The Hawaii Forest Trail That Holds A Long Forgotten Secret Of World War II
By Megan Shute|Published March 09, 2019
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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.
The Hawaiian Islands are steeped in history, from the first Europeans visiting the islands in 1778 and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1795 to Hawaii’s admittance to the United States of America in 1959. While you will find historical landmarks across the Aloha State, there’s plenty of history hiding in the shadows, including this little-known piece of history that dates back to World War II.
Often referred to as Digging Hill, Pu’u Ma’eli’eli is a short and sweet 1.5-mile trail that leads adventurers through the forest to gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean and a slice of World War II history.
Nestled on Oahu’s windward coast in Kaneohe, on the right side of Kahekili Highway near the Temple Valley Shopping Center, the Pu’u Ma’eli’eli trail is truly remarkable and deserves a spot on everyone’s Hawaiian hiking bucket list.
You’ll be surrounded by a lush, verdant forest sure to impress, and despite a few steep hills and slippery slopes as well as potentially muddy conditions depending on recent rainfall, the hike is quite relaxing.
Now, for the history: at the summit of the trail, you will find a series of pillboxes that were once used for surveillance during World War II. Built from reinforced concrete, you will find these historic bunkers scattered across the Hawaiian Islands.
The two bunkers you’ll find along Pu’u Ma’eli’eli were a part of Camp He’eia, a military training area, supporting approximately 4,500 military personnel during World War II.
Have you ever hiked the gorgeous Pu’u Maelieli Trail? If so, share your experiences and opinions in the comments below. You can learn more about this one-of-a-kind hike on AllTrails.
Then, click here to discover the forest trail in Hawaii that leads hikers to plane wreckage from 1944.
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