Hiking Palehua in the Waianae foothills was a welcome change from the Koolau Range. Located at the end of Umena Street at the top of Makakilo, you will need the combination to the gate that is changed every month by Camp Timberline. Then you will need a key to access the second gate on Palehua Road, that is home to scores of homes leased from the Campbell Estate. The good part is that your car does most of the traveling up the road to the trailhead, which is to the right of the communication towers. This trail used to be managed by the Nature Conservancy, but has since been turned over to the State’s DLNR trails department. But they don’t have the time and money to manage the trail right now. You can still access the trail by getting in touch with the Palehua Ranch caretaker, who will have you sign a liability waiver form and collect a $100 key deposit. I guess because of those “obstacles”, we were the only hikers on the trail for that morning, it was pretty much a “private” hike.
Steps to Mauna Kapu
Climbing the steps to Mauna Kapu which means “Sacred Mountain” in Hawaiian. There is a bamboo grove and a narrow trail with dropoffs to your left.
Nanakuli Valley
Saw this cacti growing out of this huge boulder on top of Maunu Kapu, with Nanakuli High School in the background.
Boulder Cave
We had to scramble through this boulder “cave”, sorta made you feel like Indiana Jones, or was it just me?
Cook Island Pine Trees
Walking a narrow trail to the cluster of Norfolk Pine Trees where there is a fenced area to keep the feral pigs out. Didn’t see any pigs today.
Mount Ka'ala
View from the top of Palikea at 3,098 feet, with Mount Ka’ala in the distance. How do you know you made it? There is a small group of Ti plants that marks the spot.
Waianae Coast
Looking into Lualaulei Valley, with Makaha in the distance.
Waianae Range
Looking back from where we started, it’s the two communication towers poking out from the ridgeline.
Pearl Harbor
Walking down the trail, we caught this view of Pearl Harbor or Pu’uloa in Hawaiian, which means long hill, home to the shark goddess, Ka’ahupahau. Diamond Head and the Ko’olau Range can also be seen in the distance.
Riverbed
Lost in the jungle. We thought we were on the right trail that would take us back in a loop. We followed blue, orange, yellow and white ribbons tied to the trees and fence. What do these colors mean? Stop, left, right, lost? We ended up sliding on our okoles, scrambling up hills and getting choke micro-cuts from those low thorny bushes as we slogged our way through the trail. We finally found our way back to the trailhead, but we didn’t see the abandoned cabin that is supposed to be on the trail. Driving back down, we saw two hikers headed up the road. We were told by the caretaker, that people are not allowed to walk on Palehua Road for safety reasons, perhaps they were local residents out for a stroll?
Palehua Trail
Palehua Road
Kapolei, HI 96707
Duration: 5-9 miles, 5-7 hours
Open: Conditional, need to sign liability waiver
Cost: $100 key deposit
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful pics. Looking at them, I am reminded of hikes I did from Nanakuli via the Heleakala Ridge Trail to Palikea/Palehua.
Aloha Oahu Hiker! Glad you enjoyed the pics. Just wish we hadn’t got lost and could have done the entire loop. Maybe next time!
I was trying to get in touch with Palehua ranch caretaker, but I have no idea how to contact this person. Could you let me know?
Derick
Aloha Derick,
The caretaker’s name is Thomas Anuhealii and his email address is tanuhealii.makaiwaml@yahoo.com. Hope this helps you and have fun!
Mahalo!
Hello.. I just emailed the caretaker through the link you posted tanuhealii.makaiwaml@yahoo.com but received a delivery notice failure.. Did they change caretakers? Would love to hike this trail. How do I get a permit? Thanks for any contact info you can pass along!
Aloha Jak,
Sorry, I don’t know if they changed caretakers or not, that email address was active the last time I used it. Sorry, I don’t keep in touch with him, perhaps you can look it up in the phone book.
Mahalo
Thank you for this. I grew up at Timberline Camp (they later switched the names around, yeah?) in the sixties and seventies, before there was a Makakilo, before Kapolei, when the mountain was cattle land, forest reserve, Timberline, and three military installations (one became a solar observatory). We were the ones walking those trails, maintaining them as needed. It was good to see them again.
Mahalo nui loa–Ronnie
Aloha Ronnie,
Glad you enjoyed the post. It must have been something to walk those trails long before the second city sprang up.
Mahalo
Oh, yeah. There were very few houses along Farrington Hwy. once you got past Waipahu and the old (Sunset) drive in–the first houses (less than five, I think) were right across from the turn to Barber’s Point. Our road to get up the mountain was on Farrington about half-way between Waipahu and that road. No freeway there then–it was being built by the end time. The lowlands were in cane, cattle above that (Tong ranch), and forest reserve (James Campbell Estate) above that. Lots of wildlife.The little hill towards the mountain had abandoned bunkers built into it (and even way more bamboo that was in your picture). By the way, those cement steps you went up? That’s part of a bunker system, too. Along Farrington, before Maile and Nanakuli, on that little hill, there was a heiau that few ever knew about. The last time I was in that area, there were bulldozers around there. I don’t know if the heiau survived. i Used to be able to walk hours without seeing a house or another person–except, of course, way makai:)
I kept my horse at Tongg Ranch in the 70’s. We would ride from Honouliuli throught the cane fields to Palehua. Tongg ranch also had the lease to a large portion of the Makakilo land below the forest for cattle grazing. In addition to the stunning ridge trail, there is another road which parallels the north side of the Wainae mountain range but in the forest which we would also ride along and camp with our 4-H horse group. This road was also accessible from a connection road near the top of Palehua. Our parents would sometimes drop us off with out bicycles at the top for a wild downhill ride through the forest roads eventually connecting back up with the main Palehua road and ride back down to Honouliuli after a night of camping. The Palehua trail is one of the best on Oahu.
Aloha Trish,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your memories!
Mahalo
Public hikes on the Palehua trail have been facilitated by the Oahu Chapter Sierra club. Last hike occurred in May 2011. Quarterly hikes are arranged and scheduled based on interest. Aloha
Aloha Thomas,
Thanks for the info on the Sierra club.
Mahalo
Since there are so many comments from people who knew the area back in the 70s I hope you don’t mind if I ask a question. I moved to Makakilo in 1976 and lived across the street from Mauka Lani Elementary. Right next to the school was an area we called Colored Rocks that was full of mounds made of red and yellow dirt structures of this hard crumbly material.
I’ve been trying to find out if it was natural or a byproduct of the nearby construction for years, but have no luck. Does anyone remember taking a hike near that area and seeing anything that looked like what I remember?