Hawaii Hikes: Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail

I’m so excited to share Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail with you guys. We were finally able to get out on a hike this past weekend and had a fantastic time. Due to bad weather or other commitments, its been a couple months since our last hike. That, in my opinion, is way too long!

We took the kiddos with us so we wanted a moderate trail that offered some dramatic views and a decent workout. Well, we definitely got all of the above (and more) from Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail!

Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail

It’s a 4.5 mile out and back trail that is accessed through a gated community in Honolulu. The address I plugged into the Nav was Laukahi Street, which brings you straight to a security guard station. The guard was extremely friendly and gave us a pass for the very limited parking near the trailhead. We arrived about 9AM on a Sunday morning.

Tip: Go early! Especially if you are going on the weekend as parking is very limited.

Once parked it was easy to find the trailhead. The beginning of the trail is pretty wide and alternates between inclines and declines. As you can see, it starts out stunning and is a great warm-up for whats to come 😉

You’ll enjoy some peek-a-boo views on your route and can work up quite a sweat depending on your pace. Just take your time and enjoy the lush landscape. I found this hike to be very similar to Kuliou‘ou Ridge Trail but way less crowded.

Soon you’ll come upon some unassuming stairs. They look harmless enough, but you will be hiking up many of them, so take a deep breath and conquer those stairs!

There are a couple of areas where you might need the assistance of a rope. No biggie.

Continue on past the utility tower up one last hill. When you reach a bench, you’re at the top! Sit back, relax and bask in the glorious views. From here you’ll be able to see multiple parts of the Island from Honolulu to Kailua, it pretty amazing.

When you’re ready to head down, you’ll able to enjoy the views all over again. It took us a few hours (round-trip) going at an easy pace. I would say this trail is good for older kids (mine are 9 and 12) but I would hesitate bringing younger ones due to the degree of difficulty and drop-off hazards. Our pup also did great on this hike but was definitely wiped after. As always just use your common sense and take care of the ‘aina (land) on your way in and out. Aloha!

Check out these other Hawaii Hikes

Hawai‘i Hikes: Kuliou‘ou Ridge Trail

Hawaii Hikes: Aiea Loop Trail