Hiking the Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance (Roundtrip): 5.3 miles / 8.5 km
The Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail in Niu Valley on Oʻahu is one of the longer, more challenging day hikes in the southern Koʻolau Mountains to reach the Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST).
I say this because the 'long' and typically untrafficked trail sees few hikers compared to the neighboring Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge Trail and Wiliwilinui—not to mention, Kūlepeamoa Ridge is more challenging than these other trails because of the location of the trailhead at the bottom of Pia Valley. This means that Kūlepeamoa Ridge has much more elevation to gain—unlike nearby hikes, where the trailheads are already located partway up the ridge.
However, all these things are what make Kūlepeamoa Ridge one of my favorite day hikes on Oʻahu, as the trail feels like a hidden gem, given that it is so untrafficked in an otherwise busy area for hiking! For reference, Kūlepeamoa can most closely be compared with the Wailupe Loop Trail in ʻĀina Haina, just to the north, or the Kapālama Ridge Trail to Puʻu Lanihuli—the ridge that divides the Pali and Likelike highways from one another.
All this to say, the Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail is an amazing and beautiful day hike, but come prepared for a much longer, more involved adventure than almost all of the surrounding trails would require.
Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail is located in the very back of Pia Valley on Anolani Street.
That said, please be quiet and respectful in this residential neighborhood, as too many trails in Hawaiʻi draw too much negative attention because people just don’t understand this.
Google Maps Directions: Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trailhead
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 Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail
The Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail begins on a 0.1-mile (0.2 km) service road on the Pia Valley side (north side) of Niu Valley.
At the water tank, the trail continues around the fence to the right.
Pia Valley
The first part of the trail into Pia Valley begins through a native reforestation area.
Please stay on the trail.
Kūlepeamoa Ridge Trail
At the split, go left to stay on the most direct route.
The Kūpaua Stream crossing will be the only stream crossing on the entire hike. Also, it will likely be dry, but this was taken during a very wet winter.
Kūlepeamoa Ridge-Pia Valley Junction
At the 0.6-mile (1.0 km) mark, go right at the split to hike up to Kūlepeamoa Ridge.
At this erosion scar, stay to the right and look for the trail heading up the ridge on the right.
It may look more obvious to go to the left, but you’ll find the trail heading up on the right as it initially turns back toward the direction you just came.
This stretch is the hardest/ steepest part on the entire trail, as I often compare it to Koko Head just to hike out of Pia Valley.
The Ironwood trees at the top is where the trail meets Kūlepeamoa Ridge, which signifies the end of the steep ascent.
Kūlepeamoa Ridge
Once on Kūlepeamoa Ridge, take a mental note of the area for when you hike back. It can be easy to overlook the turn heading down to the right if it’s getting dark out.
Overall, Kūlepeamoa is fairly straight forward once you’re out of Pia Valley. There’s no more essential turns to reach the summit.
At a certain point, the Uluhe almost always becomes more overgrown as you get closer to the summit. This photo is the exception, as I could tell someone just cleared this section.
However, you will still want to wear pants for the later sections, which is why Kūlepeamoa is the perfect example of a hike where convertible hiking pants are the best! This way you can wear shorts in the steep beginning sections and pants toward the summit.
The pants below are my recommendations that hold up the best with the overgrowth here in Hawaiʻi, but with any hiking pants that need to be durable, make sure that they are at or near 100% nylon. This is really the most important factor!
This is one of my favorite spots on the island!
After the beautiful outcropping in the photos above, Kūlepeamoa becomes a bit more narrow, steep, and overgrown as you get near the summit.
This is the only section with ropes on the entire ridge.
Kūlepeamoa Summit
On a clear day, you can see as far as Kualoa Ranch and Mokoliʻi to the north!
If you’re going to hike anywhere on the KST, Hawaiʻi Loa Ridge is the next trail to the north, and Puʻu ʻO Kona is the next trail to the south.
I personally avoided Kūlepeamoa when hiking the KST because it’s a bit more challenging than some of the neighboring ridges to hike across this stretch.
Read My Separate Post: Koʻolau Summit Trail (KST)
Hiking Down
When hiking back down, make sure to look out for the right turn down into Pia Valley.
Native Plants on Kūlepeamoa Ridge
From the trailhead to the summit, Kūlepeamoa Ridge is one of the better Oʻahu hikes to see native plants throughout the trail.
You can expect to see ʻIlima, Māmaki, Wiliwili, ʻAkoko, ʻĀlaʻa, Alaheʻe, Alani, ʻAmaʻu, Kōpiko, Lama, Hōʻawa, and multiple ʻIliahi species to really only name a few. There’s really so many that I could have named which is just a testament to how much better a trail does when it’s less crowded.
On a different note, if you are curious about trying the native Hawaiian Māmaki tea, I kindly ask that you don’t harvest Māmaki from our native forests but, instead, buy from one of the local reputable vendors, such as those listed below.
If you would like to learn more about identifying these and other native plants from around Hawaiʻi, check out my separate post on native Hawaiian plants 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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