The tiny hole in the Ko‘olau mountains visible from my church parking lot has always intrigued me. So, when a dear friend was checking items off her bucket list before her move to the mainland, I jumped at the chance to do the hike up to the puka. It's a relatively short climb, but very exposed and right along the cliff edge. Not terribly difficult, but enough effort and skill required to really enjoy the view from the top. And a great way to send her off in style!
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Bamboo forest at the start of the trail View towards Kailua and the Pali tunnels   Great views of Honolulu as well!  Mistakenly, we went on the back side and had to climb up this steep face!  This marks the end - you should be standing on top of the puka! |
Great view of the Windward side!
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| Watch out for the wind! |
Clear enough to see Chinaman's Hat!
Pali Puka Trail notes:
Park: Pali lookout parking lot.
Trailhead: Looking at the ocean, go left and follow the rock wall to the trail opening. Head through the bamboo and the trail will start to turn right, heading up the mountain. Follow the edge until you get to the puka. The trail gets much more difficult after that, so be prepared if you want to go further!
Language Notes:
Word: puka
Language: Hawaiian
Translation: hole
Frequency: very common
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