10 Best Hiking & Trails in Honolulu (Costs & Tips, 2026)

A volcanic tuff crater formed roughly 300,000 years ago, with a switchback trail up its inner slope leading to WWII-era bunkers and, at the summit, a 360-degree view over Waikiki and the south shore that's genuinely once-in-a-lifetime rather than a replaceable local hike. Five dollars pedestrian entry (parking extra), and an online reservation is now required — this trail got popular enough to need one.

Roughly 1,048 old railway ties, laid decades ago for a military tramway, climb almost straight up the crater's spine — locals genuinely use this as a fitness routine, not just a scenic hike, and it shows in how many people are running it at sunrise. Free, brutally steep for its short length, and the summit view over Hanauma Bay and the southeast coastline is worth every step.

Two WWII-era concrete pillbox bunkers sit along this short ridge trail, repurposed today purely as viewing platforms over Lanikai Beach and the twin Mokulua Islands offshore — one of the most photographed sunrise views on the island, and popular enough at dawn that the small trailhead parking fills fast. Free, no permit, though it crosses private land at points and hikers should stay strictly on the worn path out of respect for nearby homeowners.

A shaded rainforest walk beneath a bamboo canopy so dense it was used as a filming backdrop for Jurassic Park and Lost, ending at a roughly 150-foot waterfall — swimming beneath it is officially discouraged due to a leptospirosis risk in the pool water, worth knowing before planning to get in. Five dollars for the small trailhead parking lot, muddy year-round, closed-toe shoes genuinely matter here.

Stroller-friendly in parts, and one of the most accessible ocean-view hikes on the island precisely because it follows a fully paved former service road rather than a dirt trail — a genuinely strong option for anyone who wants the view without technical footing. Free, and December through April, this is one of the best land-based spots on Oʻahu to spot humpback whales breaching offshore.

Far quieter than anything on the southeast coast, and genuinely a local trail rather than a tour-bus stop — a forested ridge loop through eucalyptus and native koa trees with occasional views down into Aiea Valley and Pearl Harbor in the distance. Free, and the loop passes remnants of a WWII-era plane crash site still visible just off the trail.

Climbs from a quiet residential trailhead through a Cook pine forest to a narrow summit ridge with views stretching across East Oʻahu from Koko Head to Diamond Head in one sweep — a genuinely strong payoff for a trail most visitors never hear about. Free, though the final stretch narrows to a true ridgeline walk that isn't for anyone uneasy with exposure.

A flat coastal walk out to Oʻahu's westernmost tip, ending inside a fenced natural area reserve protecting one of the few Laysan albatross nesting colonies on the main Hawaiian Islands — seeing the birds is genuinely seasonal (roughly November through July), so timing matters more here than on any other trail on this list. Free, exposed with no shade the entire way, and monk seals haul out on the point's rocks often enough that it's a real possibility, not a rare bonus.

Popular enough on weekends that the small residential trailhead parking is often full by mid-morning, this muddy, root-crossed rainforest trail through the Maunawili watershed ends at a genuine swimming hole beneath the falls. Free, and unlike Manoa Falls, swimming here is commonly practiced, though the same general leptospirosis caution applies to any open freshwater pool on the island.

One of the shortest, easiest loops on this list, through a Nuʻuanu Valley bamboo grove planted in the 1930s as a Civilian Conservation Corps project, with a rope swing over a shallow stream that's become the trail's unofficial main attraction for anyone visiting with kids. Free, and its short length makes it a realistic add-on to a day that already includes one of the longer hikes above.