Put Hiking in Hawaii on your Bucket List
And then check it off as soon as you can. Waterfalls? Check. Volcanoes? Check. Rainforests? Check. Hikes here deliver on big views and majestic moments. All you have to do is put on the right footwear and choose.
If you go for a hike like the Kaau Crater Trail in Oahu, you can have it all and a sweet view of the island. Score! Hiking in Hawaii is good for your body, mind and soul. And justifies any banana cream pie pitstops on the way back to your hotel.
On Oahu, the Lanikai Pillboxes hike is no pain and all gain. It has incredible views of the clouds over the Koolau Mountains, the Mokulua islands and the city below. Other amazing beginner hiking trails are Twin Falls North Shore (Maui), Mauna Loa Lookout (Hawaii Island) and Wailua Falls (Kauai).
Explore the silhouette of the giant who ate too much and fell asleep in the mountains at Sleeping Giant Trail in Kauai. The giant’s chest is a great place to stop for lunch, but stay awake to see the breathtaking ridges, as your guide shares local trivia. For more intermediate scenic trails, visit: Iao Valley State Park (Maui), Maunawili Falls (Oahu), and Kilauea Iki Trail (Hawaii Island).
Get up close (but not too close) to see burning lava glide down the Pūlama Pali, at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Seasoned hikers can find other trails to conquer at: Kaupo Gap Trail (Maui), Lanipo Trail (Oahu), and Kalalau Trail (Kauai).
The Giant’s Chest at the end of the Sleeping Giant Trail on Kauai is a perfect picnic spot. Pulled pork sandwiches anyone?
Know the best times to see lava on your Big Island Volcano Hike. Check out the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park information page called What’s Going On With The Volcano?
Bring a bathing suit on your hike. Some trails lead to water holes or beaches where you can take off your hiking shoes and cool off.
In less than 30 minutes you can be out of the city and into the wild. Oahu’s trails lead to panoramic views and spectacular waterfalls.
Hawaii Island’s rugged trails have one-of-a-kind rewards like a beach with olive-colored sand or oozing hot lava.
Kauai may be remote. But once you are there, you’ll want to hike everywhere. And you won’t want to miss the reddish hues and expanse of The Grand Canyon of the Pacific (Waimea Canyon).
Maui is an endless discovery of one waterfall, after another. There, you will walk through 400 foot waterfalls, rain forests and craggy paths, to discover one of the rarest plants in the world, the spiky silversword.