Located on the East side of Oahu Island, Lanikai Pillbox Hike, also known as the Ka’iwa Ridge Trail, is a popular hiking trail for locals and visitors. Lanikai Pillbox Hike is in Kailua, which is well known for its beautiful beach that can be seen from the top of Lanikai Pillbox lookout spots. It is about 35 minutes by car from Waikiki, and it’s an easy hike even for children and elderly people.
You can almost reach the blue sky and blue ocean!
Lanikai Pillbox Hike is an easy hike, and takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes round trip unless you take a long time at the lookout points. If you go hiking on a sunny day you will be able to see a beautiful panoramic ocean view of Kailua, and two white sand beaches, Lanikai Beach and Waimanalo Beach, along with two islands in distance. These two islands are called the Mokulua Islands, and are a popular kayaking destination. On such a day, you can see people kayaking to the Mokulua Islands from the top of Lanikai Pillbox hike. They are tiny colorful dots floating in the large blue ocean right in front of you!
The Pillbox lookout points
The Pillbox takes about 20 to 30 minutes to hike, and will lead you to some incredible lookout points. The first being an old military pillbox bunker, and because of that, this hiking trail is called the Pillbox Hike. The second pillbox is roughly 5 minutes from the first pillbox, and you can spot the second one from the first one. Both pillboxes are very colorful. They totally pop in the scenery with the blue ocean and blue sky in the background. On a sunny day, the view from these pillboxes are simply breathtaking.
Can you find the third pillbox?
Most people turn around after reaching to the second pillbox, but there is a third one roughly 15 to 20 minutes away from the second one. Unfortunately, the view from the third one is not as exciting as the first or the second one since it is covered by trees around the pillbox. Most people do not even know about the third one, so if you are one of those adventurous ones you could continue hiking after the second pillbox and see if you can spot the third one. However, going to the third one is a little different from the first two as the hiking trail is covered by rich grasses and trees, so I’m just warning that this could be only for those who are hungry for more!
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Dip in the ocean after Lanikai Pillbox hike!
When you visit Lanikai Pillbox Hike, it is not a bad idea at all to go to Lanikai Beach to rinse off your sweat and cool down at the beautiful white sand beach. Many locals enjoy hiking Lanikai Pillbox, and afterwards dip down in the ocean just in front of the hiking trail. Lanikai Beach is a popular beach with beautiful fine white sand making it so relaxing and comfy to just lay down at the beach. The beach is also shallow so it would be a great spot for any family members, including dogs, to enjoy after getting a good workout hiking the trail.
The Pillbox Hike is for those who love the ocean and mountains!
Lanikai Pillbox Hike is an easy hike, but it does not mean you can just go without any preparation. You might see locals wearing flip-flops to go up the hike, but come in proper sneakers to the Pillbox. In addition, some areas get pretty slippery when it is wet, so you might need to think twice if the weather is not good. There are some areas that are pretty steep so go at your own risk. It is indeed a beautiful ocean programmatic hike, but you do not want to be too casual. Of course, make sure to bring water and put sunscreen on when you go up.
Lanikai Pillbox Hike, the must visit hike in Oahu!
There are many beautiful hiking trails on the island of Oahu, but Lanikai Pillbox Hike is a must visit hike, even if you are not too much into hiking. It is an easy hike, even for beginners, with the lucky bonus of being so close to the white sand beach so you get to enjoy hiking and going to the beach all in one afternoon. One of the things you want to keep in mind is that parking can be little tricky. There are not many parking spaces nearby so just to be warned. If you take a bus, take Route #70 to this location.
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