Koko Head Crater Railway: The Best Birthday Hike Ever

Koko Head History

More than 10,000 years ago, Koko Head was formed by its secondary volcanic eruptions of the Koolau Range. Koko Crater (Hawaii’s tallest tuff ring) is one of a chain of volcanic tuff cones along the Ka Iwi Coast.

When it comes to Hawaiian legend, Koko Crater was formed when Pele (the goddess of fire and Volcanoes) was chased by the pig demigod Kamapua’a.

First of all, this trailhead is not intended for a hike. During the scene of WWII, the military established lookout pillbox bunkers which then the rise of a railway. This railway was created on the Koko Crater trail to have an access for supplies and move cargo to the top via a gasoline-powered winch in a tramcar.

After the war, the 169th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard took over the facility. But in year 1966 the facility was inactivated by the Air Force and returned the tramway and other facilities at the summit to the City and County of Honolulu. (Secrets of Diamond Head: A History and Trail Guide, Denby Fawcett, 2014)

Fun Fact: “Kohelepelepe” meaning “traveling vagina” in Hawaiian is Koko Head Crater’s original name.

Hike Distance & Elevation

Today, the abandoned railway is the main featured trail-way to reach the old military bunkers and ridge-line. Distance from the parking lot is 1.8 miles in total back-&-forth. Stand proud at the crater summit and you will rise to 1,208 feet (368 masl) with a gratifying panoramic view.

Operational Hours and Parking

Gate opens for parking at 0630 – 2300. But you can start hiking as early as 0400. If you opt for a sunrise, just park your vehicle on the neighborhood with utmost respect. Do not forget to bring head lamps. Park free at the huge parking lot at the foot of the crater when its open.

Freshen up, stretch and do not forget to use bathroom available within the parking area. Please be reminded that there is no available bathroom at the summit. Start trudging behind the baseball field until you reach the Koko Head stairs of doom.

Birthday Hike Experience

Before 2020 came in, I already planned what my birthday would be. Of course hiking in a mountain or a ridge is on top priority. Choosing Koko Head to hike is an easy choice to make, as I really intend to make this journey an unforgettable experience. But later did I know that this hike will test my endurance, patience and my will. A sweet arduous hike that will forever mark in my juander journey.

If you aim to witness the sunrise, start hiking as early as 0500 (check weather app to find what time sun is expected to rise to adjust time to start hiking). As aforementioned, bring lamp head with you. Hiking when it’s still dark is a bit eerie and if you are a solo hiker and a bit uncomfortable hiking alone in the dark, you can hike with other few hikers who attempt to be on the top of the crater for the sunrise view.

Take the time to perform few stretching exercise like; calf stretch, shoulder rolls, standing squat stretch & wrist stretch. Hiking stretches are key to safely navigating trails and can even help to prevent injuries.

Before getting on the top, there are roughly 1,048 steps held down by railroad ties. For the first 50-100 stairs, it is a fairly easy hike. But as you continue taking more steps, it is getting tougher and steeper. Scaling this hill turned to be more strenuous than it initially appeared from afar.

Hawaii can sometimes be abnormally hot, and hiking Koko Head Crater before sunrise is a great advantage to do this. Shade is minimal but halfway up the hill, saplings are available to give you a bit of relief. Another thing that gives torment in this hike is majority of the stairs are taller than a standard 7 inch stairway which makes every steps heavier. Some of it are even worn down and its unevenness slows down your pace of hiking. Don’t get worried too much. Beginners can survive this and it is a matter of willingness to be on the top. No matter what, keep on moving!

Every trail has its own daunting part, so as the Koko Head Crater. Along way, there is a flat section where I call it a challenging part. Let me not sugarcoat this one, but this literally freak some hikers out because with a mix of clumsiness you will be drop on an estimated 40 ft bridge from the ground where big stones and some foliage waiting for you to join them. Take extra precaution and make sure you know where your foot is going to take the next step. But behold, there is actually an alternate trail that is more easier and faster to cross. Go on to the right side (if you’re going up) before the start of that flat intimidating bridge and take the short dirt trail until it reconnects back on the main trail way.

Even after the intimidating part of the trail, the hike become arduous. Make sure you give yourself more breaks as you continue climbing the stairs. Make sure to step aside and allow other hikers to safely pass by you. Let me remind you that this ain’t a race, so take your pace. Eventually, if you maintain the willingness you have from the start to reach the crater, for sure you will succeed.

Then suddenly with all the sweat dropping on the ground and the shaking of the knees, a juanderful (wonderful) scenery will take place. On the other side of the crater, a stretch of horizon takes the sight and a peaceful calm ocean is giving you tranquility inside. The reddish orange sky is a sign that the sun will appear in any minute and surely give your heart a peace it needs. All of these mixed up and eventually will heal all the tiredness you felt a while ago while you did the hike to reach the crater.

I took a lot of photos and savor the shade while slowly catching up my breath. When you are at the top, don’t forget to cool-off yourself and drink a lot of fluid and dig on your trail mix or snacks if you have some.

Being on the top, new landmark(s) will be visible on sight. There comes the blue turquoise waters of Hanauma Bay, the neighborhood of Hawaii Kai and you’ll hear the shooting range near the base of the crater. The beautiful stretch horizon of the pacific will make you astonished for a while until that king of light is visible and peep out from its hiding place.

Florid orange ball in the sky, with all due respect of nature I feel so special celebrating my 29th birthday on this fantastic day. My bandit and I did some exploration towards the extended ridge-line trail. The trail is narrow and steep and it requires double precaution. But the view is pretty spectacular. No crowd and you can take great shots from there. A closer clear look of Hanauma Bay will be a great reward on this one.

Taking the moment to rest our knackered feet and legs on the large flat rocks facing the gorgeous dazzling coastline is one of the best while feasting our eyes with wonders around. Because deep inside, I feel like a champion after I conquer 1,048 steps!

After idling on this side of Koko Head, you can proceed to the real view on what they really considered the top of Koko Crater Railway Trail. It is on the other side where you see metal grate platform.

From here the Makapu’u Light House Trail and Hawaii Kai is on an epic view. Photos taken from here will surely be an instagrammable one. Indeed the view is entirely worth the effort.

I got so worried the moment we decided to descend. My hyper acidity started to appear. I felt the discomfort in my upper abdomen and not only that, the feeling of dizziness made it worst. Good thing bandit is on the rescue! He handed me a trail-mix and a granola bar just to calm the burn that I felt inside.

Going down on the same trail is a bit easier than the ascend. Yet you still need to slow down because your leg muscles are a little bit worn out already from the ascend. Take your whole time and do not accelerate your descent. No time for a show-off because at the end, it is you who will suffer.

Juander birthday hike experience achieved! I may have muscle pains after, but never did I regret this one. When we went back on the crater’s foot more picture taking took place. Make sure to use those tall grass as your art in taking photo. It took us 5hours in total because we stayed longer at the top. Yet this hike can be done within an hour depending on the pace you put into it. In our case, we are so addicted on taking a lot of idling time, taking photos and doing live videos on Facebook and Instagram. After everything in this hike, we went to hunt food and found this Greek Restaurant in Koko Marina Center. Perfect mere birthday celebration I ever had!

Getting There

Address: 7604 Koko Head Park Rd #7602, Honolulu, HI 96825

If you search Koko Head Park on Google Map or Waze, you will have no problem locating it. Choose from a ride-share driver or via TURO car rental (best way to do, you can contact me via IG/E-mail regarding this & I’d be glad to help).

• from Waikiki take the Kalanianaole Hwy (H-1) south
• Remain on the coastal Hwy as it turns into Hwy 72
• turn left on Lunalilo Home Rd once you reach the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center
• turn right onto Anapalau Street
• then turn left into Koko Head District Park
• finally, park and proceed up behind the baseball field

If you opt to ride a bus from Waikiki; Bus 1 leaves from S King + McCully Street, Bus 22 leaves from Kalakaua + Opp Olohana Street & Bus 23 leaves from Kuhio Avenue + Opp Launiu Street. There are two bus stops that say “Hanauma Bay” and you’ll want to get off at the 1st one or else you need to get off on the 2nd stop and walk extra 10mins. to go back to that bus stop that you missed. It may be a crowded bus ride off to Koko Head since Hanauma Bay is a popular tourist attraction, so I suggest to hop on the earlier one.

Juander Tips & Reminders

• Better come prepared – bring water, good hiking shoes, hat and sunglasses.
• If you plan to hike in the middle of the day, spat on sunscreen to protect your skin from scorching heat of the sun.
• If you got some GERD problem, better bring something to munch on while you are on the trail just in case you get hungry.
• Don’t forget to bring your fully charged camera!
• If you opt to hike for a sunrise/sunset, don’t forget to bring headlamps with you.
• This hike might be a bit too much for you, take extra precaution and most of all give yourself a break when needed. This is not a race!
• Last but definitely not the least, please observe the number one principle of all times, the “LEAVE-NO-TRACE POLICY”.

Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.

– Frank Herbert