Suzanne Swedo - Best Easy Day Hikes Hawaii: Oahu

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes Hawaii: Oahu

Suzanne Swedo

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Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, facilities come under new management, etc.

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Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Copyright 2010 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

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Project editor: Julie Marsh

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Swedo, Suzanne, 1945

Best easy day hikes, Hawaii, Oahu / Suzanne Swedo.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0514-7

1. HikingHawaiiOahuGuidebooks. 2. TrailsHawaiiOahuGuidebooks. 3. Oahu (Hawaii)Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.H32O148 2010

919.69'3dc22

2010011380

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

For Jan Murphy

Contents

The Hikes

Introduction

Oahu, home of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, is the place that most often comes to mind when you think of Hawaii. Honolulu became the state capital, as well as the population, business, and visitor center of all the islands, in the days when travel and trade were by sea because of its beautiful harbor. Its a busy city with awful rush hour traffic, jammed with tourist hotels, glitzy shops, and crowded beaches. Much of the land on the rest of the island not devoted to commerce or tourism is military property. Still, Oahu has a surprising number of very fine hiking trails, most of which are maintained by the Na Ala Hele Trail and Access System, part of the states Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The Web site www.hawaiitrails.org is a great source of information about hiking on the island.

Geologically, Oahu is the third largest and, not coincidentally, the third youngest of the main Hawaiian islands, formed by two volcanoes, the first of which erupted three to four million years ago. All that is left of this volcano is the Waianae Range, the smaller of the two, though its summit, Mount Kaala, is Oahus highest point at 4,025 feet. The younger volcano, whose remains make up the Koolau Range, erupted a million years later, but experienced a more recent spurt of activity 30,000 years ago when it built the cones of Diamond Head, Koko Head, and the Punchbowl. Sediment eroded from the two volcanoes has washed down into the center of the island to form a plateau between them.

As on all the Hawaiian islands, the mountains and the trade winds determine most outdoor activity on Oahu. The long Koolau Range, which runs from northeast to southwest, blocks the trades, whose moisture carves deep green canyons on the windward side and keeps the central plateau and the leeward coast relatively dry. Hiking the canyons and ridgetops of the windward coast is often wet, but the views through the clouds down to the shoreline are spectacular and the forests display an incredible variety of tropical vegetation. The southeastern peninsula, culminating in Makapuu Point, is sunny and dry enough to harbor a botanical garden devoted to desert species. The best and most extensive trail system is not far from Honolulu in the foothills of the Koolau mountains, where you can put together a hike of any length and difficulty. It can get busy on weekends, but is never really crowded. The most remote and relatively unspoiled hiking can be found at the western end of Oahu. Kaena Point in particular is one of the few places where you can still see the real Hawaii, including native wildlife.

Maps

The Na Ala Hele Trail and Access System publishes free maps of all the trails it administers. These are photocopies of the USGS topographic maps with updated trails added. They are too small for serious navigation, but are helpful as supplements to outdated USGS topos. Call (808) 973-9782 for copies, or better, visit www.hawaiitrails.org.

The shaded relief map of Oahu published by the University of Hawaii Press, available in bookstores and elsewhere, is the best for exploring the island as a whole. It gives you a birds-eye view of the geography of the island, including its mountains, waterfalls, beaches, and of course, its roads and highways. It does not, however, have the detail you need to navigate your way around the bewildering maze of Honolulu, so a good street map, such as the one published by AAA, is also essential.

Getting Around

Oahu offers public transportation in the form of TheBus, which is very useful for getting around Honolulu and Waikiki. But TheBus does not go to most trailheads so if you dont live here, youll need to rent a car. Its too bad, because Honolulu has one of the most illogical, confusing, maddening road and freeway systems ever! You can get a schedule for TheBus at www.thebus.org or by calling (808) 848-5555, or pick one up at any number of locations in the city.

Accommodations

There are a surprising number of inexpensive hotels and hostels all over Oahu, even in Waikiki. There are many campgrounds, too, all of which require a permit. Information about camping and permits at in Honolulus city and county parks is available at (808) 768-3440 or www.co.honolulu.hi.us/parks. For camping at state parks call (808) 587-0300. Online reservations are not accepted.

A Few Words of Caution

Lava

Lava weathers to red clay over timeeasy enough walking when dry, but after a hard rain it becomes as slippery as butter on glass. Hikes may become much more difficult when the weather is bad. Narrow footpaths clinging to mountainsides can become downright dangerous. Hiking sticks and good shoes are recommended.

Weather Patterns

Weather in Hawaii is usually lovely, with temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees year-round. There are essentially two seasons. Summer (May through October) is only slightly warmer than winter. The trade winds blowing from the northeast usually keep even the warmer days pleasant. Rainfall is lighter and of shorter duration in summer than in winter. Rainfall in winter is more frequent, heavier, and lasts longer, but is not likely to spoil most hikes unless there is a Kona storm. These occur when for some reason the trade winds fail. Kona storms come from the opposite direction than the trade winds, the southwest instead of the northeast, and it can rain buckets for days on end.