Hiking on Oahu on the Laie Trail in Hawaii

One of the access points to the rugged Ko'olau Summit Trail on the island of Oahu in Hawaii is the Laie Trail. Laie is a 6-mile trail to the top. The hike to the summit is for intermediate to advanced level hikers.

Directions to the trailhead from downtown Honolulu: Take H-1 westbound. Exit H-1 at the Likelike Hwy offramp. Drive on Likelike to the windward side of the island. If you get lost, ask for directions from a local. People are very obliging. From Likelike, take Kahekili Highway heading toward the north shore Oahu. Kahekili will transition into Kamehameha Hwy after several miles. Continue on Kamehameha Highway to Laie (about 11 miles altogether). Just past a shopping center (Foodland and Subway are landmarks to look for) and just past the entrance to the Mormon temple, look for the Laie community sign. Turn left there on Po'ohaili Street. Continue around a traffic center and park by a ballpark.

By bus, take route #55 (Kaneohe-Circle Island). Exit along Kamehameha Hwy just past the entrance to the Mormon Temple (alert the bus driver that this is where you wish to get off). Proceed on foot to Po'ohaili Street.

From the ballpark, continue on foot on a paved road. Where the road forks, head right to a gate. If locked, skirt around the gate at an opening for foot traffic. Continue along a dirt road, passing by small farms.

Look for the Laie Trail sign on the left. At that point, head mauka (toward the mountains) on the Laie Trail.

Initially, the trail will be hot and dry and dusty. Red dirt slopes dominate this area.

Continue climbing to reach a large hill topped by large majestic pine trees. This is a good place to rest , take a swig of water, gobble a snack, and enjoy the beauty around you.

From this point, the trail contours along the left side of the ridge for a long period. Guava trees are prevalent along the way. Note that the trail can be muddy and slippery when wet. Wear shoes with good tread.

You will pass a junction with a trail that heads down through a notch on the right. This side trails drops down to a stream and small water hole where taking a dip is possible. Some hikers make this pool their end destination for the day. If you are heading for the summit, consider taking this interlude and taking a swim on your return leg.

About 30 to 40 minutes from the summit, the trail will transition to the right side of the ridge. In this section, the trail is much muddier and more rugged. Proceed with caution.

The summit is acquired at a windswept hilltop marked by a foxhole. It is at this point that the Ko'olau Summit Trail (KST), a graded footpath that follows the top of the mountain range to points north and south, is reached. Feel free to explore along the summit trail for a bit, but do note that the KST is very overgrown and muddy. I do not recommend trying to access other trails from the KST else you will get lost. Seek the guide services of an experienced hiker before proceeding on an extended day hike or backpack.

Enjoy the the dream-like views of the Laie coast from the summit. As mentioned earlier, consider stopping off for a dip in the stream on the way back down the mountain.