There’s no denying that Hawaii has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. We knew if we weren’t going to do a helicopter tour, the next best option for taking in the views would be to hike up some mountains. We ended up doing three trails and all of them were on the island of O’ahu.When we started researching hiking trails, we read over and over that if you’re coming from the “mainland” (the continental US), hiking on the second day is great because you’ll be jet lagged and up early. Why not use that as an opportunity to beat the crowds? And we did just that. We decided to start with Diamond Head. It would likely be the busiest hike of the week so we used the jet lag to our benefit... woke up around 6am, packed up our bags (make sure you have cash to get in, they don't accept cards!) and headed for the park. But not without coffee. We drove a couple blocks over to Olive & Oliver for capps and a breakfast snack. The espresso bar is located just inside the Surfjack hotel, which is adorable and totally worth a stop for coffee or a dinner date at their restaurant, Mahina and Sun’s. After our coffee break, we headed to Diamond Head State Monument. We stupidly drove into the actual parking area and although we were there early, the lot had just filled up so we turned around, drove back through the single lane tunnel and over across the street to a large parking lot. At first, we weren’t sure if that parking lot was for the park (because it was empty) but when we were leaving, it was very clear that it was; buses were picking people up to take them to the gate entrance. Pro Tip: just park there! It’s easier to drive away from that point, especially once the crowds arrive. It adds an extra mile of walking but what’s a mile when you’re gonna do Diamond Head? We got rained on at the top but after it cleared, the day was perfect. The views were incredible. Yes, it’s touristy and packed with people but it really is worth the visit. Waikiki looks beautiful from up there and to see the volcano crater is worth 20,000 tourists. For our second hike, we had a few options in mind but all of that got thrown out the window when a long lost friend contacted me. John, a friend I hadn’t seen since middle school, happens to live in O’ahu and messaged us on our first night in Honolulu. He invited us on a hike for that Saturday and we were like, “yeah that’s sounds awesome!” Until he told us which trail we’d be doing. Pu'u Manamana aka Crouching Lion Trail After we agreed to meet, I googled the trail and a few key words popped up: challenging, illegal, not for beginners... Yeah. Okay. Thank goodness our hiking guides knew the trail because there’s no way Chase and I would have ever made it up. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t even on our radar for potential hiking trails. We absolutely would not have done it! It rained the day before we hiked so the ground was muddy and the trail was slick. But the views. I mean, just look. This was a difficult trail. There are no official markers, no ropes, it was just “dig into a tree root and hope it doesn’t snap.” We got dirty and sweaty but it was remarkable. After a few photos, We walked all the way out to that peak (you can see it in the previous photo) and surprisingly, it was the smoothest section to hike, if you’re not easily scared of heights. There were also several remembrance markers in that area so we made sure to be diligent with our footing. Seriously, John, what did you sign us up for, man? Kualoa Ranch, where parts of the original ‘93 Jurassic Park movie was filmed, is on the other side of this mountain range and you could totally get a sense for it up there. Such a memorable hike with amazing friends! Thanks again, John, for letting two out of shape chumps come along. ... and for testing all of the roots before letting us use them! And finally, the Lanikai Pillbox Hike Many people asked if we were going to visit Pearl Harbor. We decided we didn’t want to but we really wanted to visit some pillboxes. The Lanikai hike has two of them along the path so we headed back to Kailua to spend the last full day hiking and hanging on the beach. This hike was a lot more challenging than Diamond Head. The path was more natural in terms of a forged or blazed trail and at times, you do have to go pretty vertical to get up the side of the mountain. However, it really is manageable. Side note - the property owners around the main entrance do not enjoy hikers or the fact that this trail has become so common. Rule of thumb: just stay on the road until you see a marker. Don’t trespass. The pillboxes were really powerful. It was incredible to see them and know that years ago, soldiers spent time there making sure their side of the island was secure. We sat on top of the second one (less crowded) for close to 10 minutes just taking in the views. We know there are so many more areas to hike in Hawaii but we picked three different sides of the island, hoping to get different views of O’ahu and we really enjoyed our experiences.
What’s your favorite O’ahu trail? Until Next Time, C + D
2 Comments
Love this post. Never had a chance to go to Hawaii, but my brother got to play there for a summer and my parents visited so I am the only one left out lol. Gotta get my little dose from you guys. Love the photos it looks breathtaking. Let me know if you guys ever come to Austria! Hope all is well!
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Dani
2/3/2019 09:13:18 pm
Hey Chris! Oh what a bummer that you were left out. We were blown away by Hawaii, you'll have to go some day! And yes, Austria is on our list! Maybe around Christmas one of these years. Take care
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