Unbeaten paths difficult to come by on O'ahu

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

So you've left-turned yourself lopsided on 'Aiea Loop, eyed more than your share of ironwood needles on the way up Kuli'ou'ou Ridge and dunked your feet wrinkly at Manoa Falls.

You say you're yearning for a less beaten beaten path, an unpaved road less traveled.

You're not alone.

"Most of the really good easier hikes in Honolulu are used a lot," said Curt Cottrell, program manager for Na Ala Hele, the state's trails and access program. "The most popular trails get a tremendous amount of traffic."

Indeed. Manoa Falls averages 200 hikers a day. Kuli'ou'ou has recorded as many as 10,000 in a year — and those were just the ones who bothered to sign in.

So where can you go to enjoy the wonders of Hawai'i's natural environment sans your fellow homo sapiens? Where can you enjoy the sounds of nature unaccompanied by the crunch of approaching boots or the ear-tickle of not-so-distant conversation?

If you promise not to blab, we'll let you in on three of O'ahu's best sleeper hikes: Hau'ula Loop for beginners, Kealia for intermediate hikers, and Manana for hardy veterans.

We start today with Hau'ula Loop, with visits to Kealia and Manana in the coming weeks.

Consider this a starting point. Thanks to Na Ala Hele and some dedicated hiking clubs, Hawai'i is still home to a wide array of accessible, enjoyable hiking trails. Because we wanted to stick to trails that were both open to the public and regularly maintained, we did not include worthy but iffy trails such as Puu Manamana, which is technically public but not regularly maintained by the state.

If you have a favorite trail less traveled you'd like to share, call us at 535-2461 or email mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.