Hiking to a waterfall is a popular bucket-list item for many travelers to Hawaiʻi. On Oʻahu, a variety of trails lead to gorgeous falls. Ranging in skill level, from easy to challenging, these three trails offer a starting point for your next waterfall adventure. Note: Check weather conditions before visiting any waterfall in Hawaiʻi. Flash […]
Oʻahu is a hiker’s paradise, with dozens of state-run trails snaking all over the island. Here are the Top 5 Oʻahu hikes picked by our readers in our 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. 1. Diamond Head Summit Trail The trail that leads up to the summit of Lēʻahi (aka Diamond Head) is one of the most
There’s no better way to explore the natural beauty of Oʻahu than by hiking. You’ll venture into native rainforests, marvel at panoramic views of the coastline and see places most visitors don’t—and burn off that breakfast, too. So if you like to stay active on your vacations or you’re brand-new to hiking, Oʻahu has dozens
Growing up on Oʻahu, I spend a lot of time in Mānoa, a sleepy neighborhood a few miles mauka (upland) of Waikīkī. I take my son to play at Mānoa Valley District Park, hike the trails in the area, grab lunch at Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies and meet friends at quaint coffee shops. It’s easily
The popular Maunawili Falls Trail, a 2.8-mile trek to a swimming hole in Windward Oʻahu, will be closed for two years starting on July 15. The state is planning major improvements to the trail, which starts in the quiet Maunawili Estate subdivision, which has been inundated with hikers in recent years. Residents have long complained
Almost exactly a year ago, the state closed its hiking trails in an effort to curb the spreading COVID-19 virus in Hawaiʻi. But there was one place on Oʻahu where you could still get lost in forests and find stunning views of the island: Camp Pālehua. You might remember it as Camp Timberline, a popular
Aloha Friday Picks is a weekly news blog that will run every Friday and features three things we recommend you do, try or experience over the weekend. Send us tips at media@hawaiimagazine.com. It’s been raining all week—but there’s sunshine in the forecast starting today. Visit Sea Life Park, which reopens this weekend, or head
If you’ve spent any time on Oʻahu—or have hiked around the Islands—then you may have heard of the Koko Crater Railway Trailhead. The hike is a brutal uphill challenge that visitors and locals love—to the detriment of the trail itself. As the years have gone by, and hundreds of thousands of hikers reached the summit,
I spend most of my free time in the mountains on Oʻahu. And I can honestly say, there’s no better way to experience the natural beauty of the island than by hiking any of roughly 50 state-run trails. Hiking is something I do even when I’m traveling outside the Islands. Not only do they help
UPDATED, March 9 2021: Starting March 15, Diamond Head State Monument will be open six days a week, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Wednesdays. Quietly, and without much grandeur, Diamond Head State Monument reopened on Dec. 18, 2020 after being closed for nine months. The hike, and its views, remain unchanged
It’s almost 11 a.m. and my friend and I don’t have much time to find out way back to the entrance of the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa. This 200-acre botanical garden, founded in 1918 and run by the University of Hawaiʻi, recently reopened to the public for two-hour visits. And we’re getting really
The Koko Crater Stairs in East Honolulu—really an old wooden tramway, remnants of an abandoned railroad track built by the U.S. Army in 1942—quietly reopened for hikers this week after access was halted by the city in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “We are super excited that it’s open and we hope everyone will show
