10 Best Ridge Hikes on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Beyond a few standout ridges on both Maui and Kauaʻi, including the Waiheʻe Ridge Trail and Awaʻawapuhi Trail, Oʻahu is the best island when it comes to ridge hiking in Hawaiʻi!
I say this because the number of options and the diversity across both the Koʻolau and Waiʻanae Mountain Ranges on Oʻahu are far greater than on any other island—something I can say with confidence as someone who has hiked almost everything the island has to offer!
This is all to say that the list below is truly the best of the best—without regard to difficulty, distance, elevation gain, permits, accessibility, etc. Rather, this list is simply the best of the best in terms of beauty, effort-to-reward, and how busy or trafficked each trail is!
10 Best Ridge Hikes on Oʻahu
With the exception of the first two, the following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, as it’s truly too difficult to rank all of Oʻahu’s stunning ridge hikes!
1. Poamoho Trail
Distance: 6.6 miles / 10.6 km
The Poamoho Trail is what I see as the best and most beautiful publicly accessible hike on Oʻahu—and for good reason, it made the number one spot on this list!
That said, the Poamoho Trail requires a little preparation to make it happen—most notably, a valid permit and a 4x4 vehicle.
However, obtaining a permit has gotten significantly easier over the years, and it can often be applied within a week of a desired hiking date. As for the drive to get there, the Poamoho Access Road is not a challenging 4x4 road, meaning all stock off-road vehicles should have no trouble making the drive.
To learn more, I highly recommend reading all the details in my separate post, as Poamoho is truly one of the best summit views on Oʻahu!
Read My Separate Post: Poamoho Trail
2. Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail
Distance: 4.2 miles / 6.8 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,650 ft. / 503 m
The Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail in east Honolulu is a stunning, nearly all-uphill adventure that climbs to a panoramic overlook above Waimānalo, where those who undertake the steep climb get to enjoy beautiful views over Makapuʻu Point and the dramatic southern Koʻolau Mountains, which is particularly beautiful at sunrise first thing in the morning!
That said, Kuliʻouʻou Ridge is easily one of my favorite sunrise hikes on Oʻahu, but that doesn’t go without saying that it is a longer adventure in terms of being a sunrise hike.
Therefore, if it’s your first time, I highly recommend budgeting more time than you think you need, as the 2.1-mile (3.4 km) hike to the summit can certainly be a challenge, especially if you’re cutting it close on time while trying to catch first light.
Read My Separate Post: Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail
3. Puʻu Kōnāhuanui Trail (K1)
Distance: 8.1 miles / 13.0 km
Puʻu Kōnāhuanui, commonly called K1, is the tallest peak in the Koʻolau Mountain Range, standing at approximately 3,150 ft. (960 m) above both Honolulu and the island’s east side!
That said, there’s a common saying among Oʻahu hikers that goes something like, "All Tantalus Trails lead to K1," which really means there are many different trailheads one could start from to reach the beautiful, towering summit between both Nuʻuanu and Mānoa Valley.
However, of all the routes to consider, there is one straightforward route that I recommend above the rest, which is exactly what my separate post below is all about.
Before setting off, I highly recommend reading my separate post, where I not only talk about the full trail but also share my thoughts on how to improve your chances of clear weather on the Kōnāhuanui Trail, as the somewhat tedious hike is far more rewarding when the summit and the ridge leading up to it are out of the clouds!
Read My Separate Post: Puʻu Kōnāhuanui Trail (K1)
4. Mt. Kaʻala Trail (Tallest Peak on Oʻahu)
Distance: 7.1 miles / 11.4 km
Elevation Gain: ~3,400 ft. / 1,036 m
Standing at approximately 4,025 ft. (1,227 m) above both the North Shore and the West Side of the island, Mt. Kaʻala is the tallest peak on Oʻahu!
That said, its height is not indicative of its difficulty, which is why I often call Mt. Kaʻala a gentle giant—especially when compared to other trails on this list.
As for the hike, the Mt. Kaʻala Trail begins deep in Waiʻanae Valley on the West Side of Oʻahu, where the climb is nearly constant from the gate to the one-of-a-kind summit bog at the top, which is easily the most difficult part of the entire hike.
However, the effort is certainly worth the reward, as expansive views of both Waiʻanae and Mākaha Valley open up on the ridge to the summit, and the views from the summit look across the entire North Shore on a clear day!
Read My Separate Post: Mt. Kaʻala Trail
5. Waʻahila Ridge Trail (Mt. Olympus)
Distance: 5.6 miles / 9.0 km
The Waʻahila Ridge Trail is an out-and-back day hike along Mānoa Valley and up the hill from Waikīkī that climbs to a beautiful summit known as ʻAwaʻawaloa, commonly called Mt. Olympus.
Given its location, the Waʻahila Ridge Trail is one of the more popular day hikes on the town side of the Koʻolau Mountains and a favorite among locals as both an evening trail run and a sunset hike!
That said, it’s important to mention that the best views on Waʻahila Ridge are roughly 1.8 miles (2.9 km) into the hike, which, for the more adventurous type of person, can make for a great Oʻahu sunset adventure!
If this is something you’d like to know more about, I recommend reading all the details in my separate post, as there is a little bit to know when it comes to parking before turning Waʻahila Ridge a sunset hike.
Read My Separate Post: Waʻahila Ridge Trail (Mt. Olympus)
6. Puʻu Manamana Loop Trail
Distance (Full Loop): 5.3 miles / 8.5 km
The Puʻu Manamana Loop Trail is a stunning but steep east Oʻahu day hike that connects the popular Crouching Lion Trail along Kahana Bay with the Kahekili Ridge Trail in Kaʻaʻawa, creating one beautiful loop out of what are often two separate adventures!
That said, the Puʻu Manamana Trail is certainly not for the faint of heart, as the upper elevations—particularly on the Crouching Lion side—are very exposed, and there are some scrambling sections that must be navigated to traverse these upper elevations safely.
After that, the Puʻu Manamana Trail continues to climb before descending to a small area known as 'Hidden Valley,' where it crosses over to the dramatic Kahekili side of the loop to head back down.
This is all to say that there is quite a bit to know before heading out on the Puʻu Manamana Trail, but if this description says anything at all, it’s that the full loop above Crouching Lion should only be attempted by more experienced hikers, considering the exposure and scrambling involved.
Read My Separate Post: Puʻu Manamana Loop Trail
7. Pali Notches Trail
Distance: 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
The Pali Notches Trail is just one small 0.4-mile (0.6 km) section of Oʻahu’s cross-island Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST), but its distance should not be used to judge its difficulty.
By this, I mean that the Pali Notches Trail is certainly one that I see as one of the best all-around sunrise and sunset hikes on Oʻahu, but that doesn’t go without saying that the Pali Notches is not for people of all abilities.
I say this because the short trail is very steep and exposed, and many hikers have taken fatal or near-fatal falls in the past. This is just one of countless different reasons I always say that Hawaiʻi has the hardest hiking in the country.
That said, the Pali Notches Trail certainly deserves a place on this list because it really is that beautiful. However, I write all this because it’s not fair to talk about its beauty without first discussing the challenges and dangers associated with the hike—not to mention, the Pali Notches is NOT an established or maintained trail, and there are potential legal consequences that you accept if you decide to hike this closed trail.
Read My Separate Post: Pali Notches Trail
8. Kaʻena Point Pillbox Trail
Distance (West Side): 2.1 miles / 3.4 km
Distance (North Shore): 2.4 miles / 3.9 km
Kaʻena Point State Park, on the northwest side of Oʻahu, is home to one of the island’s longest undeveloped coastlines, where visitors can hike one of two different trails, beginning from either the North Shore in Mokulēʻia or the West Side past Mākua and Keawaʻula Bay.
That said, both the North and West Kaʻena Point Trails are very similar coastal trails, but in many ways they could not be more different from one another. Therefore, I highly recommend reading my side-by-side comparison at the beginning of either article linked below, where I explain in detail the main differences between the two.
In any case, the Kaʻena Point Trail from either direction can be extended by hiking up the Kaʻena Point Pillbox Trail to the WWII-era bunker above Kaʻena Point, which easily makes for one of the best year-round sunset hikes on Oʻahu and is the sole reason the mostly coastal trail made my list of ridge hikes!
Read My Separate Posts: Kaʻena Point (North Shore) / Kaʻena Point (West Side)
9. Mānana Ridge Trail
Distance: 10.4 miles / 16.7 km
The Mānana Ridge Trail is a long, beautiful, state-managed day hike in central Oʻahu that climbs a very hilly, tedious ridge to one of the more remote summits across the long 56.0-mile (90.1 km) Koʻolau Mountain Range!
It is for all these reasons that the Mānana Ridge Trail is one of the more challenging adventures on this list, particularly because the ridge constantly climbs and loses elevation as it makes its way to the summit.
All that aside, the views from the upper elevations on the ridge and the summit are spectacular, and since Mānana is such a long adventure, the trail is not a busy hike by any means, especially when compared to others on Oʻahu, like the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail and Mānoa Falls.
Read My Separate Post: Mānana Ridge Trail
10. Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
Distance: 4.7 miles / 7.6 km
The Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail is a stunning adventure on the southeast side of Oʻahu, and it’s a hike that I believe is the best introductory Hawaiʻi ridge trail!
What I mean when I say this is that I know Hawaiʻi ridges and trails to be among the most difficult places to hike of anywhere in the world. However, there are a number of trails, including Wiliwilinui and others mentioned in this article, that make for fun, beautiful, and easy-to-navigate adventures.
To add to this, both Wiliwilinui and Kuliʻouʻou Ridge, talked about earlier on this list, are two of the easiest Oʻahu ridge trails in this post, and both make for great day hikes near Waikīkī!
Read My Separate Post: Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
My Print - Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
Bonus Hike
It’s hard to keep this list to just 10, so here’s my number 11.
11. Mauʻumae Ridge Trail (Puʻu Lanipō)
Distance to Puʻu Kainawaʻanui (Roundtrip): 6.6 miles / 10.6 km
Distance to Puʻu Lanipō (Roundtrip): 7.1 miles / 11.4 km
The Mauʻumae Ridge Trail to Puʻu Lanipō is one of the longer, more advanced trails in the southern Koʻolau Mountains on Oʻahu, but what I think sets it apart is the beautiful views of Kaʻau Crater that hikers can see on a clear day!
On that note, my favorite thing about the Mauʻumae Ridge Trail is that the beautiful views open up within just minutes of beginning the hike and continue for nearly the entire distance to the summit!
This is why it certainly makes no difference how far or how high up you decide to hike, as the mid-elevations well before the summit are all great places to get out and enjoy the views and the sunset, meaning it’s more a matter of personal preference regarding how much of the long trail you should prepare for.
Read My Separate Post: Mauʻumae Ridge Trail (Puʻu Lanipō)
Native Hawaiian Plants on Hawaiʻi Trails
I wanted to include this last section on this post because this is a subject that’s personal to me.
The native plant biodiversity in Hawaiʻi is insane, and I say this because 90% of the native plants that you will see around the islands are found nowhere else on Earth, which I mention for two reasons.
The first is that I ask that you please do everything you can to minimize your impact on Hawaiʻi’s trails, as many native plants across the islands at risk of extinction. The second is that if you have a personal interest in the subject or may be curious about something that you found, I wrote a separate post entirely about native Hawaiian plants, which hopefully can help to identify anything that you might be curious about!
For example, this species in the photo below can only be found on the Island of Oʻahu and nowhere else on Earth!
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
