Hiking the Lualualei Lookout Trail on Oʻahu
Distance: 4.4 miles / 7.1 km
The Lualualei Lookout Trail is one of Oʻahu’s least known and hiked trails on the island.
However, that’s what I think sets the Lualualei Lookout apart from other Oʻahu hikes because you are almost always guaranteed to be the only group on the trail.
Lualualei Lookout Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Lualualei Lookout Trailhead is located in the same parking lot as the Mt. Kaʻala Trail in the back of Waiʻanae Valley.
Out of caution, consider the Mt. Kaʻala/ Lualualei Trailhead to be a high-crime area for petty theft. Never leave bags or anything valuable in your car.
Google Maps Directions: Lualualei Lookout Trailhead
Hiking the Lualualei Lookout Trail
Don’t forget to pack a headlamp for a sunset hike.
The Lualualei Lookout Trail starts on the same trail as Mt. Kaʻala for a short distance only.
Lualualei Lookout Junction
Within the first 0.1 miles (0.2 km) of the trailhead, look for the Lualualei Lookout split on the right side of the road.
It will be the first and only trail branching off the road this close to the trailhead.
Read My Separate Post: Mt. Kaʻala Trail
At the next split, go right.
Then, the Lualualei Lookout Trail will follow an old road that is typically only used by hunters today.
Through this section, I have seen the grass cut back, and I have also seen it as overgrown as these photos show. In either case, I recommend hiking pants on the Lualualei Lookout Trail for both the overgrowth and mosquitoes in the lower forest.
The pants below are my recommendations that hold up the best with the overgrowth here in Hawaiʻi, but with any hiking pants that need to be durable, make sure that they are at or near 100% nylon. This is really the most important factor!
When the abandoned road makes a hard left turn toward mountains, take the trail heading downhill on the right side of the road.
The trail will come to a spring-fed stream shortly after.
This stream crossing may be the most confusing part of the entire hike.
Once on the far side of the stream, go left along the stream until you see another trail branching away from the stream on the right side.
This is the Lualualei Lookout Trail that continues on from the stream.
Not long after the stream crossing, the Lualualei Lookout Trail comes to a stream bed that’s typically dry.
Do not cross over to the other side, but rather, make a hard left turn to stay on the easiest path on the left side of the dry stream.
More than likely, this left turn will be easy to miss because of all the grass.
From this point on, the trail gets significantly easier to follow compared to all the turns in the beginning.
The best advice I have is to look for trail markers and/ or bottle caps, as well as follow the AllTrails GPS for the entire hike. This is the best way to know if you’re on track because the Lualualei Lookout Trail can be vague, since so few groups hike it.
Toward the end of the lower forest, the Lualualei Lookout Trail will follow along the cliff, as shown in the photos below.
In my opinion, this cliff is one of the best mental checkpoints, and it’s a great way to know if you’re on the correct trail.
When the Lualualei Lookout Trail reaches the ridge, you have two options: you can go left for the shorter and easier lookout, or you can go right for the slightly longer but more expansive viewpoint.
The photos below show the ridge to the right. However, in my experience, this section of the trail can be very overgrown in order to reach the best viewpoint.
Lualualei Lookout
I love the Lualualei Lookout at golden hour, but since the neighboring Puʻu Kamaileʻunu blocks the horizon, it doesn’t make for the best spot to stick around for the true sunset.
That being said, I think it’s best to return while there’s still daylight because of how confusing the lower forest can be, as shown by all the turns mentioned throughout this post.
Native Plants on the Lualualei Lookout Trail
For the most part, the Lualualei Lookout Trail is covered with non-native/ invasive grasses and other plants, but there are still a few natives to find if you know what you’re looking for.
Specifically, ʻUhaloa, ʻIlima, and ʻAʻaliʻi can all be found on the Lualualei Lookout Trail.
To learn more about identifying these and other native plants around Hawaiʻi, check out my separate post below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
