Hiking the Kamiloʻiki Ridge Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 4.2 miles / 6.8 km
The Kamiloʻiki Ridge Trail in Hawaiʻi Kai on Oʻahu is an easy ridge hike—truly one of the easiest ridge hikes on the island—to reach the Koʻolau Summit, a sentiment that certainly cannot be said about other ridge trails across the island.
That being said, Kamiloʻiki Ridge is not a managed trail, meaning it can be a bit more difficult to access and navigate compared to others around the island, which is largely why so few hikers choose to venture up the beautiful trail.
Kamiloʻiki Ridge Trailhead Parking
Parking for Kamiloʻiki Ridge is located on either Makahuena Place or Hawaiʻi Kai Dr., depending on which route you choose to start from.
Google Maps Directions: Makahuena Place / Hawaiʻi Kai Dr.
My Hawaiʻi Hiking Checklist
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Hiking the Kamiloʻiki Ridge Trail
In my opinion, all of the hard hiking on Kamiloʻiki Ridge is right in the beginning, but it really depends on what route you use as your trailhead.
Kamiloʻiki Ridge can either begin at the end of Hawaiʻi Kai Dr. or the Pāhua Heiau. I think Hawaiʻi Kai Dr. may be the easier of the two, but in either case, they are both shown below.
Hawaiʻi Kai Dr. is shown on the left, and the path behind the heiau route is shown on the right.
Hawaiʻi Kai Drive Trailhead
If you’re on Hawaiʻi Kai Drive, look for the trail on the right after the last house in the neighborhood. It likely won’t be marked with anything.
If you’re starting from the heiau, the trail in the photo above may be hard to find at first, but it will connect with the same area shown two photos below.
Once at this point, there’s only one trail to reach the top of the ridge, which in my opinion, is the most difficult part of the hike.
The Switchbacks
Shortly after the trailhead, Kamiloʻiki climbs a few switchbacks before reaching the top of the ridge.
Kamiloʻiki Ridge
Once on the ridge, the hiking becomes significantly easier compared to the trailhead area and the switchbacks.
Simply follow the ridgeline until the forested area shortly before the summit.
The trail goes around this cliff face to the right.
This section is short, but it’s definitely a no-fall zone.
Once in the forest near the summit, keep on the lookout for the most obvious trail heading up.
It can start to look a little vague in a few places.
Just before the summit, Kamiloʻiki Ridge will climb a few more switchbacks before reaching the viewpoint.
After the first switchback, look for a hard left turn up the ridge.
Kamiloʻiki Summit
After only 2.1 miles (3.4 km), the Kamiloʻiki Ridge Trail ends at a beautiful overlook above Waimānalo Beach below!
Here, you can see notable places, like Mt. Olomana, the Lanikai Pillboxes (Kaʻiwa Ridge), and, on the clearest days, Kualoa Ranch!
Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
If you weren’t planning on hiking past Kamiloʻiki Summit, don’t continue on the KST, as summit trail is always more difficult than the hike it took to get there.
That being said, the next notable summits to the north include Mariners Ridge, followed by Pyramid Rock and Kuliʻouʻou Ridge; to the south, the next significant trails are Kamehame Ridge (Deadman’s Catwalk), followed by the Makapuʻu Tom Tom Trail.
Read My Separate Post: Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
Native Plants on Kamiloʻiki Ridge
For a ridge that’s covered in invasive Fountain Grass, there are a surprising number of native plants to find on Kamiloʻiki.
The most abundant is easily ʻUhaloa, but others include the Hoary Abutilon, ʻIlima, Alaheʻe, ʻAʻaliʻi, and ʻIlieʻe to name a few.
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
More Oʻahu Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing Oʻahu adventures, check out my separate posts below!
Best Hotels & Restaurants in Waikīkī
If you’re trying to decided where to stay on Oʻahu, check out my top 10 list for the best resorts and restaurants in Waikīkī.
I break down what makes one hotel a better choice over another, so that you can find the best fit for your stay on the island.
Read My Separate Post: Best Waikīkī Hotels & Restaurants
Waikīkī
HNL Airport-Hotel Shuttle
Prices on ride-share apps like Uber/ Lyft cannot beat the price of booking your hotel shuttle prior to arrival. I say this because there are additional fees for ride-share airport pick-ups at Honolulu Airport (HNL), which is why I recommend booking your transportation in advance using the options below.
Additionally, the last option below will go as far as the Ko ʻOlina Resorts on the West Side and Turtle Bay on Oʻahu’s North Shore!
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Oʻahu
Visiting Other Islands
If you are visiting Oʻahu or heading to another island, check out some of my personal recommendations for Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, Lānaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island) in these separate posts.
If you’re trying to decide which island is right for your visit, check out my overview about each island in the post below.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Hawaiian Island to Visit?
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
The weather in Hawaiʻi can often appear to be warm and beautiful throughout the year, but in my experience, there is a lot more to consider when planning what time of year to visit the islands, such as what island you are considering, what sides of each island do you plan to stay, what activities are you most interested in, the wildlife, and countless other nuanced variables that can all impact the type of trip you can expect to have.
For these reasons, I highly recommend reading through my separate article to not only understand my thoughts regarding the best time of year to come to Hawaiʻi but also what you need to consider based on the time of year that you plan to visit.
Read My Separate Post: What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Hawaiʻi?
10 Best Tours & Excursions on Oʻahu
There are a lot of different tour options to choose from on Oʻahu, but to make it easier to decide, I made a list of my favorite tours because some things simply are better with a local guide!
Read My Separate Post: Best Tours on Oʻahu
Oʻahu
Safety
All hikes in Hawaiʻi should not be compared to trails outside of the islands, and hikers should exercise due caution on every adventure, given that many are extremely dangerous.
By this, I mean that Hawaiʻi is known for hot, humid weather, steep, dramatic, and unstable cliffs, and flash floods, which can occur without warning. Therefore, it is important that you check the local forecast, understand the physical condition of your entire group, and pack sufficient food and water before attempting any adventure.
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