Kapalama Loop Via Pu'u Pueo Park Hike in Honolulu, Hawaii

Having some time on a recent afternoon here in Hawaii where we live, my wife Jacque and I decided to go hiking. She gave me the choice on where to go, and I decided to drive up Alewa Heights in Honolulu, Hawaii to hike the connector trail from Na Pueo Park to the Kapalama Loop Trail.

Kapalama Loop, unlike many easy-to-find and easy-to-get-to trails on Oahu, Hawaii, is one that is not easily accessed. The most direct access is by way of the Kamehameha Schools. Direct access in this case isn't easy to come by. For example, even though I am a Kamehameha Schools alum, I am not granted access to hike the Kapalama Loop. Ditto goes for anyone who requests access. The problem is that Kamehameha has concerns about liability and parking and security, so the basic answer for anyone who asks about hiking the Kapalama Loop is no.

Fortunately, there is another access that doesn't require trespassing or stealthy kinds of mission-impossible mumbo jumbo. And that access is via Na Pueo Park, located near the top of Alewa Drive.

My wife and I parked along Alewa Drive right in front of Na Pueo Park. The access trail to the Kapalama Loop begins at the rear of the water tank located behind the basketball court at Na Pueo Park. We simply followed the fenceline behind the water tank and then descended an obvious trail for a short span then began hiking along the mountainside on a contour trail marked periodically by pink and blue ribbons.

For the most part, the connector trail is under a canopy of trees, but there is one section with nice views of Nuuanu Valley below and the Oahu Country Club golf course. The rocky outcrop at that section has been recently fortified by heavy metal wire mesh, probably in response to a rockfall a couple years ago that resulted in the death of a resident in the homes below.

Beyond the rocky section, the contour trail continues. With enough ribbons to guide us, my wife and I had no trouble following it and finding our way to the Kapalama Loop. From Na Pueo Park, we needed about 20 minutes to hike the access trail to get to the Kapalama Loop. The final section of the contour trail skirts along a chain-link fence and right where the fence ends, the Kapalama Loop Trail begins.

On the day we hiked, my wife and I did not do the whole loop. Instead, we hiked upridge for another 20 minutes or so to reach a clearing with a great view of the upper part of Nuuanu Valley. Today, no clouds obscured the summit of mountain, so we could see Pu'u Lanihuli straight ahead of us (the trail to the summit of Lanihuli is also accessed via the Kapalama Loop) and Pu'u Konahuanui, the highest point in the Ko'olau Mountain Range.