Pali Puka Trail

East Oahu Hiking Trails

Best Hiking Trails on Oahu

Pali Puka Trail

The Pali Puka trail is a short mile suitable for advanced hikers. Located about half an hour from Waikiki, there is parking at the Pali Lookout lot. It takes about an hour to trace the trail, heading off to the left of the parking lot, because there are some steep areas and narrow ridges you’ll have to navigate.

Following rainy weather, the trails can be quite muddy. However, it is worth the trip to see the views of the Puka, Three Peaks, Kaneohe Bay (K-Bay), Kailua, and Kaneohe.

Once you find the entry for the trail, you will reach a fork where you head right. Be prepared as you will immediately be faced with a steep incline that is covered with roots that can be a pain to climb. However, you’ll reach the ridge faster than you expect and the trail will open to the lovely Windward views.  Things get easier from here although it can be narrow and very steep in some areas; use extreme caution. There are safety ropes to hold when passing through these areas. If you feel nervous, you can opt to take the back route through the trees.

You’ll also get excellent views of Pali Notches, the Lanikai Pillbox Hike, and Three Peaks. Leeward you can see Nuuanu Valley and a view of a distant waterfall. However, it’s not until you reach the end of the ridge at a massive rock that you take in the stunning view of the puka. You won’t be disappointed as you enjoy the view of the hole in the ridge framing the coastline, creating a truly unique natural feature.

To get down to the puka you can take two impromptu trails, but it gets pretty crowded in that area because it is a very narrow ridgeline. However, your patience will pay off to get a closer look at this stunning natural wonder.