10 Best Trail Runs on Oʻahu
On account of the mud, overgrowth, and steepness on even the best trails around Oʻahu, trail running can be pretty challenging in Hawaiʻi when compared to places on the U.S. mainland.
That being said, these are the best trail runs on Oʻahu in terms of effort-to-reward, regarding minimal overgrowth and the views.
Know that any of these hikes listed below may be very steep, or even too steep, to run the entire trail. However, there are great sections to run on all of them, whether up or downhill.
Best Road-to-Trail Running Shoes
Oʻahu is a perfect example of a place where you need the best of both a road and trail shoe. The Mokulēʻia Trail, listed below, is a perfect example.
That’s why I prefer the Zinal Hokas, as they are the best mix that I’ve found for a comfortable road shoe as well as a shoe with good grip on the trail.
10 Best Trail Runs on Oʻahu
With the exception of the first one, the following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, as all of the following trails make for a great trail run.
That being said, I think it depends on what kind of difficulty/ elevation gain you are comfortable with, as some, like the Mokulēʻia Access Road, are fairly steep to run the entire distance.
1. ʻAiea Loop Trail
Distance: 4.9 miles / 7.9 km
The ʻAiea Loop Trail is Oʻahu’s best trail-running hike because it’s one of the easiest trails to navigate, it’s a loop instead of an out-and-back trail, and it’s one of the few trails on this list that isn’t too steep to prevent you from running the entire distance.
From trail running purposes, I prefer to begin on the upper loop trail, like the post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: ʻAiea Loop Trail
2. Mokulēʻia Access Road / Mokulēʻia Trail
Access Road Distance: 7.2 miles / 11.6 km
Mokulēʻia Trail Distance: 6.2 miles / 10.0 km
The Mokulēʻia Trail is only (practically) accessible via the Mokulēʻia Access Road from the North Shore of Oʻahu. That being said, the reason why these two are listed together is that the access road, in combination with the trail, makes for a very beautiful but challenging and steep run if you do both.
Prepare for a long, steep, and potentially muddy run, as the access road begins on a steep paved road up to Peacock Flats, where it then transitions to the Mokulēʻia Trail, which can be muddy.
From the access road on the North Shore to the very end of the Mokulēʻia Trail, the total roundtrip distance is 14.4 miles (23.2 km), but most people don’t usually make it to the end of the Mokulēʻia Trail. However, I recommend checking out the posts linked below to see how far you may want to go.
Read My Separate Posts: Mokulēʻia Access Road / Mokulēʻia Trail
3. Keālia-Kuaokalā Trail
Keālia Distance: 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
Kuaokalā Distance: 5.2 miles / 8.4 km
The Keālia Trail is a lot like the North Shore version of the Koko Head Stairs, in terms of how the locals treat it like a quick evening workout.
The reason I have this one listed as Keālia-Kuaokalā is that the shelter at the top of the Keālia Trail isn’t the best place to end your hike/ run. However, the Keālia Trail is the best access for the Kuaokalā Trail on the other side of the Waiʻanae Mountains, so if you’re up for a longer day on the trail, that’s where all the real views are!
The distance from the top of the Keālia Trail to the start of the Kuaokalā Trail is 1.8 miles (2.9 km) each way, and roundtrip, the distance from the Keālia Trailhead to the far end of Kuaokalā is 11.8 miles (19.0 km). However, it is unlikely that you would do the entire Kuaokalā Trail because the best views are in the middle, meaning the roundtrip distance is likely to be shorter.
Read My Separate Posts: Keālia Trail / Kuaokalā Trail
4. Kaʻena Point Trail
North Shore Distance: 2.4 miles / 3.9 km
West Side Distance: 2.1 miles / 3.4 km
The Kaʻena Point Trail from either the North Shore or the West Side of Oʻahu is a relatively flat run to get out and enjoy Kaʻena Point. That being said, either route can get very muddy with lots of standing water if the area has seen recent rain, but it’s usually never too difficult to navigate.
Both of the distances above are to the predator-proof fence only, where most people slow down the explore the point. However, the pillbox adds an additional 0.6 miles (1.0 km) each way, with about 500 ft. (152 m) of elevation gain.
Read My Separate Posts: Kaʻena Point (North) / Kaʻena Point (West)
5. Kuliʻouʻu Ridge Trail
Distance: 4.7 miles / 7.6 km
Most people wouldn’t look at the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail as something to trail run because it’s one of the more challenging uphill hikes on this list. In addition, when the trail starts making its way up the steeper sections before the summit, the ridge can get very muddy when Kuliʻouʻou Valley has seen recent rain.
Regardless, I still love running Kuliʻouʻou to get as far as I can on the way up, while running the full length on the way back down.
Overall, Kuliʻouʻou may not be for everyone, but it really is a great challenge. Thus far, my best time is 30:26 to the summit!
Read My Separate Post: Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail
6. Kaunala Loop Trail
Distance: 5.4 miles / 8.7 km
The Kaunala Trail is easily the local trail on this list.
I love running the Kaunala Loop because of how quiet the trail is compared to other busier hikes on Oʻahu. In addition, Kaunala, like the ʻAiea Loop, should be easier to run for most of the trail, with the exception of a few potential muddy spots.
Overall, I personally think that Kaunala is a hidden gem to get away from the crowds!
Read My Separate Post: Kaunala Trail
7. Koko Crater Stairs / Botanical Garden
Stairs Distance: 0.9 mile / 1.4 km
Botanical Garden Distance: 2.0 - 3.0 miles / 3.2 - 4.8 km
Regardless of the distance, the Koko Crater Stairs is one of the most challenging runs/ workouts on Oʻahu. That being said, most people typically don’t run up the stairs, but if you’re up for the challenge, the fastest known time is 8:32!
In contrast, the Koko Crater Botanical Garden, on the inside of the crater, is a much more mild loop trail when compared to the stairs. Even so, the botanical garden is mostly uphill to reach the back of the loop, so even the easier option has its challenges!
Read My Separate Posts: Koko Crater Stairs / Koko Crater Botanical Garden
8. Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
Distance: 4.7 miles / 7.6 km
The Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail is one of my favorite ridge running trails on Oʻahu because of how short but rewarding the hike is to reach the Koʻolau Summit.
Furthermore, the beginning of Wiliwilinui is usually a bit easier to run, but like Kuliʻouʻou, the trail eventually becomes a steeper and muddier toward the top. That being said, it’s a pretty sweet payoff for such a short trail.
Read My Separate Post: Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail
9. Tantalus Loop Trail (Makiki Valley)
Distance: 8.4 miles / 13.5 km
The Tantalus Loop Trail to the Pauoa Flats Bench is the longest loop that you could make out of the trails on Tantalus, but there are countless other shorter options that could be pieced together using both a combination of both Tantalus-Round Top Drive and the trails.
One of the most popular of these shorter loops is simply cutting across the Makiki Valley Trail, which you can see the split for in the link below.
Read My Separate Post: Tantalus Loop Trail
10. Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail
Distance: 2.5 miles / 4.0 km
The Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail should be higher on this list in terms of the effort-to-reward, the quality of the trail, and its accessibility. However, since Lighthouse Trail is so popular among visitors, the crowds and tight parking situation make this one an easy number 10 on my list.
That being said, if you get on the trail early, the Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail makes for one of the best sunrise runs on Oʻahu!
Read My Separate Post: Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
Bonus: Hauʻula Loop Trail
Distance: 2.7 miles / 4.3 km
The reason why I didn’t include the Hauʻula Loop Trail on the top 10 list above is because of its accessibility on Oʻahu.
For most people living or staying on the island, this trail is a bit out of the way. However, it’s definitely a beautiful option that deserves to be on this list, and if you happen to be staying at Turtle Bay, then the Hauʻula Loop Trail is actually your most convenient option!
Read My Separate Post: Hauʻula Loop Trail
