Hiking the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail & Pillbox (Digging Hill) on Oʻahu
Distance: 2.2 miles / 3.5 km
The Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail, also known as the Digging Hill Trail, is a little lesser-known secret on Oʻahu’s east side.
I say this because other, more popular east Oʻahu trails, such as Crouching Lion and the Lanikai Pillbox Trail, tend to overshadow what I see as a local hidden gem!
That being said, the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail to the pillbox at the top is a favorite among locals, especially when it comes to hiking the trail for sunrise. Therefore, I ask that you please do what you can to minimize your impact and not draw negative attention to this fun trail!
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Digging Hill Trail is located on East Hui ʻIwa Street, as close to the McDonalds as you can find parking.
On a different note, please be quiet if you’re going to hike the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail for sunrise, as this local trail begins adjacent to a residential area and does not need negative attention aimed at the hiking community.
Google Maps Directions: Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trailhead
Hiking the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail
From the parking area on East Hui ʻIwa Street, the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail begins off Kahekili Highway in the eastbound direction.
Walk a short distance toward Kāneʻohe along the highway, and the trailhead will be shortly on the left-hand side about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) up the road.
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail
This is the true Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trailhead, which will immediately begin climbing uphill upon leaving the highway.
This first hill is the longest and hardest hill on the trail, especially if it has rained recently!
With that in mind, this very muddy and slippery section will likely get whatever you’re wearing a bit dirty, which is fairly typical for a number of these east Oʻahu adventures.
After the first hill, the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail levels off significantly, which will continue for a while until the trail comes to a series of hills toward summit.
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli
After about 1.1 miles (1.8 km), the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail ends at the pillboxes, located a short distance past the summit.
Watch out for this hole on the first pillbox immediately following the summit sign, as it can be easy to overlook if you’re hiking the trail in the dark for sunrise.
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Pillbox
From the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Pillbox, you’ll be able to see as far as Kualoa Ranch and Mokoliʻi to the north and Mt. Olomana and the Kalāheo Hills to the south.
In my experience, the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Pillbox is less crowded than other popular sunrise hikes, like the Lanikai Pillboxes or Crouching Lion.
Additionally, there’s always a great chance of having the pillbox entirely to yourself if you hike it on a weekday for sunrise!
Native Plants on the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail
Generally speaking, I can come up with a long list of native plants on most trails around Hawaiʻi, but since Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli is so low in elevation and close to urban areas, 99% of the trail is covered in non-native invasive species, like Shoebutton and Brazilian Pepper.
That being said, the few native plants that I’ve noticed on the trail are Uluhe, Palaʻā, ʻUhaloa, and a rare ʻŌhiʻa lehua.
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
