Hiking the Lāʻie Ridge Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 10.2 miles / 16.4 km
The Lāʻie Ridge Trail on the North Shore of Oʻahu is a long, rugged, and remote adventure that leads to some of the island’s hardest-to-reach sections of the Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST).
However, Lāʻie Ridge is a fairly well-trafficked trail because there are truly so few options for hikers to get up and down from the KST—outside of the Pūpūkea Summit Trail to the north and the Papali Ridge Trail just to the south.
It is for all these reasons that Lāʻie Ridge is generally not a hike that people do just for the fun of going up and down, as it’s seen by most as an access trail for the northern Koʻolau Summit.
All this to say, the distance above is the roundtrip distance to from the trailhead to Lāʻie Summit and back, and it does not include the extra 0.6 miles (1.0 km) each way to get to and from Lāʻie Park.
Lāʻie Ridge Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Lāʻie Ridge Trail is located off Poʻohaili Street, which is the same parking area as Lāʻie Falls.
That said, it’s important to park outside of Lāʻie Park, because all of the land further up the road is private.
Google Maps Directions: Lāʻie Ridge Trailhead
Getting to the Trailhead
From Lāʻie Park, it’s a 0.6-mile (1.0 km) walk each way to get to and from the trailhead.
Hiking the Lāʻie Ridge Trail
Don’t forget to pack a headlamp for the long hike.
At this split in the road, take the trail heading uphill behind a typically locked gate.
Go left for Lāʻie Ridge.
This sign has been like this for as long as I can remember.
At this split, you can go either way to end up on the same trail shortly after.
Whether hiking up or down, this Cook Pine forest is always a good mental checkpoint.
Lāʻie Ridge-Lāʻie Falls Junction
This split is where most hikers turn off of Lāʻie Ridge to head toward Lāʻie Falls.
It’s also the point where the hiking becomes a bit more overgrown because the summit sees far fewer hikers overall.
Go left for Lāʻie Summit.
Past Lāʻie Falls, the trail turns into a contour trail, which will remain like this until the KST.
Lāʻie Summit
Lāʻie Summit is a very indistinct summit compared to other more dramatic areas in the southern Koʻolaus.
It can be easy to miss if you’re hiking by on the summit trail, and it doesn’t stand out much from the surrounding landscape.
If you are going to hike anywhere north or south on the summit trail, be sure that you know exactly what you are getting into. The hiking in either direction should not be taken lightly.
Read My Separate Post: Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
Native Plants on the Lāʻie Ridge Trail
The upper Lāʻie Ridge Trail is one of the best places on Oʻahu to see a variety of different native Hawaiian plants.
To name a few, you can find ʻŌhiʻa lehua, ʻŌhiʻa ha, Kōpiko, Koliʻi, Hōʻawa, Kōlea, and truly too many more to name.
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
