Hiking on Oahu on the Mariner's Ridge Trail

Two mountain ranges exist on Oahu. One is the Waianae Range and the other is the Ko'olau Range. A plethora of trails, mostly accessible from the leeward (west-facing) side of the island, extend to the summit of the Ko'olaus. One of the shortest and easiest access routes is Mariner's Ridge (also known as Kaluanui Ridge), located in the community of Hawaii Kai near the island's southeastern tip.

To get to the trail, the driving directions are as follows: from downtown Honolulu, take the H-1 freeway eastbound. H-1 will eventually end and transition into Kalanianaole Highway. Follow Kalanianaole east and turn left on Keahole Street. Keahole will merge with Hawaii Kai Drive. Take a soft right onto Hawaii Kai Drive. Just past the Hawaii Kai post office, turn left onto Kaluanui Road. Follow Kaluanui to its highest point. Park on the street nearby. The trailhead begins at road's end. [Note: Oahu has an excellent bus service. To get to Hawaii Kai, get on the City Bus #1 (Lunalilo Home Road-Hawaii Kai) and get off along Kalanianaole opposite Keahole Street. You will have a long uphill walk to the trailhead (if you are looking for a longer, tougher workout) but you can't beat the price--$2 busfare one-way.]

The trail is dusty and rocky in the initial section as it switchbacks to gain elevation and leave the residential area behind. After ten to fifteen minutes of hiking, you will notice that the trail has become cooler and more forested, with pines and ironwoods being the predominant species along the way.

Nice views can be had of Koko Head and Koko Crater off to the right as you ascend. Looking back west, you will have nice views of Honolulu urbandom.

Due to the short distance (1.5 miles to the top) and good condition of the route, the trail is well-hiked, so if you seek a solitary, secluded hiking experience this is not the trail for you. Since this area is one the drier ones on the island, this trail can be a good choice when rain is falling on other parts of the island. As is the case with all Oahu trails, slippery conditions will exist when rains hit, so practice good hiking safety.

The rewards at the summit are excellent views of the windward side of Oahu. Directly below is the community of Waimanalo and its farms and rural residences.
While it is possible to hike along the summit to the left and right of the trail terminus, I do not advise this unless you are hiking with someone who has experience along these routes. A big part of hiking safety is knowing where you are going and what you might be getting yourself into.

Spend all the time you want at the summit. Bring a cool drink and a picnic lunch or snack and enjoy your time there.