Hiking Ka’au Crater

Photo courtesy of Brenda Yun

Lucky for locals, Oahu is a treasure trove of amazing hikes.  With the majestic Ko’olau mountain range sweeping across the middle of the island, there are dozens of hikes that take you from sea level up into the clouds.  I have several favorite hikes, but about a week ago I had the good fortune of camping up at Ka’au Crater in the back of Palolo Valley, and had an amazing experience.

The trail begins at the very end of Waiomao Road by the Honolulu Diamond Sangha [map], a colorful Buddhist temple.  Ignore the “No Trespassing” sign and work your way down the muddy trail to the stream.  The stream will be your guide for the first quarter of a mile, then you’ll start heading up the hill, following the water pipe.  About 1 hour into the hike you’ll reach the first big waterfall, at which point, for the next hour, you’ll cross two other sections of the waterfall, all the while scaling the mountain with ropes.  By the second hour, you’ll have reached the crater.  It’s a beautiful round thing, and if you work your way along the trail to the right, you will reach the summit about an hour later.

Photo courtesy of Brenda Yun

The view from the top of Ka’au Crater is quite spectacular.  You can see the whole windward coast (from Chinaman’s Hat to Olomana) as well as all of town.  The summit is a great place for a snack/lunch before you head back down the steep, often muddy trail.

Throughout the trail, you’ll see native plants such as  beautiful Ohia-Lehua trees, strawberry guava and mountain apple plants.  There’s so much nature around you that you’ll forget that you started your journey right in town.

This is not the kind of hike for the faint-hearted, and you should set aside at least 5 hours if you plan on hiking all the way to the summit and back.  Camping is possible near the summit in a clearing amid ironwood trees.