Kuliouou Ridge Trail

The Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail branches off the Kuliʻouʻou Valley Trail near its start and climbs to the summit of the Koʻolau Range, where the view takes in Waimānalo and the windward side; you come back the same way. The trail passes Christmas berry, haole koa, ironwood, Norfolk pine and guava, and its switchbacks cross a section the Civilian Conservation Corps reforested on the way to a shelter with picnic tables near Cook pines the Corps planted. Above the shelter the trail gets steeper and is maintained occasionally, so it may be hard for less experienced hikers; plastic steps climb into uluhe, ʻōhiʻa, koa and lama forest with a view almost all the way around the island. Start at the hunter and hiker check-in station past the Board of Water Supply cable gate, and brush weed seeds off your boots at the cleaning station at the ridge junction. Park on the street along Kalaʻau Place, not in the signed no-parking cul-de-sac, and drive slowly through the neighborhood. Mountain bikers and hunters use the trail too, and hunting dogs may be off leash, so wear bright colors and stay on the trail; keep your own dog leashed. Cliffs, sudden drop-offs, falling rocks and sun exposure are listed hazards, and alcohol, smoking and open fires are not allowed. Listen for the Japanese bush warbler on the open ridge. DLNR reopened all of Oʻahu's forestry and wildlife lands in late September, and it asks hikers to take care, since hazards it has not yet found or fixed may remain.