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Best hikes on Oʻahu, ranked honestly

Ranked by Reality: whether each one delivers for people who went. The chips show if it lives up to its hype.

Makapuʻu Lighthouse — photo by Vijayeta Sharma

Worth itReality 76 +161Makapuʻu Lighthouse★ 4.8East side · HikePaved 2-mile round-trip climb to lookouts above the 1909 lighthouse; seasonal whale views

Kaʻena Point — photo by Marc Rapoza

Worth itReality 71 +392Kaʻena Point★ 4.7Leeward · HikeFlat, shadeless 5-mile coastal walk to Oʻahu's wild westernmost tip, albatross and monk seals

Lanikai Pillbox — photo by Jun Hotta

Worth itReality 71 +213Lanikai Pillbox★ 4.8Windward · HikeShort, steep ridge scramble to WWII pillboxes overlooking Lanikai and the Mokulua islands

Koko Head Stairs — photo by Chris Lee

Worth itReality 71 +324Koko Head Stairs★ 4.9East side · HikeFree, brutally steep climb up 1,048 WWII railway ties to a 360° summit view

Kuliʻouʻou Ridge — photo by Robert Bowman

Worth it if…Reality 66 +455Kuliʻouʻou Ridge★ 4.8East side · HikeFree 4-mile forest switchback and stair climb to a Koʻolau summit over Waimānalo

Pink Pillbox Hike — photo by Jun Naoi

Worth it if…Reality 66 +456Pink Pillbox Hike★ 4.8Leeward · HikeShort, steep, shadeless climb in Māʻili to WWII pillboxes, one painted pink, over the west coast

Diamond Head — photo by David Cain

Worth it if…Reality 65 −257Diamond Head★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · HikeSteep 0.8-mile trail up a volcanic tuff cone and old fort to views over Waikīkī

Mānoa Falls — photo by M Maung

Worth it if…Reality 56 −58Mānoa Falls★ 4.7Honolulu & Waikīkī · HikeShort, muddy rainforest walk in Mānoa Valley to a 150-foot waterfall near Waikīkī

The numbers

#	Place	Verdict	Hype	Reality	Gap	Google
1	Makapuʻu Lighthouse	Worth it	60	76	+16 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (5,186)
2	Kaʻena Point	Worth it	32	71	+39 · Underrated	★ 4.7 (1,982)
3	Lanikai Pillbox	Worth it	50	71	+21 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (3,586)
4	Koko Head Stairs	Worth it	39	71	+32 · Underrated	★ 4.9 (2,356)
5	Kuliʻouʻou Ridge	Worth it if…	21	66	+45 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (594)
6	Pink Pillbox Hike	Worth it if…	21	66	+45 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (515)
7	Diamond Head	Worth it if…	90	65	−25 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (17,357)
8	Mānoa Falls	Worth it if…	61	56	−5 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.7 (5,458)