Makapu'u Puka Trail is a 4.1-mile trail with a 1,417ft elevation gain located along the southeast coast of Oahu. This is one of my favorite hiking adventures thus far! The majority of the trail follows along the coastline providing spectacular views while hiking to the puka ("hole" in Hawaiian).
Getting There
There are several trailhead points for this hike; however, I would say parking at the Makapu'u lookout parking lot and entering across the road along the fence is the quickest route. If you travel along the fence line, you will reach the top of the ridge to continue on the trail.
We started our adventure further down along the highway at an entrance behind one of the guard rails. Both trailheads are not clearly marked; however, there are painted arrows and some ribbons to help guide the way once on the trail. If choosing the lengthier route (about 0.5 miles longer), I recommend parking along the highway closer to the guard rail and not at the Makapu'u lookout parking lot. The highway has a fair amount of traffic, with several curves, making it unsafe to cross and walk along.
Our Hiking Adventure
As mentioned previously, we started our hike at the guard rail entrance and followed the painted arrows on the trail. After ascending and descending multiple ridges, we reached the puka. A majority of this trail is along the ridge-line, which is why it is one of my favorite hikes on Oahu. The views are simply breathtaking the entire hike.
Rabbit Island, the Makupu'u Lighthouse, Makapu'u Beach, and on a clear day, the neighboring island, Molokai are all visible from the ridge-line. When looking down from the puka, you will have a clear view of Sea Life Park Hawaii and the nearby beaches.
If you happen to have a fear of heights or don't do well being near edges, this may not be the hike for you. This hike is for more experienced hikers as there are several small rock climbing passes and a steady incline to get to the top of the ridge-line.
I highly recommend wearing long pants, as there are tons of thorny plants along the trail, and good hiking shoes. You will also want to explore this trail early in the morning as there is little shade, and the trail gets hot quickly. Bring plenty of water and a picnic lunch/snack to enjoy at the puka!
The Makuapu'u Puka trail is an underrated hike, in my opinion. It provides some of the best ocean views on the island and is a great adventure!
If you are not into hiking or unable to hike but are looking for ways to check out the southeast coastline of Oahu, you may be interested in our post "Easy To Visit Lookouts On Oahu, Hawaii."
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