Hauʻula Loop Trail

While hiking at a slow/moderate pace this loop took us 2hrs to complete (10am-noon). This is with multiple stops for photos. It had been raining all day since 4am and it continued to drizzle until noon. The trail was muddy and very slippery in some areas. Some areas had pine needles on the trail which made it very easy to walk. Other areas were mosquito infested, so bring repellant. We took the loop clockwise. If you are not in great shape, you may be winded from the uphill climb for the first half of the loop. There is a huge variety of trees and plants as you venture on different parts of the loop. Lush rain forests, and others parts look like Washington state forests on the downhill portion of the trail. Highly recommend. Take your time, take photos and enjoy the 2hr hike.

Awesome moderate hike up to the ridge with beautiful views from the top. The path starts with mud and roots and can be a bit slippery in parts, but soon turns into a nice pine needle covered gently meandering path. I had poles in my backpack but didn't need them. Wear shoes with good grips and you should be fine. I recommend taking the trail clockwise as that minimises the chance of you slipping and falling! Bring bug spray as there were a lot over pools of standing water. Also - park down by the beach to walk up to the trailhead - it's in a residential area so there's no public parking closer.

Moderately challenging hike and had more vistas than I was expecting. The trail back down through the evergreen forest was very nice and a little cooler than. I can see where it could be challenging when wet as there are places that are rocky where you need to climb or descend. There is quite a bit of " pine straw" I'll call it on portions of the trail which is a very comfortable walk. Enjoy!!

The Hike starts in kind of a dark not to beautiful area but then it opens up to pine trees and beautiful scenery.

This trail was great, it took us about 2 hours to complete leisurely. Trail was very muddy in some parts due to rain overnight and some rain during the hike, so prepare for shoes to be muddy. There are also some slippery rock sections as well. Note - there's no parking at the entrance, you have to park near the highway and then walk in towards the residential area about 3 blocks.

WOULD RECOMMEND!! Very beautiful views, it was so fun to go along the ridge! I loved being in the forest as well. One of my highlights of my trip was this hike for real.

Easy hike that is fully shaded. Nice walking through and seeing the variety of vegetation with a few decent view points but there are many more hikes with better views on the island. Worth doing if you're in the area and looking for something to do but would not make it a destination hike.

Great shorter hike. Recommend parking at the beach. I had no issues on a Saturday morning across from the 7-11. There was some mud, but not bad. Some incline, but wasn't too steep. Not the most scenic if you are hoping for ocean views, but beautiful nature trail.

Great trail for the family. However; trail is full of roots and does have some rock climbs. But we really did enjoy it. Mostly shaded, not a lot of views but good hike. Loved the different trees and flowers. Bring the bug spray!!! And be patient with parking, locals do. Or want you parking in front of their house so you do have to park kinda far.

First time on this hike on the Windward side. Parked across from the beach park, since other reviewer on Alltrails said there wasn't much parking near trailhead. The walk was pretty easy to the beginning of the hike through residential area. The beginning of trail leads to 2 different trails, we chose this one. The first third of the trail is an up hill climb and once you are at the ridge level there is some up, down and level. The elevation gain according to Alltrails is 853 ft. We clocked more miles than what was listed on site which included the walk to trailhead. The trail itself is in rainforest and varying foliage and terrain. Trail was damp in some spots and there are a few areas that you will cross a stream, where if there is hard rain that would cause fast flowing water it may not be safe to cross. We had a little rain on hike which did not cause a problem. There a few areas where the trail is narrow which is common here on the island. Once you make the ridge there are there are steps mostly going down the trail. We did it cclock wise which other hikers suggested. Although I think we would have been comfortable either way. There are views of the ocean and canyon once you make it to ridge. We all enjoyed views and the foliage on this hike. Note: we used poles and crampons on for the muddy areas. Must keep eyes on the rooted areas if you don't want to trip. There are mosquitos and it can be humid in some areas of the hike. It is mainly shaded and there are nice breezes on the ridge area of the hike. Alltrades gives it a Moderate rating which is accurate. We are all over 65 and are active and know what to expect from island trails.

Love this trail. Once you hit a certain part(pine trees) I feel like I'm in a another world(in a good way). The trail is mostly covered which is awesome because it'll keep you cool for the most part. Sometimes I've experienced mosquito's especially near stream area but it is a beautiful hike.

Quick little hike that's easy to get to and has a few good views along the way. Nice walk through the forest. Only reason for the modest review is that there are much better hikes on Oahu, but still I'm glad I went.

Lovely hike. Just the right length to fit in between other activities. Not too challenging but still good exercise with the elevation gain. We really enjoyed the diverse array of plants and trees. It was pretty muddy in one area so I recommend considering that when you pick your shoes.

Really nice short trail. Not too technical. It had some great valley views bit no clear view of the beach and ocean. It took us about 1 3/4 hours and we parked at the beach park. Would suggest that as there is no parking at the trail entrance. Its a good workout and an potentially cool waterfall but sadly it wasn't flowing during our visit. Enjoy this ine.

This is a quick and easy trail! I know a lot of people that run this, but even us normal hikers don't take too long. Personally I like to hike for the view so this one is hard for me since it's a loop. It's also mostly green and I want to overlook the ocean, but that's only because I'm picky. This is a nice trail, super green, and super pretty! I do think there are better hikes out there though

I was searching the webs for an easy and fun hike to explore and came upon this hike at http://www.explorationhawaii.com/2011/10/06/hauula-loop-trail-a-short-jungle-like-hike-perfect-for-beginners/ . I always use explorationhawaii.com for research on hikes. They always tell you where to park, what to expect, update their website for "Closed" hikes, and post A LOT of pictures. While they are seasoned hikers, the levels that they rate the hikes are pretty spot on. To get to this hike, my friends and I parked at Hauula Beach Park and walked in from there. You walk through a residential neighborhood, so please respect the properties and do not litter or antagonize the dogs - there are quite a few houses with dogs along your way to the trail head. You will go around two yellow gates before starting the trail. The beginning is all paved, once you reach the trail head marker that's where the fun begins! If you decide not to go on this trail, you can continue on the paved road past the pretty awesome graffiti'd wall up to the 7 Waterfalls hike - which I plan to try another day. As you go up this trail, this is really a beginner hike. There is an incline, but it is steady and not strenuous. It was a little humid the day we went, but there is a lot of tree cover so at least the sun wasn't beaming down on us. As we approached a trail marker, we went to the right. We went up a lot of switchbacks and crossed two streams. If there are heavy rains, I would not recommend doing this hike as those two streams will probably be running. Parts of this hike was reminiscent of Kuliou'ou - pine needles all over the ground and cool, but most of all it reminded my friends and I of Aiea Loop Trail except shorter. There is a "summit" but the view was not that awe inspiring. As we continued on the trail we came to a break in the trees where there was a much better view of the valley we were hiking in. There are A LOT of strawberry guava trees on this hike and if we could have found ripe fruit closer to the trail we would have sampled some. There are a few places with man made stairs to assist you as you walk through this forest. To be prepared for this hike I would bring: Bug spray - we used OFF active before starting the hike and were not bothered - there are A LOT of fruit flies that get disturbed as you walk around. Water - at least 1 liter - a camel pack is not necessary unless you drink a lot of water normally Hiking Shoes - the better tread will help you with the moist ground, crossing the streambeds and keep your feet dry if it is muddy Camera - There are a lot of interesting views through the tress as you walk. I will be back to do this hike again and maybe try the 7 Waterfalls hike as well.

The Hau'ula Loop Trail is the sister trail to the Ma'akua Ridge Trail whose point of entry sits a bit past that of Hau'ula Loop. That might explain why this is the more popular trail but it's all relative. In this 1 hour 45 minute hike I saw about 5 people total; on the other trail I saw zero. Susanne Swedy's excellent book, "Hiking the Hawaiian Islands", features both hikes. She describes both as easy, 2.5 miles, and having an 800-foot elevation but I'd beg to differ. This hike is easy but the other is more difficult, takes longer, and has a couple perilous spots. Locals tell me those who hike it sometimes require rescue. Nobody will require rescue on the Hau'ula Loop. After reaching its elevation the trail is mostly flat and easy to follow. When in doubt, check for the pink/orange tape/ribbon in the trees. Both trails have this feature and it (as well as the book) works well to guide you. Somebody mentioned a waterfall but I saw no sign of one here. A couple nice vistas are featured but mostly this trail is about just getting outside and moving. It's not in a must-see area and certainly not on the tourist track. In fact, the area has a reputation for being a little dicey so be sure to sign in and out on the sheet at the mailbox just before entering the trail. Additional stuff: * Dogs allowed. * This is hike #51 in the above referenced book. * There's a small parking area at the entrance to the hiking area but a sign announces it as a high theft area. Consider parking down the street or even out at Hau'ula Beach Park, and walking from there. * Take the Kamehameha Highway to Hau'ula and turn mauka (toward the mountain) at Hau'ula Homesteads Road (just across from Hau'ula Beach Park). This road winds around and back out to the highway but you should not. Take it only to where the road turns (about 1/2 mile from the beach), and park. The well-marked path leading to the trailhead begins there.

Great hike! The perfect balance of being a good challenge and not too challenging. And there are awesome views along the way! We took our 10 month old baby in a carrier and mother in law, and we all made it just fine! Took about 3 hours total for us. Take mosquito repellant and good shoes!

This was a great hike if you're on the north shore. A small waterfall and ocean view in one hike! All the other waterfall hikes were by Honolulu. This hike started off easy but got pretty strenuous with the length, 4 miles total ( other reviews said it was only 2.5) and the mud! The bad: The bugs were annoying, I recommend bug spray. Limited parking. We parked down the road close to the ocean. The only wildlife seen were fruit flies, chickens & roosters. But let's get to the good stuff... It was a good incline, getting to the waterfall added some extra strenuous adventure, it was cool to see the three very distinct tree habitats (it went between lush jungle, pine tree forest, and coconut palm trees. Don't miss the random red clay 25 foot climb halfway through the hike to get up to he ocean view.

This is a short quick hike you can do on the North shore side. It's in Hauula so it can be a little drive out. Parking is in residential so be sure to be courteous and aware of no parking zones. The hike itself is about a 1.5 mile loop. I did it with my friend and our pups which one is a frenchie, who was able to survive it lol. It can get hot at times and wasn't very muddy probably because there was no recent rain. Majority of the hike is shaded which is nice. I did get quite a few mosquito bites so best to be prepared. Overall, great views for such a quick hike, perfect to do right before heading to the beach!

Enjoyed this 2.5 mile loop today. Nice incline (gain of 720 ft), footing was good, and it was very peaceful. I don't think I would have found the trailhead without the help of the hiking group I was with though. I'm giving only 4 stars because there's not really any views, and there's no parking or restrooms. If I'm in the area I'll do this one again. http://hawaiitrails.ehawaii.gov/trail.php?TrailID=OA+08+017&island=Oahu

I chose this trail for a group hike with my friends this past friday. I love the North Shore and because we're a bunch of mommas and kiddos, I had to take distance, level of difficulty and availability of parking for large groups into consideration. We opted to park the cars at the Hau'ula Beach Park, located across the street from the 7-Eleven. Be careful and if you have kids, keep your kiddos close because it's right on Kam Hwy so traffic is going fast. Cross the street and walk toward Hau'ula Homestead road and walk up until you get to the end of the road. Trail head begins in a residential neighborhood and there are signs of high theft in the area so I recommend parking at the beach park like we did. Go around the yellow gate and proceed to walk on the paved road. There are two trails at this location. The other one is Ma'akua Ridge Trail. Hau'ula Loop Trail is a series of switchbacks, reaching an elevation of approximately 930 feet, featuring a view peeking at the ocean along the way and breathtaking views of the valley and mountains at the top. There are some interesting trees, plants and flowers along the way. You will walk through a pine forest as you get to the top and it just makes you feel so tiny! You will also spot some Hawaiian Christmas trees too! Stop and look up every once in awhile! It was a hot day on Friday and it seems like it hasn't rained in a while because the trail wasn't muddy, some spots were damp, but the stream crossings that I read about were more like puddles and the small waterfall I was expecting was more like a trickle. According to my research, this is a 2.5 mile loop, but if you wear your kid like I did (my youngest is 35lbs), the heat, the switchbacks and the snacks and water you may be carrying may make it feel a lot longer! Loved this hike and can't wait to try the sister trail, Ma'akua Ridge! Oh, and when you get to the bottom, don't forget to check out the graffiti art on the wall. You have to walk past the Hau'ula Loop trail head sign!

Fairly well maintained trail that took us 1.5 hours to do the loop. We're not hiking enthusiasts and we wore regular sneakers. There were some muddy spots and a few rocky river crossings. If you go right at the first sign post that says "in/out" in marker you will see the ocean views faster. Made for a great morning hike!

I can see how this path could get muddy, as it crosses a creek a few times, but the day we hiked the loop, it was completely dry and amazing. We chose this hike because it was only 2.5 miles, a loop, and an official trail as part of the Na Ala Hele trail system. Who We Are: My husband and I hiked this trail with a 6 year old, a 3 year old, and a middle-aged dog. Parking: You can park right at the yellow gate and then head up the paved road to reach the trailhead. Parking here is okay, but only enough room for a few cars. There are also signs saying it is a high theft area and you are supposed to leave the parking area by 5PM. We parked here and had no problem but some reviews suggested parking at the beach park down the road and across Kam Hwy for more visibility. The trail: The trail is really nice. Much of it is through a pine tree forest and the trail is soft with pine needles. For the most part, the trail only makes gradual inclines following switchbacks, but there are a few spots with stairs and more uphill climbs. There are also a few spots where you walk along a ridge with drop offs on both sides. For the most part, however, the trail is rather wide and safe! The views: This trail has great views because you get to see the scenery of the forest as well as views of the ocean and the valley. The atmosphere: My son said he felt like we were on Kauai. This place is serene, beautiful, and quiet. We only saw one other group while hiking and enjoyed the stillness of the atmosphere. How we did: My 6 year old had no problem hiking the whole way and we didn't either. My old dog did great as well but did huff and puff at one point where the stairs were a bit steep. She took a break in the creek when we crossed it at one point :) My 3 year old walked half of this trail on his own wonderfully before tiring. I carried him in the Ergo the rest of the way. Overall opinion: This is a wonderful trail for families, little ones, and dogs alike. We loved the quiet atmosphere and the views were pretty. The views aren't as good as a true ridge hike but still lovely. I would definitely suggest this hike and we will be doing it again. Final note: Hunters do hike off of this trail so it is advised to wear bright colors and keep your pets on a leash. We did these things for added safety but did not see a hunter, although one had checked in at the checkin station. Happy Hiking!!

Love this trail. Not only for the scenery but for the ability to have my entire family with me on the hike. It's great for all ages. Nothing too strenuous or steep. Just make sure you go after it HASN'T rained for a few days. Other than that it'll be very slippery

Pros: it's a loop, it has a couple partial views of mountains/ocean, it has guava/lilikoi (though they weren't ripe when I went), and the cook pines are cool. Cons: the parking is sketchy.

Location: In Hau'ula by 7-11 moderate level hike It's a beautiful hike. It's a switchback hike so you will be zig zagging back and forth to get to the top. The view at the top is beautiful and overlooks the valley. Be on the look out for guava trees. We even found strawberry guava and lilikoi and ate them on the way down.

I had a good time there! It was my first hiking experience, I guess it rained in the morning so little bit slippery but no problem! Beautiful view and beautiful forest! I would even bring my nieces here! Highly recommend! Easy hike!

What a nice little hike for the kiddos. We all found fruit all over the trail, more than we have found on any hike before. There were mosquitos on the beginning of the hike so bug spray is a good idea. The loop was easy to follow. The trail head is on the right prior to the long art wall. We followed other reviewers that said to park at the beach park across the street and walk up. Be mindful of the neighbors and don't act a fool. Hold your kiddos hands on the walk to the trail head, lots of cars drive through the neighborhood and there were no sidewalks.

The Hau'ula Loop Trail was a beautiful trail full of guava trees all over. The hike starts near 7-11 Hau'ula. A switchback hike with lots of beautiful pine trees too. Anyway, the top of the trail provides a magnificent view of the valley and it's so serene and spiritual like. The day that we had gone though, it rained hard twice while we were hiking so be prepared with at least a poncho to help keep dry.

Went on this hike 7-12 and enjoyed it. Brought our dog with us and had a good time. Trail was dry for the most parts except when close to the stream. Up hill and down hill along with some flat ground. Different kinds of tree view as one minute it's regular trees next minute it's all pine needle trees. As you get to the top there's a good breeze. Not many people on the trail so it wasn't crowded. Parking was easy for us as we parked right outside the gate.

Didn't actually make it to the trail. While trying to figure out where to park, 2 people who were smoking crack or meth in their car in front of the hunter station told us we couldn't park there. (Not a joke.) So we left.