Hiking the Mt. Olomana Trail (Three Peaks) on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance (RT Excluding Loop Road): 2.8 miles / 4.5 km
The Mt. Olomana Trail on the east side of Oʻahu is a stunningly beautiful day hike along the exposed ridges of a standalone mountain above Kailua and Waimānalo that traverses up and down the ridges of three distinct peaks—hence the name 'Three Peaks,' by which the trail is commonly referred to!
That said, the Mt. Olomana Trail is easily one of the best sunrise hikes on Oʻahu, as the panoramic views from the first and second peak are truly speak for themselves when first light hits the cliffs of the Koʻolau Mountains off in the distance!
However, this all goes without mentioning that Mt. Olomana has proved to be one of the deadliest hikes on Oʻahu, which is why I highly recommend reading through this entire post carefully, as it seems that many first-time hikers, eager to climb Three Peaks, are met with challenges and dangerous situations that they did not anticipate.
I hope it goes without saying, but this warning is meant with good intentions, as I have lost a friend myself on a different Hawaiʻi trail.
How Long is the Mt. Olomana Trail?
Since many hikers only explore parts of the full Mt. Olomana Trail, I’ve broken down each section to help you plan your adventure.
Bear in mind that the relatively short distances for each section are a bad way to estimate time—it will take longer.
Mt. Olomana Distances:
ʻAuloa–Loop Road Intersection to the Mt. Olomana Trailhead: 0.75 miles (1.2 km)
Mt. Olomana Trailhead to the Makaliʻi Junction: 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
Makaliʻi Junction to Mt. Olomana (1st Peak): 0.7 miles (1.1 km)
Mt. Olomana (1st Peak) to Pākuʻi (2nd Peak): 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
Pākuʻi (2nd Peak) to Ahiki (3rd Peak): 0.3 miles (0.5 km)
Total Distance (RT Excluding Loop Road): 2.8 miles (4.5 km)
Mt. Olomana Trailhead Parking
There is A LOT to know about parking at the Mt. Olomana Trailhead, so read this section carefully!
First and foremost, the closest available parking is not near the actual Mt. Olomana Trailhead. Rather, it is located roughly 0.75 miles (1.2 km) away on ʻAuloa Road, near the intersection of ʻAuloa and Loop Road.
The second most important thing to know is that parking is 100% illegal on Loop Road leading up to the trailhead. This is because of issues with hikers parking illegally in years past and because the final 0.4 miles (0.6 km) of the road leading up to the trailhead is located on private property.
Now, it is not easy enough to simply recommend parking alongside ʻAuloa Road as close to Loop Road as you can find, as much of the parking is deceptively illegal, and tickets are handed out regularly to cars parking on what’s known as an 'unimproved sidewalk.'
Essentially, the city is saying the rundown asphalt paths along ʻAuloa Road are 'sidewalks,' and any car obstructing the sidewalk in any way is parked illegally. In fact, the white truck in the photo below is parked illegally because its tires are on the path.
With all that in mind, I actually avoid parking closest to Loop Road because I prefer to avoid the headache.
Instead, there is also parking just up ʻAuloa Road on the right-hand side, near the intersection of ʻAuloa and Maunawili Road. This is the area shown in the second photo below, but again, make sure your tires are entirely off the asphalt path.
Finally, if you want the best guarantee and to avoid any chance of receiving a ticket, Lunaʻai Street, just 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from the beginning of Loop Road, is a great option to consider. I just ask that you park legally, avoid blocking any driveways, and please be quiet in this small residential neighborhood, as negative attention does not need to be drawn to the Hawaiʻi hiking community.
Google Maps Directions: Mt. Olomana Trailhead
Hiking the Mt. Olomana Trail
Waling to the Trailhead
Since parking is illegal along Loop Road, hikers must walk roughly 0.75 miles (1.2 km) from the closest parking area along ʻAuloa Road to get to the actual trailhead, or potentially up to 1.2 miles (1.9 km) if you decide to park as far away as Lunaʻai Street.
On a different note, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about break-ins before diving further.
By this, I mean that break-ins do happen at the Mt. Olomana Trailhead, typically to people who make themselves easy targets.
What I really mean is that everything in your car needs to be hidden before beginning the hike, and if you can’t hide a valuable, you need to hike with it!
That said, never leave keys, wallets, passports, or anything similar. I promise that it’s not worth the risk just to have a lighter backpack.
Mt. Olomana Trailhead
From the start of the trail, not including the walk on Loop Road, the Mt. Olomana Trail is a 2.9 miles (4.7 km) if you choose to hike all three peaks.
Regardless of whether the distance sounds short, the trail is very steep, with an elevation gain of about 1,550 ft. (472 m) in only 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to the first peak.
This first section could take you anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to reach the summit, depending on your pace.
The beginning of the Mt. Olomana Trail is usually very muddy because of all the rain the east side of Oʻahu receives.
However, the mud usually gets better once on the ridge above the lower forest.
Mt. Olomana-Makaliʻi Junction (Northwest Ridge)
After 0.3 miles (0.5 km) since leaving the trailhead off Loop Road, the Mt. Olomana Trail comes to the one and only junction on the entire hike.
Once here, go right to continue hiking up to the summit of Mt. Olomana, about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away from this point.
On this note, be sure to make a mental note or take a picture for the way back down, as this then-left turn off the ridge is the difference between making it back to the trailhead safely or getting lost in Makaliʻi Valley if you miss the turn.
The Northwest Ridge up Mt. Olomana starts off on a steady incline, but it gets steeper and steeper the closer you get to the first peak.
Eventually, much of the trail turns into a scramble, with a lot of ropes, as you make your way up to the climb below the first peak.
The first climb in the photos below is the first real challenge on the Three Peaks hike.
Therefore, if you’ve encountered any difficulty up to this point, I recommend turning back, as the trail only gets more challenging the further you go.
In my opinion, the right side of the wall is easier than the left.
This is the view looking down from the top of the first climb.
Past the first climb, there’s one more tricky section before reaching the first peak.
You can either scramble up the ridge or climb up to the right, which is what’s shown in the photo below.
However, what the photo doesn’t show is consequences of falling on either side, which would almost certainly mean death.
Mt. Olomana (1st Peak)
This is the summit of Mt. Olomana, the highest of all three peaks, at roughly 1,643 ft. (501 m), which is notably lower than many of the nearby Koʻolau summits, such as Wiliwilinui, at around 2,520 ft. (768 m), and Hawaiʻi Loa, at 2,480 ft. (756 m), to name a few.
After the summit of Mt. Olomana, the ridge loses a little less than 100 ft. (30.5 m) before starting the climb to Pākuʻi, the second peak.
Note that the section between the first and second peaks is still one of the easier parts of the entire hike, meaning the hardest sections are yet to come!
This is one of my favorite views on the entire trail.
Pākuʻi (2nd Peak)
This is Pākuʻi, more commonly known as the second peak on Mt. Olomana, which stands at roughly 1,520 ft. (463 m), or about 123 ft. (37.5 m) lower than the first peak.
Warning
Shortly past the second peak, the Mt. Olomana Trail arrives at the infamous drop that leads to Ahiki, the third peak.
This is the spot shown in the photo below, and it’s where I encourage most hikers to turn around.
I say this bluntly because most hikers are NOT physically capable of hiking from the second to the third peak, and I say this bearing in mind that this very short 0.3-mile (0.5 km) section is responsible for the vast majority of fatalities on Mt. Olomana!
If all that doesn’t say enough, I can honestly say, after having been to the third peak many times, that it’s simply not worth the effort!
There are no views worth soaking in, and the only achievement in making it to the lowest of all Three Peaks is really just to say you did it. I didn’t even complete the Third Peak on the day I took these photos because I simply wasn’t in the mood, given all the thoughts I just shared.
Now, if you decide to continue past the second peak, what I can say from these photos is that everything you can see is not the worst of it. It only gets harder the farther you go.
I also have every intention of re-hiking all Three Peaks to update this article with better photos, so be aware that there will be more and better information here in the future!
Again, I did not complete the Third Peak on the day I took these photos, but I will be back.
Mt. Olomana is my backyard!
How to Hike Mt. Olomana for Sunrise?
Mt. Olomana is without a doubt one of the best sunrise hikes on Oʻahu, but if that is your goal, it’s important to be aware that the golf course security guard has been known to turn away hikers as early as 5:30 a.m.
What this really means is that if they see you, they will not let you begin your hike until 6:00 a.m., essentially making you too late to see the sunrise unless it’s near the winter solstice and you’re a very fast hiker!
Therefore, I recommend starting well before 5:30 a.m., especially if you’ve never done it before, and remember to account for the roughly 0.75-mile (1.2 km) walk on Loop Road just to get to the trailhead.
Native Plants on the Mt. Olomana Trail
Relatively speaking, Mt. Olomana is a low-elevation trail for Hawaiʻi, meaning that most of the plants along the trail are non-native/ invasive species.
One of the few exceptions that I saw on the trail is Hau in the lower forest and Hōʻawa on the ridge.
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
