The 14 Most Scenic Hiking Trails in All of Hawaii

If you like to hike, then Hawaii ought to be featured on your bucket list. These incredible islands feature stunning hikes from ancient craters to mighty peaks with epic waterfalls. Here are the 14 most scenic hiking trails in all of Hawaii.

The Kalalau Trail

Kauai Island’s Kalalau Trail is 22 miles long.
©Raphael Rivest/Shutterstock.com

Kauai Island’s Kalalau Trail offers epic views across the coast of Na Pali. It’s the only way visitors can access Kalalau Beach without taking a boat. This 22-mile-long trail stretches along the Na Pali coastline. It’s a tropical paradise of white sand views and turquoise blue waters.

With stunning views across the coast and well-marked pathways, it’s one of the most scenic hiking trails in all of Hawaii. However, officials say that visitors must take care in the rainy season because the trails flood and rock falls create hazards.

Kaena Point Trail

rainbow over the popular surfing place Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii — Oahu Island’s western tip is a sacred space for native folks.
©zhuzhu/iStock via Getty Images

Oahu island’s western tip is the otherworld jump-off point for Hawaiian souls in folklore, but jumping is not advised to hikers.

Instead, access this three-mile easy-going hike from Kaena Point’s car park and amble along its scenic pathways towards the lighthouse. Pass bright endemic birds and scan the ground for lizards. At Kaena Point, you can relax on the golden beach amid monk seals. The beach boasts facilities, including a restaurant, so there’s no need to carry a backpack of food.

Waihe’e Ridge Trail

Maui’s Waihe’e Ridge trail is an epic 2.5-mile uphill climb to 2,563 feet tall Lanilili Peak. It’s hard work but not technical, and by lunchtime, lingering clouds disappear to reveal an epic view of Waihe’e Gorge’s breathtaking views.

Wear good hiking boots because the downhill trail is sometimes slippery and tree-root strewn. Please keep your eyes peeled for Hawaii’s endemic birds as they flit around the lower elevation’s tree-lined paths.

Diamond Head Trail

Aerial view of Diamondhead, Kapahulu, Kahala, Pacific ocean on Oahu, Hawaii. April 2016. — Diamond Head measures 450 acres, it’s created from solid volcanic rock.
©Eric Broder Van Dyke/Shutterstock.com

Oahu’s landmark, Diamond Head, is a volcanic rock formation measuring 450 acres. The trail is two almost vertical uphill miles with a 225-foot tunnel section where you can catch your breath.

Wear sturdy boots, and don’t attempt this hike in the rain because it gets slippery very quickly. In the dry months, it’s a challenge, but it offers the best coastal views and photo opportunities.

Koko Crater Trail

Pacific Golden Plovers live on and around the Koko Crater Trail.

©Rajh.Photography/Shutterstock.com

Oahu’s Koko Crater Trail is another uphill hike with epic views across Diamond Head on the ascent and panoramic views of Oahu from the peak.

The trek up isn’t a peaceful amble. Instead, it’s 1,000 steep steps up a disused World War 2 railroad! Fit folks take around 45 minutes to reach the 990 feet peak. Elusive Pacific Golden Plovers are often spotted on this hike.

Manoa Falls Trail

Manoa Falls in Oahu, Hawaii — 150-feet tall Manoa Falls creates rainbows and color prisms.
©Diegomezr/Shutterstock.com

A gentler scenic hiking trail in Hawaii is Oahu’s Manoa Falls Trail. It’s a gentle 2.5-mile hike close to Honolulu and awash with lush tropical greenery.

150-foot tall Manoa Waterfall is a popular spot for photos due to its fairytale color prisms and rainbows. This easy-going hike takes in lush greenery, birds, lizards, and secretive wildlife endemic to this island, but it gets muddy after rainfall.

Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail

How do whales mate - humpback mom with offspring — Humpback whales frequent Makapuu Beach.
©iStock.com/CoreyFord

Two-mile-long Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail in Oahu is a gentle trail with glorious Molokai and Crater Rock views. Numerous stopping points offer up the best Hawaiian views.

The lighthouse is over 100 years old, and although it’s off-limits now, visitors can admire it from the trailway. It perches 600 feet above Makapuu Beach, where lucky folks spot migrating humpback whales.

Pearl Harbor Historic Trail

History fans will appreciate the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail on the Big Island. This trail is six miles long and takes in views of the historical attack sites.

At the hike’s end, visitors can tour the Pacific Aviation Museum and the Pacific National Monument to pay their respects.

Mauna Kea Trail

The highest mountain in Hawaii is 13,796-foot Mauna Kea. This hike is one of the most scenic in Hawaii once you’re through the cloud line.

Experience lush vegetation, chirping endemic birds, and humid forests before it opens up to the hot sun and a rocky landscape. Wear sturdy hiking boots on this experienced level hike because it gets steep, rocky, and slippery. Locals say it’s one of the island’s most difficult hikes due to terrain changes.

Hi’ilawe Falls Trail

Hi’ilawe Falls Hawaii — Remote Hi’ilawe Falls is 1,500 feet tall and rarely visited.
©iStock.com/TonyCataldo

Big Island’s remote Waipio Valley is home to the Hi’ilawe Falls trail. This hike is one for solitude lovers. Hikers rarely meet another soul on the path, but wildlife is easy to spot.

Hi’ilawe waterfall was created from a Mauna Kea lava flow. It’s 1,500 feet tall and picture-perfect, but don’t hike past the falls because that’s private property.

Kalaupapa Peninsula Trail

Molokai isn’t as popular as other Hawaiian Islands, but its trails are one of a kind. The Kalaupapa Peninsula Trail requires a permit because it crosses a national historic park. Not long ago, this area was a leprosy quarantine zone. Restrictions were only lifted in 1969.

The trail is breathtaking, with lush tropical forests and stunning views of the Pali coastline. Some folks choose a guided tour or book a mule ride.

Kilauea Iki Trail

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park hosts the Kilauea Iki trail, a 6.5-mile memorable hike through tropical rainforests to a barren crater and back again. It’s a hike of contrasts that illustrates Hawaii’s diverse landscapes.

With mountains on all sides, hikers walk over a filled lava lake created by 1959’s Kilauea Iki eruption. It’s popular with the crowds but worth the effort.

Sliding Sands Trail

Maui’s 22-mile Sliding Sands Trail is considered one of the most scenic hikes in Hawaii for intrepid hikers who want to spend a night under the stars.

This adventurous trail doesn’t traverse much lush rainforest. Instead, it’s a landscape of huge lava beds that stretch into the distance. Cinder cones sprinkle crater beds en route to Haleakala National Park volcano. Paliku offers cabins and campground space.

Haiku Stairs Trail

Stairway to Heaven, Haiku Stairs, Hawaii, Oahu, USA — Haiku Stairs Trail closed to hikers in 1987, but unwise hikers still attempt it.
©travellife18/Shutterstock.com

One of the most scenic hikes in Hawaii is now out of bounds.

The famous Haiku Stairs in Oahu, better known as the Stairway To Heaven, closed to hikers in 1987 due to footpath damage. It’s unstable, not safe to walk over, and trespassers receive a $1,000 fine. Hawaii’s government is in the process of selecting a contractor to remove the stairs and deter tourists.

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About the Author

Rebecca Mathews

Rebecca is a writer at A-Z Animals where her primary focus is on plants and geography. Rebecca has been writing and researching the environment for over 10 years and holds a Master’s Degree from Reading University in Archaeology, which she earned in 2005. A resident of England’s south coast, Rebecca enjoys rehabilitating injured wildlife and visiting Greek islands to support the stray cat population.

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