When I finally get to the bottom in one piece with my heart beating against my chest, I know that it was a good run — and I even had fun.

Wa'ahila offers a variety of exhilarating downhill trails for mountain bikers.

Ranging in difficulty from intermediate to advanced, there is a lot to offer for the more experienced off-road riders.

From winding single tracks (dirt paths that are wide enough for only one biker) to technical rock sections and dropoffs, this place has it all. It even has decent views of Manoa and Waikiki.

To get to there, go mauka to St. Louis Drive from Wai'alae Avenue. Continue up St. Louis Heights, turn right to Peter Street and left to Ruth Place.

This will bring you to Wa'ahila State Park, where the trailhead is located.

The park itself is a nice area. The forest adds an interesting feel.

There's plenty of shaded areas and the trade winds can often be heard whipping through the trees.

Parking is not a problem. Even though the parking lot isn't huge, I've never seen it full, including the weekends. The restrooms, however, aren't the cleanest. To get to the restrooms, go mauka to the end of the parking lot and take a right.

There's also a picnic area with covered tables to the left of the parking.

The beginning of the trail is located near the picnic area. It is initially paved, but then turns into a dirt path. The first half-mile has a lot of roots, little dropoffs, ruts and even some massive jumps to launch from (though this is not recommended unless the rider is very skilled).

The trail is relatively straight until the fork at the telephone pole. Here it starts turning into a really fun single track. The options for where to go are either straight or to the right. It is important to realize that the farther to the right in the network of trails you go, the more advanced it gets.

One time, I stuck to the single track on the first left after going right at the telephone pole. I just kept going left at the forks until I got to the flat area by the water tower. I then took the very rocky path to the left of the paved utility road until it connected with the last part of the trail. From there I continued down until I reached Dole Street.

The total length of the trail is approximately 1.5 miles, depending on which one you take.

Riding down the trails is typically a one-way deal, meaning that the trail doesn't loop back. It is also very difficult to ride back up, although I have seen it done. Instead, it's much easier for one rider to be designated to ride the bus back up to get the car.