Mokuleia Trail Hike Report: Exploring North Shore Oʻahu

Written by Dayle K. Turner

A comprehensive trail report on hiking the historic Mokuleia Trail on Oʻahu's North Shore with the Oahu Sierra Club. Features sugar cane history, Hawaiian tree snails, citrus groves, and views of Makua Valley.

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Introduction & Trailhead Access

Far removed from the chaotic urbandom of Honolulu is Mokulēʻia on Oʻahu's North Shore. In addition to being home to a smattering of local residents, surfers, polo ponies, and glider and skydiving enthusiasts, Mokulēʻia is the locale for an interesting, not-often-traversed hiking trail.

The starting point for the hike begins on the mauka side of Farrington Highway, two miles past Waialua High School. After passing Olohio Street on the right and just before Olao Street, a cane field road extends mauka toward the Waiʻanae Mountain foothills. On the left side of the cane road, a couple of houses and a huge monkeypod tree form a quasi-oasis on the edge of the cane jungle.

Beginning the Trek with the Sierra Club

About 30 hikers set off at 9:30 AM, led by Sierra Club veteran Cedric Yoshimoto, a friendly, knowledgeable gentleman, and co-leader Bill Aoki, who manned the trailing sweep position.

We followed a network of cane roads, crossing a dry Makaleha Stream and passing a fenced pump station on the left before eventually reaching a T-junction where we left the road, hopped over an irrigation ditch, and squeezed through two barbed wire fencelines.

Local History: Sugar Cane & Invasive Species

Before leaving the canefields behind, Cedric paused to explain the rich history of the sugar cane industry in Hawaiʻi:

• Sugar Cane Introduction (1835): Cane required substantial water, prompting Chinese and Filipino laborers to construct extensive canals, tunnels, and reservoirs.
• Water Management Debates: With the decline of Hawaiʻi's sugar industry, ongoing debates focus on the best use of these abundant water resources.
• The Mongoose Snafu (1883): Introduced to control cane-gobbling rats, mongooses (diurnal) failed to catch rats (nocturnal) and instead preyed heavily on native Hawaiian birds and their eggs.

Ascending Through Cattle Pastures toward Mt. Kaʻala

We continued our march up the broad ridge through cattle pasture land, picking our way through waist-high weeds and dodging cow pies. Atop the ridge to our left was the road leading to the summit of cloud-covered Mount Kaʻala, Oʻahu's highest point at 4,025 feet. In the gully between the two ridges, peacocks called under silver-gray cumulus skies.

The weedy section yielded to an eroded jeep road that switchbacked upward. Along the ascent, we observed Christmas berry trees, native aʻaliʻi, guava, and silk oak, while enjoying makai views of the North Shore stretching from Mokulēʻia to Waimea Bay.

Mokuleia Forest Reserve & Secret Citrus Trees

Around the two-hour mark, we crossed a guava-post fence line into the Mokuleia Forest Reserve at the 2,000-foot elevation level. Dozens of 10-story-high eucalyptus trees dominated the lush ravines.

While passing through a damp hollow, we discovered a fruit-filled tangerine and Hawaiian orange tree planted years ago by Sierra Club members during a service project. At the 2.5-hour mark, we crossed the bubbling Polipoli Stream twice while Cedric searched trailside leaves for endangered Hawaiian tree snails (Kahuli).

Reaching the Mokuleia Trail Shelter & Makua Valley Outlook

At 12:20 PM, nearly three hours after setting off, we reached the Mokuleia trail shelter—a modest 7'x 10' structure in a gently sloped ravine with space suitable for tent camping via Peacock Flats or the Kuaokalā-Makua Rim Trail.

We made a short, steep 5-minute climb above the shelter to a grassy plateau overlooking scenic Makua Valley. From this vantage point, we observed the scarred mid-ridges resulting from past military artillery practice, as well as two distant hikers traversing the razor-thin upper reaches of Ōhikilolo Ridge.

Return Journey

After a short rest at the shelter to the sounds of forest insects, Cedric and Bill gathered the group at 1:30 PM for the return trek. The group arrived safely back at the Farrington Highway trailhead by 4:00 PM.

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Hike Summary & Key Details

• Location: Mokulēʻia, North Shore, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
• Distance / Duration: ~6.5 hours round trip
• Elevation Gain: Reaches ~2,000 ft level
• Key Landmarks: Farrington Highway, Makaleha Stream, Mokuleia Forest Reserve, Polipoli Stream, Makua Valley Lookout
• Native Flora & Fauna: Aʻaliʻi, ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, Eucalyptus, Hawaiian tree snail habitat