April 7th, 2008
People think Oahu is just one big urban island, so they’re always surprised to discover that the great outdoors is less than an hour away from downtown Honolulu. When you rent house Oahu you are near a great hiking adventure! Highlights of the island’s 33 major hiking trails include razor-thin ridge backs and deep waterfall valleys. Check out Stuart Ball’s The Hikers Guide to Oahu (University of Hawaii Press, 1993) before you go. Another good source of hiking information on Oahu is the state’s Na Ala Hele (Trails to Go On) Program (http://www.hawaiitrails.org/). For a free Oahu recreation map listing all 33 trails, write to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 131, Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 808/587-0300). The department will also send free topographic trail maps on request and issue camping permits.
Another good source of hiking information when you rent house Oahu is the Hiking/Camping Information Packet, which costs $7 (postage included); to order, contact Hawaii Geographic Maps and Books, 49 S. Hotel St., Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 800/538-3950 or 808/538-3952). This store also carries a full line of United States Geographic Survey topographic maps, very handy for hikers. Also be sure to get a copy of Hiking on Oahu: The Official Guide, a hiking safety brochure that includes instructions on hiking preparation, safety procedures, emergency phone numbers, and necessary equipment; for a copy, contact Erin Lau, Trails and Access Manager, City and County of Honolulu (tel. 808/973-9782); the Hawaii Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. (tel. 808/955-0100); or The Bike Shop, 1149 S. King St. (tel. 808/596-0588). The Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, P.O. Box 2238, Honolulu, HI 96804, offers regular hikes on Oahu. You bring your own lunch and drinking water and meet up with the club at the Iolani Palace to join them on a hike. The club also has an information packet on hiking and camping in Hawaii, as well as a schedule of all upcoming hikes; send $2 plus a legal-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address above. Other organizations that offer regularly scheduled hikes are the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 2577, Honolulu, HI 96803 (www.hi.sierraclub.org); the Nature Conservancy, 1116 Smith St., Suite 201, Honolulu, HI 96817 (tel. 808/537-4508, ext. 220); and the Hawaii Nature Center, 2131 Makiki Heights Dr. (tel. 808/955-0100). Casual hikers and walkers will enjoy the maps put out by the Hawaii Department of Health on great places to walk. The two brochures are The Honolulu Walking Map, with 16 routes in Honolulu ranging from 1 1/2 miles to 3.6 miles, and The Fun Fitness Map, with 12 walking adventures all over Oahu. To get a free copy of each, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (with one 37¢ stamp and three 23¢ stamps) to Angela Wagner, Health, Promotions and Education Branch, Room 217, 1250 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813. For more information, call tel. 808/586-4661.