What to Do in Hawaii: Hike the Bowman Trail

Ask any experienced hiker what the three toughest trails in the United States are and you'll probably be told the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). I've never hiked any of these three (yet), but I have traversed the toughest trails in Hawaii, one of which is the rugged yet not-often-traveled Bowman Trail on Oahu.

Bowman is nowhere near the length of the AT (2175 miles), PCT (2650 miles), and CDT (3100 miles). At a paltry 12-miles for the roundtrip, Bowman will seem like a relatively cupcake hike. Perhaps for a trail-hardened, AT, PCT, or CDT thru-hiker it will be. But for most of us weekend warrior types, even those in decent physical condition from health club honed stair stepper fitness programs, Bowman is a challenging venture.

Where is this trail?

As I mentioned, the trail is on Oahu, the capital island of Hawaii. Andi it's not far at all from downtown Honolulu.

If you choose to travel by car from downtown, travel along the H-1 freeway westbound. Exit onto Likelike Highway. At the fifth traffic light along Likelike, turn left onto Kula Kolea Drive. When the road bends, stay left, still on Kula Kolea. Soon thereafter, turn right onto Na'ai Street. Park near the end of Na'ai. Note that this is a residential neighborhood. As such, please keep the noise down and don't block mailboxes or trash cans. Don't want to upset the residents.

If you travel by Oahu's excellent bus system, board the #7 (Kalihi Valley) and exit at the stop at the intersection of Kalihi Street and Nalanieha Street. Walk on Nalanieha to Likelike Highway. Use a pedestrian overpass to get to the other side of the highway. Follow the directions above to get to the end of Na'ai Street. At that point, turn left, now on foot, and head up Halina Street.

Near the top of Halina, enter a play field with a large water tank on the left. Make your way toward the basketball courts at the far end of the field.

The trail begins on the hillside behind the courts.

What is Bowman Like?

In a word, it's about climbing. Lots of climbing. From the basketball courts, the trail climbs steadily and steeply to emerge on eroded and rutted jeep road, used by the military and electric company to access the ridge. After making a visual reference of this junction for the return leg, turn right on the road and proceed uphill. Yes, more climbing.

The road will lead you to the crest of the ridge. At that point is a junction with a road coming in on the left. Keep right on the dirt road, which will stay level briefly, then dip down to a low point then begin climbing again, at times very steeply.

When the road tops out, head right onto the Bowman Trail. The road heading down to the left bottoms out at Fort Shafter, a United States Army military reservation. Yes, you now are officially on Bowman. All that preliminary stuff serves as a good warm-up for what is to come.

Picture a rollercoaster. Ups and downs. Lots of them. That'll give you a good idea of what Bowman will be like. Once you are on the actual trail, getting lost is unlikely. More likely is entering into oxygen debt from the steep climbs up and over what seems like an endless parade of hills (pu'u, as we call them in Hawaiian).

But persevere and you will be rewarded.

Note that there are narrow sections of the trail, some with steep drops left and right. Watch your footing in these places. Also note that trailside vegetation, in particular a native fern called 'uluhe, tends to crowd the trail corridor, making for slower going at times. You might consider packing a pair of long pants or gaiters in your daypack if the scratchy plants start to irritate you.

And did I mention the mud? Remember that rain can hit any time. Even on a sunny day, rain can come seemingly from nowhere. And even on sunny days, the trail might be muddy due to moisture residue from the days before. And mud means poor footing. So again, be careful.

The trail ends at the summit of the Ko'olau Range at a peak called Kahuauli, elevation 2740. You've made an elevation gain of 2400 feet from the trailhead. However, if all the ups and downs were calculated in, the total climbing done might probably closer to 4000. But that's just my guess. Anyway, the summit reward is a wonderful view of the windward side of Oahu. Brush the mud off your shoes or boots, hunker down in the uluhe, and enjoy your lunch.

And you have brought enough water, right? I'd say you'll need at least three liters. On hot humid days, carry more than you ordinarily would.

Prior to the summit, there is a fantastic section that is cut along the face of huge cliff. Inch along carefully here, particularly if the trail is overgrown. There are cables/ropes in a couple of places for assistance. At least there were the last time I went up Bowman. Do make sure to test these aids before using. And, no, I did not put them there, so I can't attest for their strength or for the anchor points. So test, okay.

The way up is the way down. All those hills you climbed on the way up still have to be climbed in reverse on the way down.

So if you want to experience one of Oahu's toughest trails, give Bowman a try. I guarantee some memories.