Koko Crater Railway Trail, Honolulu

Wear a good pair of sneakers! I'm happy I did this! This was a challenging hike but the view from the top is worth it! I'm in good shape and exercise frequently but how steep this is, it worked me out. I had to take multiple breaks going up with how hot it was. Id bring 2-3 waters for hydration. My recommendation, eat a good breakfast and do this earlier in the day before it gets too humid. I felt so accomplished when I got to the top. The panoramic views were absolutely stunning and I felt like I was in top of the world. Going up was not a issue for me, but going down took longer as I used the steps like a ladder to get down. Plan on spending a couple hours here if you want to take your time.

What a challenging great hike. It's such a unique hike that will get you sweating quick. You can do it! Just take your time. Ive now done this hike mid day and this last time for sunrise. Sunrise was a cool experience. Hiking up in the dark was fun, I'd recommend a headlamp which I had. It was cool seeing the stars and hearing all the rosters go crazy off in the distance. Took me about an hour to get to the top I think, but I took a lot of breaks. Make sure you have water! I'd say 45mins to an hour is probably normal. Going down is obviously a lot faster. Sunrise was awesome. After this hike you will feel so accomplished!

The pictures don’t do it justice, it’s STEEP. You could experience vertigo. Overall: Delightfully challenging. And by that I mean excruciatingly difficult. Good grief was this ever a tough “hike”. Short in distance but long in duration, it can take hours to ascend if you aren’t already an athlete or strong of will. At even a reasonable fitness level this is HARD. I don’t understand people bringing children and babies to this trail. It’s the most arduous physical exertion you can find on a public trail on the island that is legal to access. It’s also free, yay. DO NOT ATTEMPT without water and a strong will. Yes super athletes can summit in just 15 minutes. It took us around 2 hours pacing ourselves and resting 16 times. There’s no Sun cover and there are dangerous abandoned structures at the top of the route. Don’t stand on them. Enjoy the view though because it’s magnificent. And don’t worry if clouds appear or it rains. Just wait a half hour and then it’ll be clear again! Going up between 7-11am is best to avoid the sun. Bring a light rain coat if you want to be mega prepared. Good hiking boots are NOT optional. So again in list form: -7-11am -water -camera/phone -light rain coat or stoic attitude -high quality hiking boots and socks -maybe even gloves if you want to do any scrambling on all fours as this makes it easier to ascend! -don’t bring your baby or young kids unless they’re super athletes. -NOT accessible or disability friendly in any way at all -parking is easy and free -you can donate to help conservation efforts by a QR code placed on the trail. Please other reviewers stop calling this easy. You are way above average fitness. I’m average fitness. It’s hard. Very hard. :)

Visited Oahu this past week and hiking Koko Crater was on my bucket list. This was one of the best hikes and experiences I’ve ever had. We arrived around 8 am and found parking by the baseball fields. Walking up to the tracks and looking up was intimidating, but we knew we could do it. The hike is challenging and you will break a sweat, even if you are in good shape. The tracks though are in really good condition for climbing. In one section there are just tracks and you can see an 8-10 foot drop. It is still safe but if you’re scared there is a dirt path you can take to go around. We took the tracks the whole way up. Made a few pullover stops for H2O, but eventually made it to the top. The views were breathtaking! I HIGHLY recommend if you are on Oahu, you do this hike! And don’t forget to look to the backside of the crater when you’re on top— the view on the back is so incredible too!

Great view at the top! Going up is much harder than going down, so don’t get discouraged when you climb up. ✔️Bring a lot water ✔️Wear a pair of proper shoes ✔️Starting the climb as early as possible In the morning, there is shade before 8 am for the sun hasn’t turned to the railroad side yet, so early climb is much more comfortable.