Hiking Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail in Oahu with epic views!
I have been to Oahu twice, once in 2018 and most recently in 2024. During our trips, I always try to fit in a couple of hikes. During our first visit, we did the Diamond Head Crater hike and Manoa Falls hike.
In our 2024 visit, we did the Waimea Falls hike in Northshore Oahu and the Makapuu Point Lighthouse hike on the east side of Oahu.
I was excited to hike the Makapuu Lighthouse trail early in the morning for some amazing coastal views.
Getting to Makapuu Point Lighthouse Trail
If you have a rental car, you can drive to the trailhead, or there is a paid shuttle option from the Waikiki hotel area.
By Car
We had a rental car during this trip to Oahu, so we drove ourselves from Waikiki to the trailhead. (Check my post about best things to do in Waikiki!). It took around 30 minutes by car.
We stopped at the Halona Blowhole along the way. Our audio tour app prompted us about the upcoming blowhole stop, and we were so glad to have seen it!
➡️I downloaded the Guidealong audio tour for Oahu on my phone, and that really made the drive fun. The app prompts you about upcoming stops as you drive and also talks about the local history and culture. Nowadays, we always look for audio guides during our road trips.
By Shuttle from Waikiki/Kahala
If you are not renting a car for your trip, then you can take this shuttle to Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail from Waikiki/Kahala area, which leaves around 5 AM and aims for a sunrise hike. It also stops at Halona blowhole and Sandy beach.
Parking at the Trailhead
We wanted to do the hike at sunrise, but we heard that the parking lot gates only open at 7 AM. You can park on the highway on the side of the road, but we also heard that it is a high theft area for car break-ins, so we didn’t want to take that risk with our rental car.
So we started from Waikiki around 6:30 AM and entered the gate at 7:02 AM. The parking lot is small, with space for about 15 cars. There were 5-6 empty spaces and we were able to easily find parking.
However, when we were leaving around 8:30, there were cars waiting to park. So come early first thing in the morning, if yo uare planning to hike in the morning. It also helps with the heat as the trail is fully exposed under the sun.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there were no restrooms at the trailhead when we visited. We did see High theft area signs posted in the parking lot.
Trail Overview
The Makapuu Lighthouse trail is a very popular sunrise hike in Maui. More than the Lighthouse, for me, it was the coastal views that made the hike worth it.
It is paved throughout, and I would grade this as easy to moderate. There is some elevation, but we were so busy admiring the coastal views that we didn’t realize it when we reached the top.
- Hike Length – around 1.25 miles each way (2.5 miles round trip)
- Elevation gain – around 500 feet
- Time needed – around 1.5 hours.
At the top of the trail, there is a viewing platform with 360-degree views. From this topmost viewing platform, the Makapu‘u Lighthouse can be seen below, perched on a cliff.
Not much is needed to do this hike. Just good shoes or sandals and water is enough.
About the hike
From the parking lot, there is only one paved road up, and it is hard to miss. The trail seemed newly paved and really well maintained.
During the first part of the trail up we were walking with views of Koko Head Crater to our right and the valley below it.
There is a viewpoint here to pause and admire the Koko Head views. As per the map there, Hanauma Bay is at the base of the Koko crater.
At one point in the trail, we also saw a bird’s eye view of the parking lot and the highway from the trail, as well as the ocean and the turtle-shaped island in the distance.
The last half of the trail up is surrounded by views of the ocean. It was very windy, but the wind was nice and slightly warm, not like the cold California Coast wind we are used to.
On a clear day, you can see the islands of Moloka’i, Lana’i, and even Maui in the distance. It was cloudy that morning, so we didn’t see them.
There is another viewpoint facing the ocean where you can spot whales if you visit during the whale season of December to April.
We went in June, so I didn’t see any! (I did see quite a bit of whales when we took a whale-watching tour in Maui during winter!)
Finally, we reached the top. There are two viewpoints at the top.
The first one has a ramp and has panoramic views of the east Maui coastline and the seabird sanctuary islands.
The second and topmost viewpoint is accessible by a short flight of stairs and is a viewing platform with 360-degree panoramic views. It was so windy at the top! None of our photos came out good as we could’nt keep our eyes open in the wind!
From here, if you look down, you can see the Makapu’u Lighthouse standing tall on a cliff. The lighthouse is 46 feet tall and was a working light station from 1909 to 1974, as per the board display there. The Makapuu Light was automated in 1974.
I suppose motorized wheelchairs and strollers can use the trail, although the grade is steep. Also, there are stairs to the final viewpoint on the top.
I thought the coastal views were better on the way back down!
We reached the top in around 50 minutes, stopping frequently for pictures, and were back down in around 30 minutes.
Overall, this was a great morning hike, and I am so glad my husband and I took the time to do it while the kids were still sleeping in the resort!
More things to do
Makapuu Lookout – A little further up the highway 72, there is a small parking lot for Malapu’u Lookout. From here, you can see the same ocean views as from the top, with aqua-blue water and the sandy Makapu’u Beach Park.
Kaiwi Shoreline Trail – At the start of the Makapuu Point Lighthouse trail, there is a dirt trail that goes down to Pele’s Chair and Alan Davis Beach. It is around 1-mile roundtrip, and the trail is overgrown and rocky in parts.
Pele’s Chair – At the end of the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail is a large lava rock structure that looks like a chair from the distance. It is called Pele’s chair, and according to the legend, this is where the Pele fire goddess sat to rest after creating the Oahu island.
Alan Davis Beach – The beach near Pele’s Chair, at the end of the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail, is Alan Davis Beach. It is a secluded little beach with a bay inlet with calm waters.
Wrap-Up – Makapu’u Lighthouse Hike
I loved hiking to Makapu’u Lighthouse trail first thing in the morning! The trail has mind-blowing ocean views and views of the Windward coast of Oahu, including the Koko Crater. Plus, the reward of seeing the lighthouse at the end is the cherry on top!
The only other experience on Oahu that had such memorable coastline views was taking a catamaran sunset cruise in Waikiki!
The hike is easy and paved all the way, and is a popular sunrise hike. Do it early or later in the day to make it more pleasant as the trail is exposed to the sun.
I hope you are able to explore this trail during your visit to Oahu.
More about Oahu
Check out my other blog posts about my visit to Oahu here!
