Hiking the Ulupaina Loop Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 4.1 miles / 6.6 km
The Ulupaina Trail in east Oʻahu is best known for being a workout hike more than anything. By this, I mean that Ulupaina is a mostly forested trail, with only a few viewpoints along the way, the best being at the top.
That being said, the Ulupaina Trail can be a great alternative hike to other nearby adventures, like Pride Rock, Crouching Lion, or even the Kahekili Pillbox.
On a different note, I don’t think that Ulupaina is worth the effort to try and watch sunrise from the top, as the viewpoint is narrow, and I personally think that the adjacent Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail is a much better effort-to-reward adventure if you’re looking for a great sunrise Oʻahu hike!
Read My Separate Post: Puʻu Māʻeliʻeli Trail (Digging Hill)
Ulupaina Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Ulupaina Trail is located on East Hui ʻIwa Street, as close to the McDonalds as you can find parking.
Google Maps Directions: Ulupaina Trailhead Parking
My Hawaiʻi Hiking Checklist
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Ulupaina Trail
To get to the Ulupaina Trailhead, cross over Kahekili Highway, and then again over the Valley of the Temples Street, to walk up the asphalt path to the trailhead.
From here, the trailhead is located where the forest meets the highway.
Ulupaina Trailhead
The Ulupaina Trailhead and the sections immediately following are the most confusing parts of the hike.
With that in mind, don’t rely on AllTrails to find the true trailhead because the true route and the AllTrails route won’t match until you reach the Upper-Lower Loop junction.
In any case, enter the forest at the most obvious-looking trailhead at the bottom of the hill.
Then, go right immediately after the trailhead to begin hiking uphill.
If you feel like you’re seeing a split in the lower trail, always choose the route to the right.
The correct path should be heading uphill until you reach the Upper-Lower Loop junction.
Upper-Lower Loop Junction (Ulupaina Loop Trail)
When the Ulupaina Trail comes to this split, go left to begin the Lower Loop, or go right for the Upper Loop.
That being said, the Upper Loop is a much nicer, faster-moving trail, but it is steeper because it’s more of a direct path to the top. However, the Lower Ulupaina Loop tends to be slower-moving because there are almost always some trickier areas to navigate with fallen trees as you wind your way below the ridge.
Considering all this, I recommend hiking the more challenging Lower Loop first if you’re planning on hiking the full Ulupaina Loop, as the return hike down the Upper Loop will seem much nicer in comparison.
Ulupaina Lower Loop
Past the Upper-Lower Loop junction, the Ulupaina Loop Trail becomes much more obvious for the rest of the hike.
If you like to look out for native plants, the Lower Loop is much better to see a number of them compared to the Upper.
All of these downed trees came right after a multi-day windstorm.
On the far end of the Lower Loop, the Ulupaina Trail will make a hard turn to start climbing up toward the summit.
This is the steepest section on the Lower Loop, as it climbs to meet to the Upper Loop.
Second Upper-Lower Loop Junction
The photo below is where both the Upper and Lower sides of the loop meet just before the summit.
With that in mind, take a mental note of the area if you’re going to hike up the ridge to the summit because it can be very easy to miss the turn for the Upper Loop on the way back.
Ulupaina Summit
This is the summit of the community-managed Ulupaina Trail.
If you are curious to explore further, the trail continues just a little past the power lines, but it doesn’t go far before it transitions into a much more involved hike up the ridge.
Second Upper-Lower Loop Junction
This is the same junction as the photo above.
Here, go left to begin the Upper Ulupaina Loop back down to the trailhead.
Upper Ulupaina Loop
If you hiked the Lower Loop first, the Upper Ulupaina Loop will take a fraction of the time to get back to the trailhead.
At the clearing, the trail continues down to the left, where the original junction back down to the trailhead will be located shortly after.
Upper-Lower Loop Junction
This is the same split for the Upper-Lower Loop from the beginning of this post.
That being said, go left to hike back down to the trailhead.
Native Plants on the Ulupaina Trail
Since Ulupaina is such a low-elevation trail for Hawaiʻi, most of the hike is dominated by non-native/ invasive species.
However, there are a handful of native plants on the Lower Loop, such as ʻŌhiʻa lehua, Uluhe, Hau, Hala, and Palaʻā, to name a few.
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
More Oʻahu Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing Oʻahu adventures, check out my separate posts below!
Best Hotels & Restaurants in Waikīkī
If you’re trying to decided where to stay on Oʻahu, check out my top 10 list for the best resorts and restaurants in Waikīkī.
I break down what makes one hotel a better choice over another, so that you can find the best fit for your stay on the island.
Read My Separate Post: Best Waikīkī Hotels & Restaurants
Waikīkī
HNL Airport-Hotel Shuttle
Prices on ride-share apps like Uber/ Lyft cannot beat the price of booking your hotel shuttle prior to arrival. I say this because there are additional fees for ride-share airport pick-ups at Honolulu Airport (HNL), which is why I recommend booking your transportation in advance using the options below.
Additionally, the last option below will go as far as the Ko ʻOlina Resorts on the West Side and Turtle Bay on Oʻahu’s North Shore!
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Oʻahu
Visiting Other Islands
If you are visiting Oʻahu or heading to another island, check out some of my personal recommendations for Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island) in these separate posts.
If you’re trying to decide which island is right for your visit, check out my overview about each island in the post below.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Hawaiian Island to Visit?
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
The weather in Hawaiʻi can often appear to be warm and beautiful throughout the year, but in my experience, there is a lot more to consider when planning what time of year to visit the islands, such as what island you are considering, what sides of each island do you plan to stay, what activities are you most interested in, the wildlife, and countless other nuanced variables that can all impact the type of trip you can expect to have.
For these reasons, I highly recommend reading through my separate article to not only understand my thoughts regarding the best time of year to come to Hawaiʻi but also what you need to consider based on the time of year that you plan to visit.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
10 Best Tours & Excursions on Oʻahu
There are a lot of different tour options to choose from on Oʻahu, but to make it easier to decide, I made a list of my favorite tours because some things simply are better with a local guide!
Read My Separate Post: Best Tours on Oʻahu
Oʻahu
Safety
All hikes in Hawaiʻi should not be compared to trails outside of the islands, and hikers should exercise due caution on every adventure, given that many are extremely dangerous.
By this, I mean that Hawaiʻi is known for hot, humid weather, steep, dramatic, and unstable cliffs, and flash floods, which can occur without warning. Therefore, it is important that you check the local forecast, understand the physical condition of your entire group, and pack sufficient food and water before attempting any hike.
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