This Easy Forest Hike In Hawaii Will Lead You To The Most Rewarding View
By Megan Shute|Published October 15, 2017
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
In addition to the sparkling turquoise water and pristine beaches found along the 750 miles of Hawaiian coastline, our beautiful islands are home to some of the country’s best hiking trails. And while we’re all awe-inspired by the Kalalau Trail and other difficult Hawaiian hikes, sometimes you just want a short and sweet hike that leads to some phenomenal view. This particular hike found tucked away on a military base in the middle of Oahu is the perfect place to lace up those hiking boots and get some fresh air.
Located on Schofield Barracks, this is Kolekole Pass. We’ll share how to gain access to this gorgeous trail soon, but first, let’s talk about the basics:
The entire out-and-back hike traverses through the forest for little more than 1 mile round trip, and takes less than 45 minutes to complete — not including the time you spend marveling at the views.
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The trail begins with a steep set of makeshift stairs carved into the mountain and a few guide ropes installed and maintained by the boy scouts. The trail levels off, and soon enough, you’ll find yourself at a picturesque overlook, our first stop.
Our guidance ends here, at this picturesque bench overlooking Oahu’s leeward coast and the Pacific Ocean. There is a trail that continues to the mountain peak. I’ve heard there is a waterfall along the path, but it always seems to be too overgrown to attempt when I visit (or it’s a quick hike before a grocery shopping trip and we left our hiking bag at home).
The trail was created through a United States Army live-fire training area, so it is imperative that you stay on the path to avoid any explosives that may be in the area. We know it sounds scary, but you’ll be fine as long as you don’t wander off the well marked and maintained trail.
The trail is accessible via the end of Trimble Road on Schofield Barracks: drive until you can reach a restricted gate area and park in the makeshift lot to the left side of the road. There will be signs here telling you that you made it to the right spot.
Kolekole is open to all DOD cardholders and their guests. If you are not a DOD cardholder, you can access the trail through the Lyman gate off of Kunia Road and gain base access after providing your ID, car registration, safety check, and insurance, as well as a short vehicle inspection.
