Round Top Dr

A short trip by car from Waikiki, and worth it! Incredibly beautiful scenery and spectacular views of the city.

Just trust the reviews. If everyone is going, you better go too. There's history, sweeping panoramic views of the mountains and valleys, a small lawn area to picnic or chill, and log seating for those who care to sit. It's Tantalus! You won't be disappointed!!

Beautiful view

Nice road with views

Very beautiful drive!!!

Gute Sicht auf Honolulu

I've been on so many hikes that say "Bring Bug Spray," but I never do. All those hikes, no problem with bugs. Guess I was lucky. This trail is where my luck ran out. I had no business being anywhere near this trail. It's up Tantalus for Pete's sake. Consequently, I didn't make it very far into the trail. My wife and I were with a group of people. She continued with the group. I hiked back to the trailhead to wait for them to return. I noticed how many mosquitoes were landing on me but I wasn't the least bit concerned. Hawaiian mosquitoes seemed rather harmless to me. They're kind of small compared to mosquitoes I've encountered in the past. I mean, have you ever been to Yosemite? Those are some hairy ass mosquitoes. So, comparatively speaking, the Hawaiian mosquitoes seemed kinda mellow. They buzz around, yeah, but like at half speed. They're in no big hurry to go anywhere. Now I realize they were in no hurry because there was plenty of me to go around. And every god damn mosquito on that mountain got their share. It was an epic blood feast that will go down in mosquito history. I didn't realize how many times I had been bitten until the next day when the itching started. My legs were completely covered in bites. The itching was about enough to drive me insane. Well, further insane. So, my advice, either bring bug spray or stay the hell off this hill. Mikey C says: these mosquitoes ain't playin'

We hiked this trail once last year with our hiking group and we did again with them for hump day this week. I had forgotten what a cool trail it was! The weather has been so gloomy lately and it was raining in the morning, so I was afraid we might get rained out, but when we arrived, the cloud cover and the sprinkling of rain made the trail seem like an adventure into an enchanted forest with mythical creatures. The rain stopped within 10 minutes on the trail, thankfully. It was a muddy, yet still a pleasant hike. This trail overlaps with Makiki Valley Loop and connects to a few of the other trails on Tantalus. This trail itself is a loop, about 2 mile RT and has numerous trees that have multiple roots and make perfect archways as you walk through. This is perfect for the little ones (the kids in our group ranged from 2-5 years of age). We parked just after the Pu'u 'Ualaka'a sign in a space for about 4 cars (by another gate), just in front of the trailhead but if there is no space, no worries, just keep going until you get to the main parking lot by the lookout. You'll just Hve to walk a little bit more (more steps for the Fitbit)!

Hidden gem of a trail boasting lots of covered protection from the sun and a plethora of flora. Peaceful, easy, and pleasant hike to get away from the noise and bustle. Rediscovered much in the way of plants and trees that I had only seen in other more remote hikes. Chicken-of-the-woods fungus, orchids, kukui trees, Cook pines, guava, lilikoi, etc... This location is frequented by trail runners, so watch out. It is also very ohana/keiki friendly due to relative gentle inclines. Very muddy and buggy so bring mosquito repellent and be prepared to clean your boots afterwards (if you remember to bring a pair of slippahs to slip into for the drive home, you're golden). Plenty of parking although we went on a weekday so might not be like this on weekends when half of Oahu hikes. Truly enjoyable in so many respects. Mahalo for reading my review.

The parking lot is hard to find, google maps had us stop halfway up the mountain. Just keep driving to the top and you'll eventually see the park sign. The trail is nice but a little steep for my taste in certain parts.

Before you do any hike, you should ALWAYS do some research. And with this hike in particular, you should map it out or have an idea of where you will be headed otherwise a short hike will turn into a wild, hours-long adventure. Let me speak from experience. LOCATION: Head Up Tantalus. You can use the pinpoint that Yelp has but go slightly further. You will see a small area to park (can fit maybe 4 or 5 cars) next to what looks like private property. There are other locations to park as well, but be careful of where you leave your vehicle and ensure you do not make it tempting for your car to be broken into. TRAILS: 'Ualaka'a Trail itself is very short. Approximately half a mile. You'll see a small section of bamboo forest which is nice :) Most people will continue on from this trail and head to a few others. There are so many intersecting/connecting trails and the first one you'll come across is the Makiki Valley Loop or Moleka Trail. If you're up for a long hike, take Moleka. Otherwise, I highly suggest you stick with the Makiki Valley. Let me just say, if you take the wrong one, you could end up at Manoa Falls. We happened to do the 'Ualaka'a to Moleka to Manoa Cliff to Kalawahine to Nahuina to Makiki Valley and back to 'Ualaka'a...on accident. Easily a 6+ mile hike. There are a few lookout points of the valley, but overall it's not a big scenic hike. The trails are pretty shaded and relatively flat so bringing kids and pets aren't too bad. A few spots on the Makiki Valley Trail can be a little wet so be careful. It's quite odd that a few trails spit you back out onto the main road and sometimes it's hard to find where the next trail head starts. To connect back with Nahuina when it punts you out on the road, go right down the road and you'll see it on your left. As far as the other connecting trails, usually if you take the left, you'll be headed onto the loop that I mentioned above. I would recommend downloading the link below and keeping it with you while you hike: http://www.dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/files/2013/09/Oahu-Hiking-Map_HonoluluMaukaTrailsSystem.pdf Alright, now the kicker. You want a good view? You don't even need to hike. You can drive up to it. Pu'u 'Ualaka'a State Park. Breathtaking views from Diamond Head to Pearl Harbor. You can have a picnic there if you like too! TIPS: 1) Research your trails on Tantalus and download the link above. 2) Bring mosquito repellent. Bugs everywhere. 3) Lots of water in case you take the wrong trail and you end up on a longer one. While you're at it, pack some snacks. 4) Bring a camera and some good company. 5) Smile and enjoy the hike!

Ualaka'a Trail is one of the many great trails within the Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park aka Tantalus Lookout. It is more or less of a giant loop with multiple junctions off of other trails but is only 2 miles long and is flat so it's perfect for beginners and families. Me and my friend went with 5 kids ages 3 through 8 years old. I wore my 3year old, because she's lazy, but my friend's 4 year old walked the whole thing. There are a few unmarked parking spaces at the trail head but I'm not sure if those are legal parking spaces so park at your own risk. You can also park in the lot where the restrooms and picnic area is and walk a few hundred feet down to the trailhead. We went the day before Tropical Storm Darby hit so it was raining off and on and super windy. Thankfully the hills shielded us from the wind and the trees kept us pretty dry. BUT the day we went the trail was a muddy mess! My 8yo had a blast sloshing and stomping but my 6yo was slipping and falling all over the place. Other hikers reported dry trails BUT tons of mosquitos a few days after the storm. So proper footwear with good traction and mosquito repellent is highly recommended. The trail is well maintained and marked, but since it has many junctions, you may want to consult with the link below OR print out the provided trail description and bring it with you. You never know when cell service goes out. It honestly isn't the most beautiful hike, but it's easy, shaded, and has an amazing viewing platform with views of Diamond Head and Honolulu. And most importantly, none of my kids complained once! Lol Trek on! http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1826848 "Ualaka'a Trail is more like a loop. This trail is a part of Makiki Valley Trail. So actually it's Ualaka'a Trail to Makiki Valley Trail to Round Top Drive to Ualaka'a Trail. This short hike allows you access to Puu Ualakaa State Park. On top of this park is one of the best unobstructed view of the diamond head, town, and everything else along the ocean. Go back on course you'll reach a major Makiki trail system junction. Go right to Makiki Valley Trail (not right / down, I'm talking about right / right). Hike past the Makiki - Moleka junction. When you reach Round Top Drive, cross the road and continue right. On the left side will be an opening and continuation of the trail. Take a right to get a glimps of the sound from atop. then go back down and continue the other path back to your car."

This is one of many winding and intersecting trails up around Tantalus. There are quite a few birds and chickens along the trail. Heard the most beautiful bird songs the other day. In only about thirty minutes, I racked up 14 mosquito bites though. Douse yourself in bug spray before doing any of the Tantalus trails or you'll have this itchy fate as well. The trails are a bit confusing but at some intersections there are decent maps and many of them loop around. Some hills but not challenging and no experience needed for these trails.

This is very flat, easy hike. It only took around 40 min to finish The loop with my husband. U will see the hike sign n small park area right before the Tantalus look out. First sigh, u will follow "Round top dr". After u get to the dr, there is another sign to follow across the street. After walk through mountain, u will see the diamond head view point with ur left. And u will see the road on a right and "Makiki valley" hike sign across the road. Follow the Makiki valley hike for a while, and there is a small bench area with map and other trail signs. Take Ualakaa trail sign and u will come back to the first "Round top dr" sign and to ur car. There r many big banyan trees on this trail.