Hiking the Keālia Trail on Oʻahu’s North Shore
Distance (Roundtrip to Keālia Shelter): 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,000 ft. / 305 m
Located behind the Dillingham Airfield in Mokulēʻia, the Keālia Trail is like the North Shore version of the Koko Crater Stairs in Hawaiʻi Kai.
By this, I mean that just like Koko Head, North Shore residents treat the Keālia Trail like a quick evening workout before sunset.
However, the Keālia Trail is truly a local favorite because of all the different places you can explore past the Keālia Shelter at the top, especially when you hike as far as the Waiʻanae Summit Trail (WST)!
All said, the distance and the elevation gain above only represent the Keālia Trailhead to the Keālia Shelter at the top of the switchbacks, but if you’re considering hiking further, be sure to read the sections past the shelter, as there a number of different turns to remember in order to hike as far as Kuaokalā.
Connecting Keālia to the Mokulēʻia Access Road
Distance: ~13.0 miles / 20.9 km
One of the most common Waiʻanae Mountain trail runs is connecting the Keālia Trail with the Mokulēʻia Access Road, utilizing either the Mokulēʻia-Kuaokalā Access Road or the Waiʻanae Summit Trail.
That being said, the total 13-mile (20.9 km) roundtrip distance may sound long, but all parts of the trail move fairly quickly, and the distance above includes the 3.6 miles (5.8 km) along Farrington Hwy from trailhead to trailhead.
In any case, there’s really no telling how much one can explore past the Keālia Shelter, as there are still new places I’m learning of all the time. However, if you’d like to learn more about the best trail runs on Oʻahu, including the Mokulēʻia Access Road talked about above, I encourage you to check out my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Best Trail Runs on Oʻahu
Keālia Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Keālia Trail is located within the west entrance for the Dillingham Airfield in Mokulēʻia. This is not the same entrance as the skydiving.
Furthermore, the Keālia Trail has a designated parking lot within the airfield, but be sure to check the posted times on the Dillingham gate as you drive in because security will lock the gate around sunset every night.
Google Maps Directions: Keālia Trailhead
Hiking the Keālia Trail
From the parking area, the Keālia Trail begins up a short service road before reaching the true Keālia Trailhead, shown below.
Once at the trailhead, the Keālia Trail starts climbing a series of about 19 switchbacks—depending on how you count—from the trailhead to the Keālia Shelter at the top.
That being said, the lower elevation switchbacks tend to be slightly longer, but they gradually get shorter and shorter the closer the trail gets to the shelter.
This large rock in the trail is from a rockslide that occurred back in 2021.
Keālia Shelter
After climbing all 19 switchback to the top, the Keālia Trail ends where the Keālia Road begins.
For most hikers, the Keālia Shelter is the end of the trail, but if you’re curious to hike further and see some of the best views in the Waiʻanaes, be sure to keep reading below.
Keālia Road (Keālia Shelter to Kuaokalā)
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
The distance above is the one-way distance from the Keālia Shelter to the Kuaokalā Trailhead.
That being said, hiking both the Keālia Trail and road is my preferred way to hike the Kuaokalā Trail, in order to avoid the hassle of getting the Kuaokalā permit.
From the Keālia Shelter, simply follow Keālia Road, continuing uphill.
The main thing to know is that there are three major hills along this stretch, and follow all of the turns below to stay on the correct route.
Shortly past the Keālia Shelter, go right at the first split to continue on Keālia Road.
The Three Hills on Keālia Road (Hill 1)
Up until this point, the Keālia Road constantly climbs uphill, but know that this first hill in the photo below is unmistakable.
It’s by far the steepest and longest hill on the hike over to Kuaokalā, meaning the remaining two get easier after the first.
Makai Road Junction (Hill 2)
Not long after the first hill, the Keālia Road comes to the Makai Road junction, and the start of the second hill.
Go left up the hill to continue toward Kuaokalā.
Hill 3
After climbing and descending back down hill two, the third hill will immediately follow, which is by far the easiest and most gradual of all three.
Mokulēʻia-Kuaokalā Access Road Junction
At the top of the third hill, the Keālia Road ends, where the road to Peacock Flats begins.
At this junction, go left for both the Mokulēʻia Access Road, and the Kuaokalā Trail. The road to the right simply leads to the Space Force Tracking Station.
Kuaokalā Trail Junction
At the split in the photo below, go right to reach the Kuaokalā Trailhead, located shortly ahead.
East Kuaokalā Trailhead
To learn more about what to expect on the Kuaokalā Trail, I recommend checking out my separate post below.
It begins from the same East Kuaokalā Trailhead, shown below.
Read My Separate Post: Kuaokalā Trail
Native Plants on the Keālia Trail
Along with the Koko Crater Botanical Garden, the Keālia Trail is the best trail on Oʻahu to find Wiliwili trees growing in their native habitat.
Furthermore, Wiliwili trees on the Keālia Trail begin after the first few lower-elevation switchbacks and continue all the way to the shelter at the top.
That being said, other native plants that can be found on the Keālia Trail include Lonomea, ʻIlieʻe, Alaheʻe, and ʻAlaʻala wai nui, Kokolau, and Schiedea kealiae, which is endemic to only to Oʻahu.
To learn more about all of these and many more native plants found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, check out my separate article below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
