Mānana Ridge Trail

"Nice hike and one of the longer day hikes on the island. Weirdly the typical end isn’t all the way at the ridge with the overlook of Kailua and K-Bay, it’s about two-thirds of the way. Maps only showed a one-way out-and-back, not the loop some reviews reference, so that’s what this review is for. The last third is therefore a bit overgrown and takes a longer time than it otherwise would. There are some spots before the earlier stop where you’d want pants and I’d definitely want full-length pants to make it to the ridge. The more well-traveled part took about 1:40 one-way. The whole thing took about 3:20 one way. It was a little quicker back down. Total was about 6:30, so it’s a pretty long hike. The view at the end is great, but there are quicker and easier hikes to get to the top of the ridge. The trail had a few muddy patches but it was just annoying, not on any steep areas that made the climb difficult; you probably want several dry days before hiking. There were some ropes along the way, but it’s doable without them. There are a couple of benches along the way, and a shelter maybe an hour from the trailhead. Beware mountain bikes on the trail, there were a couple tearing down at high speed at different points. Parking is on the street in a neighborhood. Dogs seem to be allowed and there were some hunters out with lots of dogs. Towards the end there’s a section where a sign says there are pig snares out, so you wouldn’t want an off-leash dog there."

"Mānana is the trail up to Waimano falls, which is a three-tier waterfall with two pools you can swim and jump into. The hike descends from the back of Pacific Palisades down to the falls over old roots. It's not a hard hike on the way to the falls, it looks like the Sierra Club may even have installed the wooden steps to help, but coming back from the falls the hike is known as "heart attack hill." The return hike from the falls is a tiring trek back to the way you came. There are a couple scenic points along the descent of Mānana valley, so remember to look up from time to time."

"Nice hike! And now my go-to waterfall hike until maunawili reopens. The first half is really easy on an almost completely paved trail, but after the water tank, you make a right turn down the ridge all the way down to the valley waterfall. It's super steeps in parts with ropes, but there were kids doing it, so it's doable for all ages. Really nice watering hole at the end with ropes to swing and jump in."

"Really beautiful trail that is relatively easy for the first 2 miles to the picnic shelter. Trail narrows substantially after that although it's still not difficult. Highly recommend long pants as the shrubbery continue to brush up against your side. Beautiful views of the ocean and valleys on both sides of the trail. On the way back around, the rain quickly picked up and it started pouring. Definitely got very wet on this trail."

"This trail is amazing! When you arrive, there is a metal gate (there are little pegs for walking through on the right side). It starts off at a gentle incline on relatively flat ground. About a mile in, it starts to get a little harder with more uneven ground. There are roots and rocks that act as good footholds though. Attached to this review is a photo of a sign. When you see that sign, fork RIGHT to get to the falls. At this point, the trail actually begins to DECLINE. It’ll get harder and more slippery if it has recently rained. Follow the PINK ribbons until they turn to BLUE and then follow blue down to the falls. There are three pools and a rope swing at the end. Amazing hike, beautiful views, 10/10. Give yourself plenty of time to get there and back before the sun sets if you’re going in the afternoon. Don’t recommend for people who can’t climb steep inclines/declines. There are parts where being able to rope climb on the rocks will be quite helpful. WEAR BUG SPRAY"