Lanikai Pillbox Hike

Lanikai is Hawaiian for "heavenly sea". The calm, white sand beach is sheltered in a residential neighborhood with Mokulua Drive the sole access road from Kailua, on the windward east side of Oahu.

The Lanikai Pillbox Hike has some of my favorite views in the world.

The hike takes you high above Lanikai beach and is marked by two concrete pillboxes (old bunkers) at the top. You can get to the first pillbox in less than 15 minutes at a steady climb. There's also a longer hike past the second pillbox that takes you along the ridges to the south end of Lanikai.

Short Hike

The path to the pillboxes starts near the 18th green of the Mid-Pacific Country Club off of the cul de sac on Kaelepulu Drive before it turns into a private community. Your best bet for parking is on Aalapapa Drive and walk up Kaelepulu Drive to the trail.

Pro-tip: Wear sneakers and keep your hands free -- use a backpack, camelback, pockets for keys, phone and/or water. This is a short and not super difficult hike, but the first (and last) stretch is pretty steep and you'll want to grab on to the trees and rocks. There are also some parts of the trail where you'll want your hands on the rocks to steady yourself.

There are multiple paths to get to the first pillbox, though you'll get the beautiful ocean views if you keep left. The first few minutes are the hardest, so don't despair, it'll get easier. And while it's a good place for a breather and photos, don't quit at the first clearing where you can see the ocean -- that's nothing compared to the top and you've passed the hardest climb!

The first pillbox is reachable in 15-20 minutes at a steady pace and some breaks. Climb on top of the bunker to enjoy the view.

The second pillbox is another 3-5 minutes away and worth the extra walk.

When you've had your fill of the views, you have two options. 

Turn around and hike down where you came from. You can do the short pillbox hike in well under an hour.

Long Hike

The trail continues past the second pillbox. It took me nearly 40 minutes (with minimal photo stops) to hike to the other end. It is absolutely beautiful and a good, strenuous hike, but not for everyone.

Like probably not for someone who: 

• Doesn't like getting dirty hands from branches and rocks and mud
• Is sensitive to grasses and thorns - the trail was quite overgrown (Dec 2016) and your skin will touch lots of grass
• Would freak out from lots of little red millipedes, or the occasional bug in the eye

For the record, the only animals were those millipedes and chirpy little birds, and an Alaskan woman who I snuck up on who thought I was a bear.

The longer hike is harder than the first part. It's less than a mile but has some steep climbs and the last stretch is challenging. The path is less trodden and has more rocks and obstacles. I hiked in the late afternoon after morning rains and the paths were fairly dry, but you may want to go another day if it's been raining heavily.

The hike goes along the top of the ridge, all the way to the south end of the Lanikai neighborhood, with a few interstitial peaks. The grass is short at times, and the trail is completely covered at others. The trail gradually declines from the pillbox, until the last stretch, where you have two mini summits and one last peak.

Once you get to the top of the last peak, rejoice!! Take a break! The path down to the street was by far the hardest and least pleasant part of the hike for me. It's slippery (with or without rain), narrow, and steep, though there are handholds in the form of rocks and branches. It took me about 12 minutes to make it down.

The Other End

Unlike the Mid-Pacific/Kaelepulu Drive end of the trail, this end of the pillbox trail is not marked and difficult to find if you know where you're looking. Here's a Google Map pin for where the trail ends on the Luika Place cul de sac. Luis Place is a short dead end street off of Po'opo'o Lane, which is the last road on the right off of Aalapapa Drive before it turns back towards Kailua as Mokulula Drive.

You can also choose to start at this end, given how much that last stretch sucks going down.

Note: Cell phone coverage (at least T-Mobile) is spotty at the end. It's about a mile from Kaelupulu Drive, which is a short drive but quite a long walk after this hike. So leave your car here or plan ahead if you think you may want a ride home from the far end.

Or you may end up hitchhiking as you are exhausted self is walking down Mokulua Drive #truestory

Misc.

• Lanikai Juice is my favorite stop in Kailua for a delicious Kailua Monkey smoothie or an acai bowl
• Hibachi is nearby in Kailua and has the best poke bar and a great selection of wine and local/craft beer
• Ehukai Pillbox Hike is another Oahu hike on the North Shore by Haleiwa. Great view of the big waves and surfers from the two pillboxes!