• Bicycle
• Camping
• Dog Hunting
• 4-wheel drive
• Hiking

• Bench
• Campsites
• Interpretive Signs

• Nature Study
• Open Views
• Scenic Viewpoint
• Sensitive Area

Permit required for vehicle access only! See "Links" section below to apply for a access permit. Warning! The Poamoho Hele Loa Access Road is a dirt road with narrow and rough conditions. Hiking and biking are allowed on the road. Access is only permitted for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Road conditions can be slippery and dangerous when wet, exercise caution. There is a potential of getting stuck. DOFAW provides no support for stuck vehicles. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour. Erratic driving or excessive speed will result in instant termination of access permit. Take note of turnouts for two-way passing. No dirt bikes, motocross, ATVs, or horses are allowed on access road and trail. Road and trail are considered safety zones - No discharging of weapons allowed on or from the road and trail. Gates and road are monitored by surveillance cameras. Do not use any trail or access road that is not delineated by name and color and that may also be displayed on these maps. The marked features are managed for public recreational use. Other trails or roads that branch off from the public features may not be managed for any public recreational use.

• Blind Corner
• Dangerous Cliff
• Dangerous Footing
• Hunting Area
• Narrow Trail
• Stream Crossing
• Sudden Drop-off
• Uneven Surface

Hunting may be in progress on or near this hiking trail. Hunting dogs may be off-leash while engaged in the hunt. Hikers must keep their dogs leashed at all times and remove dog waste while on this trail.

• No Commercial
• No Motorized Vehicles
• No Open Fires

On the trail watch for the native shrub naupaka kuahiwi. It has light green, pointed leaves and half-flowers. Initially the naupaka along the trail has toothed leaves and white flowers. Closer to the summit, a slightly different variety appears with smoother leaf margins and purple streaks in the flowers. Throughout the hike listen for the Japanese bush warbler (uguisu), a bird often heard, but rarely seen. Its distinctive cry starts with a long whistle and then winds down in a series of notes. The bush warbler is olive brown on top with a white breast and a long tail. If the `ohi`a are in bloom, you may glimpse the native `apapane. It has a red breast and head, black wings and tail, and a slightly curved black bill. In flight the `apapane makes a whirring sound as it darts from tree to tree searching for insects and nectar. On the upper section watch look for native mint herbs, na`ena`e shrubs, and manono trees. The viny mint has square stems and pointed, toothed leaves with red veins, but little aroma. The lovely white flowers are about an inch long with an extended lower lip. Na`ena`e has narrow, shallowly toothed leaves grouped near the branch tips. Its purple green flower heads are displayed in cone-shaped clusters. Manono has thick, glossy, oblong leaves with purple stems, small yellow green flowers shaped like anchors, and purple black fruits. Along the small stream near the summit are native pu`ahanui (kanawao) shrubs and loulu palms. A relative of hydrangea, pu`ahanui has large, serrated, deeply creased leaves and clusters of delicate pink flowers. The shrub is a favorite habitat of the endangered Hawaiian land snail. Early Hawaiians used the plants for medicinal purposes. Loulu palms have rigid, fan-shaped fronds in a cluster at the top of a ringed trunk. Early Hawaiians used the fronds for thatch and plaited the blades of young fronds into fans and baskets. After crossing the stream, watch for koli`i, an unusual native Trematolobelia. It has a single woody stem with triangular leaf scars. Its long, slender leaves are arranged in a rosette resembling a dry mop head. A circle of horizontal stalks from the rosette bears lovely scarlet tubular flowers in November. After flowering, the entire plant dies, leaving a ring of seed capsules.

Hunting is allowed year around by permit. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and state/federal holidays are the only days open for hunting. Annual hunting access permits must be picked up in person at the Oahu Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

In the early 1930s, an obscure route existed along the ridge separating Poamoho and Helemano Valleys. Informally known as the marsh trail, it was used occasionally by forestry workers, Army personnel, hunters, and hikers. During the spring and summer of 1934, the Wahiawa Camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps graded and widened the marsh route and renamed it the Poamoho Trail. Over the years, hiking the Poamoho Trail became increasingly difficult because of the rough, unimproved approach road and the liability requirements of the lessee, Dole Foods Hawai`i. In 2007, Na Ala Hele (NAH), the State trail program, finally secured public access to the trailhead after three years of negotiation with Dole. At a cost of $75,000 NAH improved and fenced a two-mile section of the dirt road through former pineapple fields. Now the Oahu Division of Forestry and Wildlife owns the land but permits are still required for vehicle access (see "Links" section below to apply for an access permit)

Wet, mountainous. native forest, thick canopy, restricted by permit

A fungal pathogen known as Rapid Ohia Death (Ceratocystis huliohia ) was identified just off the Poamoho Trail last week. The fungus attacks and can quickly kill Ohia trees (Metrosideros polymorpha). Therefore, to prevent the potential for further spreading of the fungus, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife request that trail and road visitors implement the following Decontamination Protocols & ROD mitigation:

- Clean gear, boots and clothes before and after entering forest reserves

- Boots should be washed of all soil and then the entire surface of the soles sprayed with 70% rubbing alcohol (a minimum of 70% concentration must be used for fungal disinfection to be effective) and allowed to sit for at least 15 seconds.

- Soiled clothes should be washed with detergent in hot water and dried in a dryer (temperatures in excess of 140 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any fungal spores that may be present)

- Hand tools/equipment – remove all visible dirt and any other contaminants and spray entire surface thoroughly with 70% rubbing alcohol and allow to sit for at least 15 seconds.

- Clean soil off vehicles with a power washer before and after entering forest reserves. Clean all dirt from the interior of vehicles with a vacuum, wash rubber floor mats with soap and water and then spray mats with 70% rubbing alcohol and allow to sit for 15 seconds.

- Avoid injuring ʻōhiʻa (roots, trunks, branches, etc.) to prevent wounding.

- Report any dead ʻōhiʻa to the forestry manager with location data and a photo when possible.

1. Stay on the trail. 
2. Check the weather 
3. Watch the time 
4. Avoid undue risk 
5. Read all posted signs 
6. Respect other trail users 
7. Pack out at least what you pack in.

The Poamoho Hele Loa Access road is the way to the Poamoho Ridge Trail.

Poamoho Ridge Trail is a spectacular ridge hike which traverses along a ridge through mostly native forest up to the Koʻolau Summit. The trail is quite narrow in sections and may not be suitable for novice hikers. The trail offers a wide variety of native plants - some of them quite rare. From the summit, Poamoho Trail rewards hikers with awesome views of Kahana and Punaluʻu Valleys and the north-eastern shores of Oahu. Poamoho Trail is also a good trail for bird watching.

Descriptions for route, history, plants and birds were provided by Stuart Ball, author of The Hikers Guide to Oahu and other hiking books.

DOFAW manages public hunting on all Forest Reserve System lands. DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) carries out enforcement of hunting regulations (Chapter 122 Rules Regulating Game Bird Hunting, and Chapter 123 Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting). General hunting regulations can be found in Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Title 13 Chapter 121. Current information regarding hunting rules, seasons and bag limits for all game species can be obtained by contacting the DOFAW Oahu office at 2135 Makiki Heights Dr. Honolulu, Hawai‘i, (808) 973-9782. All persons are required to have a valid Hawai‘i hunting license on their person to hunt or have a bagged game mammal in their possession. Hunting licenses may be purchased online from http://www.ehawaiigov.org/DLNR/hunting/, from any DOFAW office or from any registered hunting license vendor. All hunting license applicants must show proof of having successfully completed a hunter education course that is recognized by the National Hunter Education Association.

Wrongful activity on the part of a permittee may result in a termination of access permit or permanent closure of the road and trail. On-line permit applications must be received no later than five (5) working days before the requested day. Walk-in, mail-in or fax permits must be received no later than ten (10) working days before the requested day. Access is for Fridays, Saturdays Sundays, Mondays and state/federal holidays only. Twenty (20) permits is the limit that will be issued for each day. Five (5) people will be allowed to access under one permit in one vehicle (4x4 only). One four-wheel drive vehicle will be allowed per permit. New permits will not be issued to the same person for thirty (30) days. This will not apply to hunters. Access will be from Sunrise to Sunset - Camping is not allowed now. Permittee will be informed of the combination to gate by permit – or other methods over time as determined by Oahu NAH staff. Hiking or biking on the road will not need a permit Pet dogs must be leashed at all times No dirt bikes, motocross, ATVs are allowed on access road or trail. Hunting is by special permit only - Hunting access permits must be renewed annually in person at the Makiki branch. Hunting Dog Supervision - State law requires that your dogs be leashed along the hiking trail until you are well within the Hunting Area. You are responsible for your dogs always. Shooting any firearm within the safety zone is prohibited and a violation of the law. Tampering with or vandalizing the gates, locks, access fence and auxiliary posts is against the law and will result in penalties. Sharing combination with non-permittees will result in instant permit termination. Gaining access to the Poamoho Hele Loa on days other than what is listed on the permit will result in instant permit termination and potential penalties. The Poamoho Hele Loa is under camera surveillance. Poamoho Hele Loa Access Road Warnings: Access is only permitted for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Road conditions can be slippery and dangerous when wet, exercise caution. There is a potential of getting stuck. DOFAW provides no support for stuck vehicles. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour. Erratic driving or excessive speed may result in permit termination. The Poamoho Hele Loa is narrow – be vigilant of oncoming traffic. The up-hill vehicle has the right-of-way. Pay attention to turnouts for two-way passing. For safety purposes, no motorcycles or ATVs are allowed on the access road. The Poamoho Hele Loa and trail are safety zones – discharging firearms is strictly prohibited along the access road and trail. Poamoho Access Permit Application.