Wear pants, bring lots of water and a snack. Be smart…read more I finally did this hike on Saturday and I truly can't believe I waited so long. 7ish miles out and back of gorgeous views, interesting trails, and even a waterfall!! There are many incredible photo ops along the trail. Pants are crucial. The trail is overgrown with ferns that will destroy your legs on the way up and add insult to injury on the way back down. They're pretty hard on leggings so choose ones you don't care about or actual hiking pants. My leggings now have fringe up both sides. There are plenty of shade spots and incredible rest or turn around points. I'd say hike your own hike and feel good about wherever you get to. I assume the view from the top is fabulous, but was a solid wall of clouds when I was there. Still worth it. Gorgeous day in a gorgeous place! Hawaii life win!

Man, this is a tough hike! 5 1/2 hours roundtrip. I found the downhill harder -- especially on my…read morelegs and knees and yeah, I was damn tired when I finally finished! Definitely an advanced intermediate level hike that will test your endurance and reward you with spectacular views of the entire island. Get an early start and hope for cooler temps and some high clouds. While a good portion of this hike is shaded, the open areas, especially at the end, can be very hot and sunny. Bring plenty of water, lunch, and good hiking boots, gloves and micro spikes -- they'll all be needed near the top. Great views up and down and of course at the ridgeline. You'll see Ka'au crater and its waterfalls on the way up.

I think this hike by far the hardest for me because the ridge was too narrow. It is very similar to…read moreWiliwili Nui Ridge but no ropes and steeper. Two of my family made it to the top and the other two including me didn't. And at this point I'm not sure if I will return to finish it. I did 90% of it but feels unaccomplished. Great view! You do have to guard shack at the entrance like Wiliwili Nui ridge and the guard will check for driver's ID and everyone has to sign the liability form. They only give out 10 passes at a time. Read all the information before you go. We came here on Christmas Day and there were only 6 parked cars. This park is well kept. It's probably because of the gated neighborhood that it is in called Hawaii Loa. As other hiker described "Boujee." But no public restrooms.

I've been on a hiking "kick" recently. I've never been on this hike, the views were worth it not to…read moremention its a great workout. Get a parking pass from the guard shack when you enter you will need an ID. There's about 10 available stalls...or in my case I got lucky and my aunty's house is right next to the park entrance. It took me about 3.5 hours total but I took pictures, took breaks to catch my breath and ate a spam musubi at the top. The first 45 min or so was relatively easy that last 45 min to the top was more of a workout similar to koko head crater but not as many stairs. I would recommend water, hiking shoes and sunscreen. Hiking pants optional. There's an area that you will walk through foliage but its not thorny type just made my legs itch a little. Gorgeous hike up and the views are worth it! Its not a crowded hike since its limited parking great views!

One line summary: 6.6 miles, 4 hour hike roundtrip (not including rest at the peak)…read more We actually went up to Mt. Olympus from the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail, but whichever way you get here BE PREPARED. This hike will kick your butt, at least it did for us. We were not prepared for this one. Countless times we were going to throw in the towel but pushed to the end. Unlike most of the major ridge peak hikes (Kuliouou, Mariner's Ridge and Hawaii Loa Ridge) the finish point at Mt. Olympus doesn't have a large area to relax and take in the view. Still, you won't find many people up here because this hike is pretty tough. At least for us. The total hike was 6.6 miles (according to Mapmyhike app). It took us about 2 hours and 15 mins to get from the Wa'ahila Ridge Trail head to the top of Mt. Olympus. It took us about 1 hour and 45 mins to get back down. Part of the problem was that we were just so exhausted that climbing out of Wa'ahila Ridge Trail took us much longer than it should have. There are A LOT of ropes on this trail, A LOT of going up/down, up/down, up/down... so that when you're going back down (finished) the trail you still are working out after being exhausted. There is a section of ropes that I would say is about 50 feet up a pretty steep incline, a part of this has small footholds and another part is just hillside you can scale (with ropes). Either way, pretty wicked for someone that isn't prepared. Once you hit that section of ropes you're close to the end but still not quite there, you'll want to give up but push a little more. The views are pretty amazing at the top and you'll have some great panoramic shots from Hawaii Kai to Diamond Head all the way to Ewa Beach from the last 1/2 mile as you're ascending. The views of Manoa get even more dramatic but the views of Waikiki and Kakaako are pretty fantastic too. I know we'll be back to do this one again but it will definitely be awhile, this was truly one of the harder hikes we've been on.

After my first failed attempt at a hike last week I was all about "maintained" hikes this week…read more Mount Olympus had been on my list for some time but I had been avoiding it because its known for being a cloud magnet and it had been cloudy all week. I woke up to cloudy skies but I was in need of a hike so we decided to attempt hiking up to the top of Mount Olympus via the Kolowalu Trail. The Kolowalu trail shares a trailhead with Pu'u pia but is a steeper and shorter alternative route to get up to Wa'ahila Ridge. Most of Kolowalu was covered and cool which was a nice change from most of the hot exposed ridge hikes I had been doing but it was definitely no easy walk in the park. The trail is steep and never really plateaus out, so don't plan on having a picnic or anything. I think it took us about an hour till we got to the junction of Kolowalu and Wa'ahila Ridge. At the junction you will see a sign warning you that upper Wa'ahila Ridge is unmaintained, don't let that scare you away. There a couple narrow, sketchy spots at the end but nothing that can't be done if you stay on the trail and don't try anything stupid. :-) From the beginning of the junction, to the top expect to go over at least 4 or 5 hills. Make sure you have shoes with good traction because you'll be doing a lot of climbing up red dirt stairs that you see on most of the other Ko'olau trails.You'll think you're close, but your not. I think we came across a couple of open grassy areas to take a break, but unfortunately those are not the summit. Once we actually got to the top, we walked along the ridge with Olomana, Kaneohe on our left and Ka'au crater on the right. It was my first time seeing Ka'au crater from the left side, since Lanipo gives you a good view from the right. We finally made it and were all smiles when we saw the stake with a few pink ribbons tied on it. It was pretty windy so we didn't hang out for too long. It rained on our way down so I cannot emphasize the importance of good shoes. Thank god for my vibrams because I think I could have gotten seriously hurt if I had been in old sneakers. Make sure to bring water, snacks, and a extra t-shirt for after. Both of my friends were shivering at dinner after because they were still in their sweat and rain soaked shirts. *Going up to Mt. Olympus from the beginning of the Wa'ahila Ridge is an easier route that starts from the top of St. Louis Heights. YELP 365: 125/365

Staying in Waikiki and don't want to travel too far for a trail? Go here. It's about a 15-minute…read moredrive from your hotel and most of it is steep uphill into a rich neighborhood, so make sure your car can handle the incline. The only drawback, I'd say, is that because it's so close to the city and next to bunch of homes, you'll feel like you're in someone's backyard; you can literally hear dogs barking and garbage trucks coming and going. So if you're looking for peace and serenity, maybe this isn't for you. Google will take you to a gated, private property area. Parking is on the street. The entrance is a narrow opening at the end of the fence line. Easy to spot. So I've seen some reviews that say the trail is a couple miles roundtrip, but it's much, much further than that. Most people will hike to the first bench, and then turn around. You can go further up and it's pretty hard work. Lots of rocks to traverse and it's steep in some parts, so be prepared to climb a little. Also, because it's on a ridge, it's narrow in a few areas so don't look down if you're afraid of heights. Having said that, wear hiking shoes with good traction. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time for sure. Didn't have time to do the whole trail, but I went in far enough to feel the bit of elevation change. Went on a hot, dry day, so the trail was in good shape. I can only imagine how difficult it would be if it rained. Anyway, even you don't go deep into the trail, the first bench will still provide you with a fantastic view of the ocean and city. I'll definitely come back to do the whole thing.

Great hike, like the other ridge hikes to the east but longer. Took right around 4 hours of moving…read moretime, longer with a couple of stops for pictures and to enjoy the views and breeze at the top. Some area with ropes that aren't really necessary when it's dry, would probably be needed in the wet. Some very overgrown areas where you have to watch your footing.

It's beautiful you have to walk it's nice amazing place to go visit but you have to walk in the…read moretop

Enter through Manoa Falls Trail past the container. The trailhead is to the right just past the…read morecontainer. Bring a cutlass (machete) if you have one. The trail is overgrown and almost unrecognizable. There are orange, pink, & blue ribbons that mark the trail so follow those. Wear sturdy shoes as some parts are muddy. Also wear long pants for the overgrown areas. There are a lot of mosquitoes, too, so bug spray is necessary. We had to do a lot of climbing up inclines and over fallen trees/branches. And, some spots we had to crawl under tree limbs. We had to go back and forth across the stream in some areas to stay on the trail. Others spots, just use your judgment to Traverse because you will encounter slippery rocks and dry rot, unsturdy areas.

Absolutely gorgeous! Staying here in the rainforest overlooking Honolulu and the ocean but with a…read moretropical jungle enveloping you, it's amazing! Wonderful gorgeous hike deep into the rainforest with waterfalls and to die for scenery.

This trail no longer exists. There is a trail on the far right side of the valley (if looking up…read moretowards the mountains) that was cool, but prior posts have you starting to hike/park near a school. We ended up meandering for miles and asking around before we were directed to the crater trail.

I love the waterfalls and we attempted to chase all 7 of them but i had to rate this hike lower…read morebecause it is very easy to get lost and some of the trails have eroded where it could be dangerous for novice hikers Another warning is that there is no parking on this side of Pali Hwy so you have to illegally run across or get dropped off Most of the falls are small but if you like exploring, this is a fun hike. Since we went with one of our groups that had done this before, we managed to navigate the trails. The scenery is always beautiful on Oahu trails but don't expect sweeping views on this trail. The second falls is the most beautiful simply because it is higher. Warning: this trail is not easy to find so skip it if you are not with someone who knows how to navigate it. If you chose to go to all 7 falls, expect to take 6-8 hours due to the trail conditions.

Yes easy to get lost-muddy- and plz bring a headlamp or use cell phone flashlight in the short…read moreabout 3-5 minute slosh tunnel- knee deep in some parts and watch your head! I would rather just go to Lulumahu's spectacular falls and easier to get to....i went with a group that started at 9:30 amd we finishwd at 2:30 .....after the 4th waterfall I stayed back because I didnt want to climb up on the side to get to the other falls...someone did fall there and had to be helicoptered out- the rest of the group seemed fine and they told me that further up was a bit sketchy but they enjoyed it because they are alm avid and advanced hikers....think I will stick to Diamond Head, Manoa Falls, and the like from now on...oh and lots of mosquitoes! Bring spikes, they help!

Found this not as popular lookout spot at Diamond Head. It doesn't have as good of views as other…read morespots around it. Kāhala Lookout mainly looks in the other direction towards the east coast of O'ahu. Basic looking. This is okay for before going to other places. An easy to get to place once you're at the Diamond Head entrance. It's not quite all the way on top of the monument. This is before getting to the tunnel. Good place to view the neighborhood. That's where the famous Kāhala Hotel & Resort is, as well as the first maker of Hawaiian shirts. Seems as if the view isn't that good. There's not as much to see as at the top of Diamond Head and its more famous lookout. Get here much of the same way as when going to Diamond Head. It's located just before the tunnel. This is kind of like a pit stop on the way to the too or wherever.

You heard about the Diamond head lookout being a short 2 mile hike so you decided to head over. You…read moreget through the tunnel and find out you're getting turned away because you didn't know you need to reserve a time slot to hike Diamond Head. Well Lahala Lookout is your consolation prize, you don't have to go back out that tunnel with your head held down in shame, this decent little lookout is right across from the tunnel. Maybe you don't want to pay $10 for parking & $5 for the Diamond Head hike, good news this lookout is free. Besides the limited parking right next to the lookout not sure where else nearby you can park for free, but we stayed by the beach resorts near the Sheraton and it was a little over a 2 mile walk to get here. Afterwards we took one of the buses that go down Diamond Head RD (I believe it was his 21) back to the resorts. $3 a ride, or $7 for a day pass on the bus.