Waʻahila Ridge State Recreation Area

Easy wallking paths among huge pine trees. Simply magnificent place to visit and relax. Has mountain biking and hiking trails.

It is a beautiful hiking area but I would say depends how far you want to go up. The base area has a parking lot and picnic tables, very family friendly. But once you start the hike I’d say it is more for advanced hikers. Mainly because it cab be muddy and there are even parts where you use a rope to climb a slippery area. Definitely recommend just depends on what kind hike you are searching for

Very fun and challenging hike. Something it gets a lil difficult but you still can manage it. Once you reach the summit the views are amazing and it really worth this hike. We didn’t come back the same way so we decided to take the Kolowalo trail, this one was a lil more difficult because it got muddy and slippery, but it worth it too cus it was gorgeous to see all vegetation more like a jungle.

Convenient, easy ride from Honolulu. 80' Norfolk Island pines right out of the parking lot. Advanced hikers can hike to the Koolaus. Or just walk around the picnic area.

A hidden gem for a picnic and hike into the woods. A beautiful and tranquil place to visit.

Very beautiful location. Nice hike. Peaceful. Makes you feel like you are somewhere else. More like Norcal with all the tall trees.

Very good food especially the fish. Excellent service Nice location overlooking the main street and a peek-a-boo view of Diamond Head.

We started our hike at the Wa'ahila Ridge area and had a great seven hours in the rainforest. Spectacular views, impressive trails. Challenging routes, some of the trails were hardly marked or maintained, which added to the experience. Plan your hike in advance, bring an offline map on your phone, and have enough water and food with you - ideally headlamps, too. We didn't make it out of the trails before dark and were happy to have lights with us.

This state park has a beautiful scenic view and a great place to have a picnic or to camp. It's also has a trail that has a bit of everything from hiking through Pine trees to strawberry guava trees, climbing over rocks, dry paths, muddy paths, etc. Depending on your pace the hike could take up to 5-6 hours round trip. The terrains were a bit challenging and really muddy in certain areas as to be expected with the altitude. The hike to the top is definitely a journey where you'll see all kinds of trees, plants/flowers (some of which are almost completely covered in moss or fungus), and of course scenic views. When you get closer to the top, the path tends to be more windy with passing showers, so be mindful of that and plan ahead. With various terrains and scenery going once is not enough because it's breath taking. Also if you are hiking at the time of year where you see red fruit on the trees, those are waiawi or strawberry guava, in other words edible. I do recommend bring plenty of water as it is a bit of a workout. It tends to be muddy second half of the trail and even muddier if it rained the day of or day before. It could also gets pretty windy towards the second half depending on the day. A good pair of hiking boots/shoes is highly recommended, along with gloves, and spikes.

Absolute wonder if a place to stop in from time to time.

Not a huge selection of trails, but beautiful views on the ridge trail.

Besides, a Pine forest on Oahu? Of course you are now interested.

TheBus can be caught nearly anywhere on the island and takes you within feet of the recreation entrance. Some might not be up for the walk in, however, I doubt you are walking the trail if that's the case.

I'm physically challenged due to bodily damage, but the walk in is cool, shady, and not too steep.

I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy this as much as I do.

Beautiful and challenging hike. We went on a warm dry day, unfortunately we only made it halfway due to others in the group unable to go further and it was getting late in the day. Definitely plan on the full hike next time I visit the island.

Great hike with amazing views! Enough challenges through inclines and slippery sections to make it interesting but not too crazy.
I wrote a detailed hiking guide on my website if you want more information on what to expect (website link on my photos)

Wa'ahila Ridge hike is at the top of St Louis Heights

Nearby neighborhoods - Kaimuki and Mānoa make for great places to get a bite afterwards

To get to the hike is almost as hard as the hike itself you have to drive up St
Louis Heights which makes for quite a few switchbacks up the mountain. There is also hawaii bus service that goes up most of the way.

Once you get to the park, it's about a 10 minute walk into the trailhead.

There are many interest points along the way, beautiful pine tree forest, view of the entire green Mānoa Valley, electric wires into Palolo valley and nature's rock formations

A really nice hike that is hidden in the back of a neighborhood at the top of a small mountain. Really nice incline for a well-worn trail. But can be hard on some vehicles getting to the park.

One of my favorite places to hike. Pretty dry today but no tropical breezes. Attempted to continue all the way to Mt Olympus but it rained and too muddy to go all the way to the top. Just pure beauty from the beginning to end. Leave only footprints take only memories

Trails weave through beautiful wooded terrain. Picnic tables are available for public use. Fabulous views from the picnic area.

Great ridge to hike up to Mt Olympus. Challenging and steep, but panoramic views all along the way

OSIYO!
A great HIKE. It's more for medium to advance. Especially when going all the way to Olympus. The cool breeze brings a russling of the trees, the sound of birds everywhere. I was up there on a dry day, but boots helped. Sneakers would be okay as long as there were no showers at the higher elevations. Great workout and gorgeous views. It was nice to meditate and take it all in.
Note: There are some parts where it gets steep up and down the trail. So, if someone has mobility issues or concerns, please take a different approach or hike. With that said, stay safe and enjoy.
WADO!

Amazing hike! We came with 3 people and 100oz of water.made it one peak short of my olympus, but had a wonderful & challenging time.wish we had brought more snacks