Hiking on O'ahu: Legal Trails, Closures & Safety
Update (2026): Since this post was first written, the Ha'iku Stairs ("Stairway to Heaven") have been permanently closed, and the City and County of Honolulu began removing them in 2024. Sacred Falls State Park has been closed since a deadly rockfall in 1999. Please don't attempt either hike. We've added tips for hiking responsibly at the end of this post.
I have never lived in an area with so many amazing hikes only a short distance away. O'ahu, at its greatest, is only forty-four miles long and thirty miles across, and there are hundreds of hikes on this island. To date (this number should change next week, regardless of when you read this) I have hiked 64 different trails that O'ahu has to offer. Hiking is popular here but at times can be a hot topic. I would classify the hiking trails on O'ahu into four different categories:
- Legal, state-maintained trails
- Legal, non-state-maintained trails
- Illegal, but no one really cares trails
- Illegal trails (for real, they're illegal)
1. Legal, State-Maintained Trails
An example of the first category would be the popular Manoa Falls trail, which is a beautiful, short hike through the jungle to a nice waterfall. Another example is the Kuliouou Ridge trail, which takes you to the top of the Ko'olau range and offers stunning views of east O'ahu. These are both nice hikes that are legal and state maintained.
2. Legal, Non-State-Maintained Trails
The second category is made up of hikes that do not require trespassing but are also not maintained trails. Koko Crater comes to mind. Koko Head, as everyone calls it, is a VERY popular hike up 1,043 railroad ties; even President Obama got in on the action during his vacation here. The summit offers great views, but hiking is at your own risk. You are not trespassing, but the trail is not state maintained.
3. Illegal, but No One Really Cares
Now for the third category: illegal hikes that no one really seems to care about. I recently watched a news story on people illegally hiking the Hanauma Bay rim trail. As is common, there are numerous signs on this hike which state "no trespassing" and/or "no hiking," but people just breeze right past them without giving them a second thought. At the end of the news segment the anchors chuckled about how they had all hiked this trail and were not even aware that it was illegal. Hawaii Five-0 never showed up on the news set to arrest these pranksters.
4. Illegal Trails (For Real, They're Illegal)
On to the fourth category: illegal trails, for real. Probably the two most popular were Stairway to Heaven and Sacred Falls. It was not uncommon to hear of citations being handed out on both trails, because even though everyone knew these hikes were illegal, they were still hiked on a daily basis. (See the update at the top of this post: both are now firmly closed.)
Every couple of months I read an article or watch a news story about illegal hiking on O'ahu, and almost always social media and blogs are blamed for the increasing popularity of illegal and/or dangerous hikes. I am an avid hiker and always thirst for new hikes and adventures, but I also understand the problems that come with more people on dangerous trails. So what is the solution? That is a good question that I do not have the answer to. Aloha \m/
Hiking Responsibly on O'ahu Today
- Check the trail status before you go. The State of Hawai'i's Na Ala Hele Trail and Access Program lists official trails and closures. A trail that was open last year may be closed for repairs or after storms.
- Respect closed areas and private land. "No trespassing" signs protect fragile land, water sources and neighbors, and rescues on closed trails put first responders at risk.
- Start early and carry more water than you think. Many ridge hikes have little shade, and afternoon clouds can roll in quickly over the Ko'olau mountains.
- Watch the weather. Rain makes red dirt trails slick, and streams in valleys like Manoa can rise fast during heavy rain.
- Clean your shoes. Brushing off mud and seeds before and after a hike helps stop the spread of invasive plants.
Want a little hiking on your tour? Several of our tours include optional short hikes; the South Shore Tour has numerous options to choose from. For more planning help, see our day tour packing list and guide to the best time to visit O'ahu.