Hiking

People think Oahu is just one big urban island, so they're always surprised to discover that the great outdoors is less than an hour away from downtown Honolulu. Highlights of the island's 33 major hiking trails include razor-thin ridgebacks and deep waterfall valleys.

Check out Stuart Ball's The Hikers Guide to Oahu (1993) before you go. Another good source of hiking information on Oahu is the state's Na Ala Hele (Trails to Go On) Program (tel. 808/973-9782 or 808/587-0058).

For a free Oahu recreation map listing all 33 trails, write to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Rm. 310, Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 808/587-0166; www.hawaiitrails.org). The department will also send free topographic trail maps on request and issue camping permits (applications for permits are on the website; allow 10 days' processing time).

Another good source of information is the Hiking/Camping Information Packet, which costs $10 (postage included); to order, contact Hawaii Geographic Maps and Books, 49 S. Hotel St., Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 800/538-3950 or 808/538-3952; hawaiigeographicbooksandmaps@gmail.com). This store also carries a full line of United States Geographic Survey topographic maps, very handy for hikers. They prefer emails to phone calls.

Be sure to get a copy of Hiking on Oahu: The Official Guide, a hiking safety brochure that includes instructions on hiking preparation, safety procedures, emergency phone numbers, and necessary equipment; for a copy, contact the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (tel. 808/587-0166) or download it from www2.hawaii.edu/~turner/hoo/hoo-main.htm.

The Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, P.O. Box 2238, Honolulu, HI 96804 (www.htmclub.org), offers regular hikes on Oahu. You bring your own lunch and drinking water and meet up with the club at the Iolani Palace to join them on a hike. The club has information on hiking and camping in Hawaii, as well as a schedule of all upcoming hikes on their website.

Other organizations that offer regularly scheduled hikes are the Sierra Club, 1040 Richards St., Rm. 306, Honolulu, HI 96813 (www.hi.sierraclub.org); and the Hawaii Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. (tel. 888/955-0104; www.hawaiinaturecenter.org).

Outdoor Etiquette -- Carry out what you carry in. Find a trash can for all your litter (including cigarette butts -- it's very bad form to throw them out your car window). Observe kapu (forbidden) and no trespassing signs. And don't climb on ancient Hawaiian heiau walls or carry home rocks, all of which belong to the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele. Some say it's just a silly superstition or coincidence, but each year the U.S. Park Service gets boxes of lava rocks sent back to Hawaii by visitors who've experienced unusually bad luck.

Fun Fact: Fly Away -- Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. A plaque on Diamond Head Road memorializes her 12-hour, 50-minute flight in 1935 from Honolulu to Oakland, California.

Honolulu Area Hikes

Diamond Head Crater -- Almost everyone can make the moderate but steep hike to the top of Hawaii's most famous landmark, Diamond Head Crater. The 1.4-mile round-trip goes to the top of the 750-foot volcanic cone, where you have a 360-degree view of Oahu up the leeward coast from Waikiki. Kids love the lookout. The hike takes about 1 1/2 hours and the entry fee is $1 for pedestrians or $5 per car.

Diamond Head was created by a volcanic explosion about half a million years ago. The Hawaiians called the crater Leahi (meaning the brow of the ahi, or tuna, referring to the shape of the crater). Diamond Head was considered a sacred spot; King Kamehameha offered human sacrifices at a heiau (temple) on the western slope. It wasn't until the 19th century that Mount Leahi got its current name: A group of sailors found what they thought were diamonds in the crater; it turned out they were calcite crystals, but the Diamond Head moniker stuck.

Before you begin your journey to the top of the crater, put on some decent shoes (rubber-soled tennies are fine) and take a flashlight (you'll walk through several dark tunnels), binoculars (for better viewing at the top), water (very important), a hat to protect you from the sun, and a camera. You might want to put all your gear in a pack to leave your hands free for the climb. If you don't have a flashlight or your hotel can't lend you one, you can buy a small one for a few dollars as part of a Diamond Head climbers' "kit" at the gift shop at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, on the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Avenue, just past the Waikiki Aquarium and across from Kapiolani Park.

Go early, preferably just after the 6am opening (park closes at 6pm), before the midday sun starts beating down. The hike to the summit of Diamond Head starts at Monsarrat and 18th avenues on the crater's inland (or mauka) side. To get there, take TheBus no. 58 from the Ala Moana Shopping Center or drive to the intersection of Diamond Head Road and 18th Avenue. Follow the road through the tunnel (which is closed 6pm-6am) and park in the lot. The trail head starts in the parking lot and proceeds along a paved walkway (with handrails) as it climbs up the slope. You'll pass old World War I and II pillboxes, gun emplacements, and tunnels built as part of the Pacific defense network. Several steps take you up to the top observation post on Point Leahi. The views are indescribable.

If you want to go with a guide, the Clean Air Team leads a guided hike to the top of Diamond Head the first Saturday of every month. The group gathers at 9am, near the front entrance to the Honolulu Zoo (look for the Mahatma Gandhi statue). Hikers should bring a flashlight and cash to pay Clean Air's $10 fee. Each person will be given a bag and asked to help keep the trail clean by picking up litter. For more information, call tel. 808/948-3299.

Kanealole Trail -- This is the starting place for some of Oahu's best hiking trails; miles of trails converge through the Makiki Valley-Tantalus-Round Top-Nuuanu Valley area. To get a general feel for the hikes in the region, take the Kanealole 1.5-mile round-trip moderate hike, which climbs some 500 feet and takes less than an hour. If you're interested, stop at the Hawaii Nature Center, by the trail head at 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. (tel. 808/955-0100; www.hawaiinaturecenter.org; Mon-Fri, 8am-4:30pm), where you can find information on the environmental and conservation needs of Hawaii, displays of plants and animals, hands-on exhibits, and numerous maps and pamphlets about this hiking area. They also sponsor organized hikes on weekends.

To get here, take McCully Avenue north out of Waikiki; cross over the H-1 Freeway and turn left on Wilder Avenue. Make a right turn on Makiki Street and continue until the road forks at the park. Take the left fork past the Makiki Pumping Station; the road is now called Makiki Heights Drive. Follow it up to the hairpin turn and make a right onto the small spur road that goes into Makiki Valley; park just beyond the green trailers that house the Hawaii Nature Center. If you are taking TheBus, it's a little trickier: From Waikiki, take TheBus no. E8, 19, 20, 23, 24, or 42 to the Ala Moana Shopping Center and transfer to TheBus no. 17. Tell your driver where you're going, and he'll let you off near the spur road just off Makiki Heights Drive; you'll have to walk the rest of the way.

After stopping at the Hawaii Nature Center, continue up the path, which wanders beneath the protection of kukui trees and lush vines. The path gets smaller and smaller until it's just a footpath. Along this narrow path, look for the tall, bushy, grasslike plant called Job's tears. It's considered a weed in Hawaii, but this is no ordinary grass; it can grow up to 5 feet high and produces a gray, tear-shaped seed. The trail continues through an abandoned valley where there once was a thriving Hawaiian community. Occasionally, you'll spot the remains of stone walls and even a few coffee plants -- Makiki Valley supported a coffee plantation in the 19th century. When you meet the Makiki Valley Trail, you can retrace your steps or choose from the dozens of trails in the area.

Makiki-Manoa Cliffs -- From rainforests to ridge-top views, this somewhat strenuous loop trail is one you'll never forget. The hike is just over 6 miles, gains 1,260 feet in elevation, and takes about 3 hours. To get to the trail -- part of a labyrinth of trails -- follow the directions for the Kanealole Trail.

The trail starts by the restrooms of the Hawaii Nature Center. Look for the paved path that crosses Kanealole Stream via a footbridge (Maunalaha Trail). Stay on the trail, following it up the hill into the forest, where you'll pass bananas, Norfolk and Cook Island pines, ti (pronounced tea) plants, and even a few taro patches. Cross over Moleka Stream and look for the four-way junction with the Makiki Valley and Ualakaa trails; turn right on the Makiki Valley Trail. This takes you through a dense forest, past a giant banyan tree, and then joins the Moleka Trail. Turn left on the Moleka Trail -- now you're in the rainforest: Ancient guava trees reach overhead, maidenhair ferns cling to rocks, and tiny, white-flowered begonias crop up.

Further on, the kukui and koa give way to a bamboo-filled forest, which opens up to a parking lot on Round Top Drive at the end of the Moleka Trail. Cross Round Top Drive to the Manoa Cliffs Trail, which emerges on Tantalus Drive. Turn right on Tantalus and walk about 100 yards down the street to the Nahuina Trail on the left side of Tantalus. As you walk downhill, you'll have breathtaking views of downtown Honolulu. At the junction of Kanealole Trail, turn right and continue back to where you started.

Manoa Falls Trail -- In the misty sunbeams, colorful birds flit among giant ferns and hanging vines, while towering tropical trees form a thick canopy that shelters all below in cool shadows. This emerald world is a true Eden -- and an easy walk. The .75-mile (one-way) hike is terrific for families; it takes less than an hour to reach idyllic Manoa Falls. The trail head, marked by a footbridge, is at the end of Manoa Road, past Lyon Arboretum. The staff at the arboretum prefers that hikers do not park in their lot, so the best place to park is in the residential area below Paradise Park; you can also get to the arboretum via TheBus no. 5. The often-muddy trail follows Waihi Stream and meanders through the forest reserve past guavas, mountain apples, and wild ginger. The forest is moist and humid and is inhabited by giant bloodthirsty mosquitoes, so bring repellent. If it has rained recently, stay on the trail and step carefully, as it can be very slippery (and it's a long way down if you slide off the side). As of this writing, the state of Hawaii was still assessing the safety of the trail after a series of landslides. Before you venture out, call tel. 808/587-0166 to check if the trail is open.

Puu Ohia Trail to Nuuanu Valley View -- This moderate hike takes you through a rainforest, up to the top of Tantalus (Puu Ohia) cinder cone, and down through Pauoa Flats to view Nuuanu Valley. Plan about 2 hours for this 3.5-mile round-trip hike, which gains about 1,200 feet in altitude.

To get there, follow the directions for the Kanealole Trail, above, but turn to the right at the park fork in Makiki Street. The fork to the right is Round Top Drive. Drive to the top and park in the turnout on the ocean side of the street. Unfortunately, bus service is not available.

The Puu Ohia trail head is across the street from where you parked. As you head up (a series of switchbacks and, at the steepest part, hand-cut stairs in the dirt), you'll pass night-blooming jasmine, ginger, Christmas berry, and avocado trees. After dense guava trees and bamboo, the vegetation parts for a magnificent view of Honolulu and Diamond Head. Just as quickly, as you continue along the trail, the bamboo once again obstructs the view. At the next junction, stay on the main trail by bearing to the left; you'll pass through ginger, koa, and bamboo. At the next junction, bear left again, and climb up the steps around the trunk of an old koa tree. At the top is a paved road; turn right and walk downhill. The road leads to an old telephone relay station and then turns into a footpath. You'll pass through bamboo, koa, ti, and strawberry guava, and turn left onto the Manoa Cliffs Trail. At the next junction, turn right on the Puu Ohia Trail, which leads to Pauoa Flats and the view of the Nuuanu Valley. Retrace your steps for your return.

Ualakaa Loop -- The same series of volcanic eruptions that produced Diamond Head and Koko Crater also produced the cinder cones of Round Top (Puu Ualakaa), Sugarloaf (Puu Kakea), and Tantalus (Puu Ohia). Puu, as you may have already guessed, means "hill"; these three hills overlook Honolulu and offer spectacular views. The easy Ualakaa Loop Trail is a half-hour hike of about a mile that traverses through woods, offering occasional panoramic views of Honolulu.

No bus serves this trail head. Follow the directions for the Puu Ohia hike, above, but instead of driving to the top of Round Top Drive, turn off on the fourth major hairpin turn (look for it after a long stretch of panoramic straightaway). The turn will go through the gate of Puu Ualakaa State Wayside Park. Continue a little more than 4 miles inside the park; look for a stand of Norfolk pine trees and park there. The trail head is on the right side of the Norfolk pines. The park is open 7am to 7:45pm from April 1 to Labor Day; in winter, the park closes at 6:45pm.

The loop trail, lined with impatiens, passes through Norfolk pines, palm trees, ironwoods, and Christmas berry trees. The once-native forest now has many foreign intrusions -- including all of the foregoing -- as well as ti, banana, banyan, guava, and mountain apple. At two points along the trail, you emerge on Round Top Drive; just walk about 100 feet to continue on the trail on the opposite side of the road. The loop will bring you back to where you started.

Pearl City Hikes

Upper Waimano Trail -- 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 1 1/2 miles).

You'll pick up the trail head at the dirt path to the left of the gate, outside the fence surrounding 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 windward 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 Executive 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 obvious: 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.

Windward Oahu Hikes

Hauula Loop -- For one of the best views of the coast and the ocean, follow the Hauula Loop Trail on the windward side of the island. It's an easy, 2.5-mile loop on a well-maintained path that passes through a whispering ironwood forest and a grove of tall Norfolk pines. The trip takes about 3 hours and gains some 600 feet in elevation.

To get to the trail, take TheBus no. 55 or follow Highway 83 to Hauula Beach Park. Turn toward the mountains on Hauula Homestead Road; when it forks to the left at Maakua Road, park on the side of the road. Walk along Maakua Road to the wide, grassy trail that begins the hike into the mountains. The climb is fairly steep for about 300 yards but continues to easier-on-the-calves switchbacks as you go up the ridge. Look where you are stepping as you climb: You'll spot wildflowers and mushrooms among the matted needles. The trail continues up, crossing Waipilopilo Gulch, full of several forms of native plant life. Eventually, you reach the top of the ridge, where the views are spectacular.

Camping is permitted along the trail, but it's difficult to find a place to pitch a tent on the steep slopes or in the dense forest growth. A few places along the ridge, however, are wide enough for a tent. Contact the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 1151 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813 (www.dofaw.net; tel. 808/587-0166), for information on camping permits.

Kahana Valley -- Spectacular views of this verdant valley and some clear swimming holes are the rewards of this 4.5-mile-loop trail. The downsides to this 2- to 3-hour, somewhat ardent adventure are mosquitoes (clouds of them) and some thrashing about in dense forest with a bit of navigation along the not-always-marked trail.

The trail starts behind the Visitor's Center at Kahana Valley State Park. To get there, take H-1 to the Pali Highway over to the windward side of Kailua-Kaneohe. Turn left onto Highway 83 (Kamehameha Hwy.) to Kahana Valley State Park. You can also take TheBus no. 55 and get off at the park entrance. Check in at the Visitor's Center for the latest trail conditions, warnings about stream flooding, and directions for the trail.

Pali (Maunawili) Trail -- For a million-dollar view of the Windward Coast, take this easy 11-mile (one-way) foothill trail. The trail head is about 6 miles from downtown Honolulu, on the windward side of the Nuuanu Pali Tunnel, at the scenic lookout just beyond the hairpin turn of the Pali Highway (Hwy. 61). Just as you begin the turn, look for the scenic overlook sign, slow down, and pull off the highway into the parking lot (sorry, no bus service available).

The mostly flat, well-marked, easy-to-moderate trail goes through the forest on the lower slopes of the 3,000-foot Koolau Mountain range and ends up in the backyard of the coastal Hawaiian village of Waimanalo. Go halfway to get the view and return to your car, or have someone meet you in 'Nalo.

North Shore Hikes

Waimea Valley -- For nearly 3 decades, the 1,875-acre Waimea Valley park has lured visitors with activities from cliff diving and hula performances to kayaking and ATV tours. In 2008, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs took over and formed a new nonprofit corporation, Hiipaka, 59-864 Kamehameha Hwy., Haleiwa (tel. 808/638-7766; www.waimeavalley.net), to run the park. Take TheBus no. 52. Admission is $13 for adults, $6 for seniors and children 4 to 12. Open daily 9am to 5pm. The current emphasis is now on perpetuating and sharing the "living Hawaiian culture." A visit here offers a lush walk into the past. The valley is packed with archaeological sites, including the 600-year-old Hale O Lono, a heiau dedicated to the Hawaiian god Lono, which you'll find to the left of the entrance. The botanical collection has 35 different gardens, including super-rare Hawaiian species such as the endangered Kokia cookei hibiscus. The valley is also home to fauna such as the endangered Hawaiian moorhen; look for a black bird with a red face cruising in the ponds. The 150-acre Arboretum and Botanical Garden contains more than 5,000 species of tropical plants. Walk through the gardens (take the paved paths or dirt trails) and wind up at 45-foot-high Waimea Falls -- bring your bathing suit and you can dive into the cold, murky water. The public is invited to hike the trails and spend a day in this quiet oasis. There are several free cultural activities such as lei making, kappa demonstrations, hula lessons, Hawaiian games and crafts, music, and story telling.

Leeward Oahu Hikes

Kaena Point -- At the very western tip of Oahu lie the dry, barren lands of Kaena Point State Park: 853 acres consisting of a remote, wild coastline of jagged sea cliffs, deep gulches, sand dunes, endangered plant life, and a wind- and surf-battered coastline. Kaena means "red-hot" or "glowing" in Hawaiian; the name refers to the brilliant sunsets visible from the point.

Kaena is steeped in numerous legends. A popular one concerns the demigod Maui: Maui had a famous hook that he used to raise islands from the sea. He decided that he wanted to bring the islands of Oahu and Kauai closer together, so one day he threw his hook across the Kauai Channel and snagged Kauai (which is actually visible from Kaena Point on clear days). Using all his might, Maui was able to pull loose a huge boulder, which fell into the waters very close to the present lighthouse at Kaena. The rock is still called Pohaku o Kauai (the "Rock from Kauai"). Like Black Rock in Kaanapali on Maui, Kaena is thought of as the point on Oahu from which souls depart.

To hike out to the departing place, take the clearly marked trail from the parking lot of Kaena Point State Park. The moderate 5-mile round-trip to the point will take a couple of hours. The trail along the cliff passes tide pools abundant in marine life and rugged protrusions of lava reaching out to the turbulent sea; seabirds circle overhead. There are no sandy beaches, and the water is nearly always turbulent. In winter, when a big north swell is running, the waves at Kaena are the biggest in the state, averaging heights of 30 to 50 feet, rivaled only by Waimea Bay. Even when the water appears calm, offshore currents are powerful, so don't plan to swim. Go early in the morning to see the schools of porpoises that frequent the area just offshore.

To get to the trail head from Honolulu or Waikiki, take the H-1 west to its end; continue on Highway 93 past Makaha and follow Highway 930 to the end of the road. No bus service runs here.