Oʻahu hikes from easiest to hardest

Easiest: Mānoa Falls (1.6 miles round trip through rainforest). Easy to moderate: Lanikai Pillbox (1 mile, steep start), Diamond Head (reservation needed for visitors) and Makapuʻu Lighthouse (2 miles, 500 feet). Longer but flat: Kaʻena Point. Hardest: Koko Crater Stairs (1,048 steps, about 1,200 feet straight up). Haʻikū Stairs is illegal and being removed.

• Easy: Mānoa Falls Trail, 1.6 miles round trip, about an hour, rainforest to a 150-foot waterfall. Muddy and slippery.
• Moderate, short: Lanikai Pillbox (Kaʻiwa Ridge), 1 mile round trip, steep and gravelly at the start, no shade, ocean views of the Mokulua islands.
• Moderate: Diamond Head State Monument, Honolulu's classic crater hike. Non-residents must reserve ahead.
• Moderate: Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail, 2 miles round trip, 500 feet of gain, hot and exposed, whale watching November to May.
• Moderate, long and flat: Kaʻena Point, 2.5 miles each way along the coast; check road access closures first.
• Strenuous: Koko Crater Stairs, 1,048 old railway ties, about 1,200 feet of gain in under a mile, no shade.
• Off-limits: Haʻikū Stairs (Stairway to Heaven) has been illegal to climb since 1987 and the city began removing it in 2024. Trespassers are cited and arrested.
• For every trail: start early, carry plenty of water, wear sun protection, stay on the trail, and pack out your trash.

Sources: DLNR: Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail · DLNR: Kaʻena Point Trail · Honolulu Magazine: Mānoa Falls Trail · Honolulu Magazine: Lanikai Pillbox Trail · Hawaii.com: Koko Crater Stairs (June 2026)

Last checked Oct. 30, 2026. Hours, fees and rules can change, so confirm with the official source before you go.