Hiking the Pride Rock Trail: The Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km
The Pride Rock Trail on Oʻahu’s east side is a local favorite among those looking for a quieter adventure compared to other, more popular east Oʻahu favorites, like the Crouching Lion Trail or the Lanikai Pillboxes.
Being the case, Pride Rock makes for one of the best sunrise hikes on Oʻahu, where you’re almost always guaranteed to have the viewpoint to yourself!
However, this is all without saying that Pride Rock is not a designated or maintained trail, and I say this to say that local hikes, such as Pride Rock, do not need to direct negative attention to the hiking community. Therefore, please be quiet in the neighborhood, do not leave trash, park legally, and most of all, don’t do anything that would draw negative attention to this local adventure!
Pride Rock Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Pride Rock Trail is located near the end of Haupoa Street in Waikāne.
Again, 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: Pride Rock Trailhead
Hiking the Pride Rock Trail
The Pride Rock Trail begins at this unmarked trailhead at very end of Haupoa Street.
After a very short distance, the Pride Rock Trail splits, where you want to go right to begin the climb up to Puʻu Pueo.
If it has rained recently some of these uphill sections can be quite slippery.
On a different note, the Pride Rock Trail traverses through the lower forest for about half of the overall hike to the top.
I say this to point out that the mosquitoes can be quite annoying if you plan on taking your time on the way up, which is why I recommend wearing my favorite Hawaiʻi hiking pants below, as they can be great for not only the mosquitoes on Pride Rock but other, more overgrown trails across the island.
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!
These sections can be particularly challenging when it’s muddy!
Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule
When the Pride Rock Trail reaches the ridge’s crest, go left to begin the Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule, leading to the main Pride Rock viewpoint.
It’s always nice to see a handful of natives growing along these low-elevation Hawaiʻi trails.
As the Pride Rock Trail nears the main viewpoint, the ridge reaches the steepest scramble of the entire hike.
That being said, I think these photos make the short class 2/ 3 scramble look worse than it is.
However, the Pride Rock Trail has many spots along the Southeast Ridge where falling is simply not an option because the cliffs are just that steep and dramatic over the side. I say this to say, take your time and be careful, as there is a lot of loose rock on the ridge, which can make it easy to slip!
Pride Rock (Puʻu Pueo)
This rock that sticks out toward Kualoa Ranch and Mokoliʻi, located just offshore, is Pride Rock, and it’s the main viewpoint on the Pride Rock Trail.
That said, the Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule doesn’t stop here; rather, it continues all the way up to the summit of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule.
However, the Southeast Ridge quickly becomes far more technical and challenging than everything on the Pride Rock Trail up to this point, which is why I recommend turning back if you are not prepared for the much longer and more involved hike up the mountain.
Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule
As previously mentioned, the Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule quickly becomes one of the more advanced hikes on the island, meaning it should only be attempted by those who are prepared and aware of exactly what they are getting into.
In comparison, Pride Rock is 100% a beginner trail, meaning if you had any difficulty with the ridge up to this point, I recommend turning back here. I can promise that the Southeast Ridge is not meant for 99.9% of hikers.
That being said, if you are hiking up the Pride Rock Trail to continue further up the ridge, I would say you should have already completed the Puʻu ʻŌhulehule Trail from the main route through Kahana Valley, as this will more than likely be your exit trail off the mountain.
Read My Separate Post: Puʻu ʻŌhulehule Trail
To learn more about the Southeast Ridge, you can read about the entire hike that I completed with my friend Jackson on his website linked below.
Read My Friend’s Post: Southeast Ridge of Puʻu ʻŌhulehule
Native Plants on the Pride Rock Trail
The Pride Rock Trail passes through a relatively low-elevation forest for Hawaiʻi, which typically means that very few native plants can be found along the trail.
However, on the ridgeline, I noticed a number of native species, including ʻĀkia, ʻŌhiʻa lehua, Pūkiawe, ʻIlima, ʻAlaʻala wai nui, and ʻUhaloa, to name just 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
