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!
All 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!
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Digging Hill Trail is on Hui ʻIwa Street, as close to the McDonalds as you can find parking.
If you’re going to hike the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail for sunrise, please be quiet in the morning, as this local trail begins adjacent to a residential area and does not need negative attention pointed at the hiking community.
Google Maps Directions: Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trailhead
Hiking the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail
From the parking area on 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 almost immediately begin climbing uphill once the trail begins.
This first hill is the longest and hardest hill on the trail, especially if it has rained recently.
Know that it can be very muddy and slippery, which is fairly typical for some of these east Oʻahu adventures.
After the first hill, the hike levels off for a while until a series of hills toward the end.
Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli
After roughly a mile, the Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail ends at the pillboxes, located at the summit.
Watch out for the hole on the first pillbox immediately following this sign, as it can be easy to overlook if you’re hiking 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.
The only native plant that I noticed was Uluhe.
If you would like to learn more about tons of 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
