Kuli'ou'ou Valley Trail

The Kuliʻouʻou Valley Trail is a short walk in a dry valley with thick forest, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps to reach the Kuliʻouʻou Forest Reserve for reforestation. It contours above the right side of the stream bed, passes the junction with the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail near the start, and ends near the head of the valley, where you turn back. The improved trail drops briefly to Kuliʻouʻou Stream and ends there; past it, a rocky, narrow route climbs to a waterfall chute with a small pool that is usually dry. Kukui trees line the gullies, and the ʻelepaio, a small native bird, is worth watching for. Start at the hunter and hiker check-in station past the Board of Water Supply cable gate, and use the boot cleaning station at the signed junction. Park on the street along Kalaʻau Place, not in the signed no-parking cul-de-sac, and drive slowly through the neighborhood. Hunters and mountain bikers 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. Flash floods are a listed hazard, and alcohol, smoking and open fires are not allowed. 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.