Bring the Kids: Pu'u Ohia ridge
When most people think of views from Oahu, they usually gravitate towards Diamond head or the Makapu'u lighthouse - the most famous, touristy areas. When we think of views, we think of Mt. Tantalus.
The photo above was taken from a pull off on the way up the mountain to the actual Mt. Tantalus lookout! Impressive views of Diamond head and Honolulu, am I right?
But that wasn't even what we came here for. We came here for the Pu'u Ohia ridge trail.
Pu'u Ohia is located on Mt. Tantalus in Oahu, half way to the lookout point. There are many trails on this mountain, but Pu'u Ohia proved to be very doable with kids. Even the ones who enjoy not listening. Spoiler alert - ours took a tumble.
The parking lot is a little pull off on the side of the road, covered in shattered glass. Don't leave things in your car, or you will contribute to the glass in the parking lot. There aren't many spaces, but you shouldn't have too much trouble, as the tourists don't really know or come to this trail. Mostly just locals. I recommend going in the early morning to avoid people, and avoid the heat!
The trail is directly across from the parking lot. It's dirt, so don't mistake the driveway nearby for the trail. Like most of the hiking trails on Oahu, it can get quite muddy - so be prepared and wear boots or sneakers!
It snakes up the mountain on a muddy, rooty path. It's pretty narrow, so we were holding onto our 3 year old's hand pretty tightly the whole time, as she enjoys dancing in the most inconvenient places. The (sort of) "steps" were pretty steep in places, and, while my husband found it easy to step up them naturally, I had to pull myself up with the help of the trees. The sweet, rotting smell of Guava's surrounds you, and the wild fruit litters the trail. Along with Guava, are wild flowers, wild Hawaiian ginger and bamboo.
The bamboo forest is my favorite part. It's absolutely beautiful. Thick, tall bamboo completely surrounding you and the trail. At the top of the trail, you come up the final steps and find yourself on a paved path going in 3 directions. The two paths to the right take you to radio towers. Not much of a view, since the bamboo has grown thickly around it. But if you go left, you come to radio tower that you can go AROUND, and find a beautiful lookout on the other side.
All together, we probably only walked about two miles. It was well worth it! The beautiful drive up, and then the peacefulness and beauty of the trail were worth seeing even without the breathtaking views from the top.
TIPS:
- Bug spray. All the bug spray.
- Bandaids - for when your child falls on the one concrete spot on the trail.
- Hiking boots/sneakers - this is no place for flip-flops.
- Water! It gets very hot and you sweat a lot going up - even in the early morning. Hydrate!
