-by Edyta-

With so many hikes around Oahu, it is not hard to pick one that will suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a short hike, all day hike, shaded hike to a waterfall or a hike with views of the coast, you can find one on the beautiful island of Oahu. On Tuesday 2/23/15 Vlad and I decided to get some exercise and headed to hike the Hanauma Bay Ridge. As we were driving towards the southeastern part of the island, the weather was getting gloomier by the minute. After parking our car we walked along the highway looking for the trail head. Ignoring Uncle Sam’s “No Trespassing” signs we quickly found ourselves on a small paved road with no one around us. 

Soon after that we met a local couple walking their dog and asked some questions about the trail. We also confirmed our suspicion that the “No Trespassing” signs are widely ignored by locals who enjoy this scenic area. 

We walked up the paved but steep road and found ourselves overlooking Hanauma Bay State Park which we visited and snorkeled on our first trip to Hawaii five years ago. The park is closed on Tuesday so there was no soul in sight. The sky was cloudy so the water was not as blue as on a sunny day. But the views were still spectacular.  

Right behind us was our frenemy Koko Head, a super steep rail hike which we hiked two days before (see previous post). As always, it looked bad ass. 

We read online that there is a natural stone bridge somewhere on the coast but were not able to locate it despite asking a few locals. But that’s probably for the best as it was a very windy day and the bridge is often swept away by large waves and it claimed some lives in the past. 

Anyhow, here are some photos of our hike. 

ViewView This was shortly after we started the hike. Looking back there was Koko Head as well as the Hawaii Kai residential neighborhood. On our right was Hanauma Bay State Park.  Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike in Oahu Hawaii. Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike in Oahu Hawaii. Hanauma Bay State Park in its full glory - no tourists as it's closed on Tuesdays. Radio structures on the top Radio structures on the top The first part of the hike was on a paved road that ended at these weird structures.  This part of the trail was very steep. This part of the trail was very steep. After that point we walked down a pretty steep part of the mountain towards the ocean.  Suspicious looking tents on a rocky shore as seen during our Hanauma Bay Ridge hike. Looking for the natural bridge we took a small detour and walked close to the shore when we spotted these weird tents. They looked pretty suspect so we quickly walked back to the main trail.  On the rocks by the ocean Suspicious looking tents on a rocky shore as seen during our Hanauma Bay Ridge hike. After asking some local friends we came to conclusion that these tents were most likely set up by fishermen. Koko Head hike. Koko Head hike. Back on the trail and walking back towards Hanauma Bay we got to admire Koko Head and these cool silver trees.  Taking in the view of Koko Head from Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike. Taking in the view of Koko Head from Hanauma Bay Ridge Hike. Vlad taking in the view.  Feeling good while hiking Hanauma Bay Ridge. Feeling good while hiking Hanauma Bay Ridge. Hiking in Hawaii makes me really happy.  Peacefully overlooking Hanauma Bay Peacefully overlooking Hanauma Bay Standing on the edge overlooking the bay.   Couple Selfie Couple selfie Sometimes you just have to take a break and a selfie ;-)  Me as a tiny dot helps to put the size of the hike in perspective. Me as a tiny dot helps to put the size of the hike in perspective. That white dot is me walking back towards the main paved trail which is located on the top edge on the horizon. The last part of the hike was very steep.  Steep slopes of Hanauma Bay Ridge trail. Steep slopes of Hanauma Bay Ridge trail. Nature can be so beautiful.  Hanauma Bay on its rest day.  After we got back to the main trail (paved road) we spotted some more people getting their exercise or walking their dogs.  Luckily we hit no traffic on the way back. You'd probably be surprised to know that Honolulu is in the top 3 (LA & SF) for worst traffic among US cities. That's one of very few flaws of this place.