1. Sacred Falls
2. Diamond Head
3. Laie Falls
4. Koko Head
5. Chinamans Hat
6. Pillbox Hike
7. Stairway to Heaven
8. Crouching Lion
1: SACRED FALLS
I think this is the prettiest hike on Oahu. Sadly, it has been closed down because about 10 years ago a family was hiking and some rocks fell on them and they died. (how terrible).
I had a local friend(s) of mine take me on this hike with my husband, and he was super cautious and knew the trail really well. It isn't scary hike at all, it has a obvious path all the way through. It's about 2 miles to the falls. Very easy and no cliffs. Once you get closer to the falls the bugs come out, and if you're like me with sweet blood, you get eaten alive!
Once we got to the falls, it felt sooo refreshing to jump in! The water was awesome, and there is a little cave on the side that you can climb up and jump into the water. On the side of the falls there is a rope that crazy people can climb up and go on top of the water fall. The water fall continues up a lot higher on the mountain. You can take a helicopter tour to see the falls. But the hike is so much better!! (there is a $2500 fee if you get caught.)
2: DIAMOND HEAD
I hiked diamond head with my cousin Jessica! It's near Honolulu so if you stay on that side instead of the north shore, this would be a fun hike. This is very kid friendly, it has a dirt path that you just walk all the way up. It zig zags, and it has a desert feel to it. Very dry, so defiantly bring a water bottle! We brought a little snack as well, and then once we got on the top we just hung out. There is cement stairs and a little cave on the top with an awesome view!
3: LAIE FALLS
This hike is really close to my apartment so my friend Ashley and I decided to go on it on saturday afternoon. Good thing I didn't have work that morning (oh yeah, I did!! I had to call in) because it was longer than we thought! It's about 6 miles up, with amazing views. Once you get to the falls, you have a choice to go even further to the summit. We tried to go further, but then it started to rain so we figured it was better to go back down.
The falls were sweet. Not really deep enough to swim in though. Which kinda disappointed me because it was such a far hike! You have so many different variety of trees on the way up though. So many different views of the mountains and ocean. I only did this hike once, I didn't love it.
4: KOKO HEAD
Koko Head is right by Hanauma Bay! So if you go there to snorkel, you should bring some extra clothes. It is a straight up hike of railroads. There is absolutely no shade, so it was really hot when we went. Bring a water bottle! A lot of locals were running up this and making it their work out for the day. I however was exhausted the whole time.. way too out of shape. It's not that long of a hike, it's just very steep once you start getting towards the top.
The view was so pretty! There are some pillboxes on top you can relax on. You can see the ocean for miles, so it would be gorgeous during sunset!
5: CHINAMANS HAT
I loved this hike. You have a mix between playing in the ocean, and hiking a mountain. The water is so shallow that you can literally walk all the way out to the island. Bring some water shoes for sure! You can also kayak out, or paddle board. There is a little sand area that you can put your kayak on while you hike.
There is an obvious trail on the right side of the island. You just follow it up! There is some climbing involved in some spots. Coming back down could be tricky if you have a bad knee or something. There are some hammer head sharks that usually go around there. I didn't see any on the day I went, but I've had several friends see them circling the island while they hiked, so be cautious.
6: PILLBOX HIKE
This is a beautiful, relaxed hike in Lanikai. Lanikai is one of the most beautiful beaches on Oahu. So if you go there, be sure to do this hike! A lot of older people love this hike as well. You get to see the ocean the whole time, and there are pillboxes on the top you can rest by and play in.
At the beginning there is a rope that you have to grab for support. It can be steep to some people, but I was just fine the whole way up. Beautiful hike!!
7: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
Sadly, Stairway to Heaven has been closed down as well. There is a guard that stays there all day, so you can't go then. We had some friends take us really early in the morning! Like 1:00 in the morning early.
The stairs are literally on a cliff all the way up. You go up past the clouds and there is a pillbox on the top that everyone hangs out at. Bring a sweater and some snacks because it gets pretty chilly. It's very moist so our shoes were wet as well.
We went on a rainy day, so sadly the view wasn't that great. But the views we did have with clouds were still AMAZING! I can't even imagine how it would be on a clear day. The hike wasn't that hard for us, but some people can get tired easily. There are 3 cement pitt stop areas as you go up. We would hike up fast, and then take a break once we reached the pitt stops.
This hike was built in WWII, so it is old. Which is what makes it so amazing. I loved doing this with my husband! The views coming down were breathtaking.
This hike was so much fun, but we did have to time it with the rest of our day. Which makes it a hard hike to do a lot. (as well as having a guard)
8: CROUCHING LION
I love crouching lion for a workout. It is pretty steep right at the beginning of the hike. It has pink ribbons that you follow the whole time. The views were amazing right away! Which is why I love it! You can just hike a little bit of it, and you still will get an awesome view of kahana bay.
This one does have some areas that are scary. Not a kid friendly hike! You have to be super cautious or you may slip and fall. At one point of the trail, it gets super windy! I thought I was going to blow over. I had to army crawl down because I got scared. (I laugh now) I would recommend this hike any day!!
These are just my opinions on the different hikes I've done so far here on Oahu. There are SO many hikes on this island! These are just the few. You can't really go wrong with any hike, they are all so beautiful in their own way. Do your research before you go out or bring someone that knows the island well. Respect the island, and it will respect you!
No comments:
Post a Comment