Hiking the Kamehame Ridge Trail (Dead Man’s Catwalk) on Oʻahu
Distance: 2.6 miles / 4.2 km
The Kamehame Ridge Trail, better known as Dead Man’s Catwalk, was once a popular trail due entirely to a concrete slab that social media made famous in the early days of Instagram.
That being said, this once-famous landmark was removed from Kamehame in 2016, effectively ending the social media traffic that was draw to the area to try and get a picturesque photo on the cliffs above Waimānalo Beach.
Today, the trail/ road still sees daily visitors, much of which I believe is local foot traffic, but the number of hikers pales in comparison to the number of hikers that would frequent the trail in years past.
Kamehame Ridge Trailhead Parking
Parking for Kamehame Ridge is located at the very top of Kamehame Drive.
That being said, please be quiet and respectful in this residential neighborhood, as too many trails in Hawaiʻi draw too much negative attention because people just don’t understand this.
Google Maps Directions: Kamehame Ridge Trailhead
Hiking the Kamehame Ridge Trail
The Kamehame Ridge Trail begins at this gated trailhead at very top of Kamehame Drive.
Directionally speaking, there isn’t too much to know prior to hiking Kamehame Ridge.
Second Fence
There’s a fairly easy trail to climb up and around this fence on the right-hand side.
When the road splits, go straight (left) to continue up toward the summit.
Third Fence
At the next fence, there’s a viewpoint off to the right, or the once-popular Dead Man’s Catwalk can be found further up the road.
Here, it is easiest to continue around the left side of this fence.
This is where Kamehame Ridge continues around the fence.
At the end of the road, the former Dead Man’s Catwalk viewpoint can be found on the far side of the fences around the towers.
Be careful, and know that this fence may be rusty!
Dead Man’s Catwalk
This is Dead Man’s Catwalk, or at least, this is where the infamous Dead Man’s Catwalk used to be.
This is because the Catwalk was removed in 2016, as previously mentioned, which, to my surprise, almost immediately stopped most of the hiking traffic up Kamehame Ridge.
Regardless, the views are still incredible, and it’s amazing, now more than ever, that there aren’t as many hikers as there once were!
Allison’s Hidden Stairs
I can’t talk about Kamehame Ridge or Dead Man’s Catwalk without including the Allison Stairs.
That being said, Allison’s Hidden Stairs are located on a short side trail, but perhaps I’ll keep the directions to this little local secret, a secret!
Native Plants on Kamehame Ridge
Since Kamehame Ridge is such a low-elevation dry trail, most of the plants that you’ll find along the hike are non-native/ invasive species.
However, I hikers can expect to see ʻUhaloa, ʻAʻaliʻi, and I have noticed a rare Wiliwili tree growing here as well!
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
