hiking the westernmost point of o’ahu

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Also known as Ka’ena Point State Park, Ka’ena means, “heat” in the Hawaiian language. And not without reason – this 5 mile round trip hike provides no relief from the sun, as there aren’t many trees around for shade. What it does provide is excellent coastal views. There’s also a bird (moli) sanctuary, and some Hawaiian monk seal spottings at the end of the trail, depending on the time of year you visit.

My sister and I (beginner hikers) completed the trail in 2 hours and 45 minutes, but this also included all the time we took for various photo ops. There are a few narrow and tricky bends on the trail but for the most part, the hike is pretty flat and definitely doable. Just be sure to bring sunscreen and lots of water!

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Views of the valley on the drive to Ka’ena Point
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One of the narrower parts of the trail
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Moli
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Hawaiian folklore says that Ka’ena was the jumping off point for souls to leave this world to meet up with their ancestors
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Managed to climb onto this old WWII bunker

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About the author

hi! my name is melanie! i started this blog back in 2014. how to be a traveler is a collection of my travel experiences. my motto is, ‘travel, eat, drink, explore, write, repeat.‘ this blog is a tool to help me remember all the places i’ve seen, but it’s also a tool to help you plan out the places you will discover. and so that you won’t make the same mistakes i made. think of me as your very own travel guinea pig. so hopefully, you can find at least one useful tip while reading my blog. i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i enjoy writing it for you.