rest or take pictures along the trail. At the top, we spent a while taking pictures and waiting for the rest of our group who had taken a slower pace up. The one thing about the view from the top is that sometimes it is too cloudy to see anything, but if you wait, the clouds usually pass for a bit and you can take all the pictures you want! The hike back down is definitely quicker than the hike up, but you still have to be careful on the way down, especially if it has rained recently.

Trail:
Fortunately we went on a day where the ground was dry. After it has rained, the trail is much more difficult, slippery, and dangerous due to mud and such. The trail is pretty easy to follow, but at times it does get challenging. The ground is covered in pine needles in places and in some places there are tree roots everywhere! In these areas, you have to be careful so you do not slip and fall, especially if it is muddy.

On the way up, there were some areas that made for great photography, so don't forget to enjoy the journey on your way to your destination (the top).





As you get towards the top, there are almost 300 stairs total that you have to climb. You must also be careful here as they are of different lengths. So for me at 5'2 with short legs, some of the stairs were a reach. Again, it was not really muddy, but I can imagine that these stairs can be really slippery if wet and muddy so keep that in mind! If there was rain prior to your hike, I suggest hiking shoes.
The stairs can be a killer since they come towards the top of the hike right before the summit, but thinking about getting to the top and seeing the view really kept us going. Not going to lie though, there were a lot more stairs then we realized. Once we hit the stairs I was like "Oh we're basically there," but there are a lot of stairs to go up before actually getting to the top. So just keep going!!


View:

Many people I have talked to in Hawai'i love this hike. Our local friends suggested this hike, saying that this is a great hike because it's not too difficult but offers an extensive view of the island. One of my superiors at work even said that this is hike has his favorite view, so I was really excited to reach the top. As I mentioned before, sometimes it can be too cloudy to see anything, so the key is to go on a clear day and/or wait for any clouds to pass. It offers an amazing view of the windward side of Oahu.
  • To the left, you will see the Mokulua Islands- these are twin islands 
  • To the middle/right, you will see Waimanalo, Rabbit Island, and Koko Head Crater




TIPS: (Some of these may be redundant but I just wanted to emphasize them once again)

  1. Be especially careful if it has rained recently- trail will be very slippery!
  2. Bring plenty of water- the hike takes a few hours and can be tiring
  3. Be mindful of the natural environment! Stay on the trail to prevent erosion, disruption of wildlife, and damaged plants/vegetation. Also, do not litter!
  4. Enjoy the hike! Take your time and enjoy the scenery. Hiking is such a great time to appreciate nature and connect with people away from distractions!

Additional Photos:


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