Details:
Length (one way): 2.5 mi / 4.02 km - Elevation Change: 2,000 ft / 609.6 m
Access to Kuli‘ou‘ou Ridge Trail starts on the right at the hunter/hiker check-in station just past the Board of Water Supply cable gate. The trailhead to the ridge begins about 0.2 in on the Kuli‘ou‘ou Valley Trail and proceed up the ridge to the summit of the Ko‘olau Range. About two-thirds of the way up the ridge, there is a shelter with two picnic tables.
From this point, the trail becomes steeper,while following the ridge, the trail is only occasionally maintained, and may be difficult for inexperienced hikers. The trail ends at the summit with a spectacular view of the windward side of O‘ahu and Waimanalo. Return is by the same route. The trail traverses through an assortment of exotic vegetation typical of arid areas: Christmas berry, haole koa, formosa koa, ironwood, Norfolk pine and guava. Beyond the shelter and the guava forest, the trail breaks out of the canopy and into uluhe-o‘hia-koa-lama forest. This upper section of trail offers an almost 360 degree view of the island.
Descriptions for route, history, plants and birds were provided by Stuart Ball, author of The Hikers Guide to Oahu and other hiking books.
