HONOLULU (KHON2) -- It's that time again. KHON2.com's Unfit Adventurer set out to explore and experience the Lanikai Pillbox hike.
The Lanikai Pillbox Hike is also known as the Ka'iwa Ridge Trail and is a popular trail located on the east side of Oʻahu in Kailua.
It's a "moderate" hike that takes about 30 minutes to reach the top. Along the way, we saw stunning views of Lanikai Beach, the Mokulua Islands and the gorgeous turquoise ocean that is emblematic of the Lanikai/Kailua area.
At the top, there are old military bunkers, called pillboxes, where you can rest and enjoy the scenery.
It's a great hike for families and beginners. But remember to bring water and wear sunscreen since it is an exposed trail with no cover. The views are definitely worth the climb!
As we set out on our hike, we met Henry who is visiting from California. He said he loved the hike.
"The views on this hike are just unbeatable," said Henry. "I mean, the whole way up, it just gorgeous."
Inspired, we pulled ourselves up the first steep climb of the hike.
Around this time we ran into Larry and Shawn. They are here from Canada for RIMPAC and said some their American colleagues told them they had to hike the trail.
"They camaraderie of our fellow hikers have been inspiring," said Larry. "Everyone has been very friendly and encouraging. It made the hike much more enjoyable."
"We loved the varied terrains that challenged different fitness levels, made it fun," said Shawn. "We've even seen kids up here today."
They were blown away by the views that capture your view the entire way up the mountain. Also, they were out celebrating Larry's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Larry!
Issac, Sarah and Mary are visiting from Maryland and found the hike on TikTok.
"We were in the area; and since this hike is hugely popular on TikTok and Instagram, we came to check it out," explained Issac.
It was Issac and Sarah's second time to take this hike; so, they brought their friend Mary who had never done the hike before.
At the point where this trail takes a dramatic turn to where you have to scale the side of the mountain to continue, our hiking team decided to find a way around and found some boulders to scale.
Of course, the Unfit Adventurer got a bit stuck on one of the boulders which is how we met Frieda and Alice who are visiting from Spokane, Washington. They helped us over the boulder.
"Yeah, this hike can be a bit more difficult than it says on the sites," said Frieda.
They had also found the hike via social media
"We were surprised by not only how gorgeous these views are but how we could enjoy them the entire way up the mountain," added Alice.
Once beyond this, erm embarrassing experience, we me Kestral who lives in Kailua and her friend David who is visiting from Dallas, Texas.
"It's a short but adventurous hike; so, I brought him out there to show him how breathtakingly beautiful it is out here," explained Kestral. "It is a short but difficult hike that is unbeatable for its views."
When we made it to the top with the first pillbox, we met the Morris family, Taylor and Amanda and their son Kaiden.
They had set out to do the Kaʻala hike on the west side but got sidetracked.
"We were going out to hike Kaʻala when we found this puppy who had been abandoned," explained Taylor. "So, we gave him food and water and took him to the Hawaiian Humane Society."
"If the owner is not found, we are going to find out about adopting her and taking her back to Portland with us," added Amanda.
Amanda went to tell us that she loves rock climbing and that this hike has both trail hiking and rock climbing.
"This has been a fairly quick hike," added Amanda. "This is Kaiden's first time to Oahu; so, we had to bring him out for this incredible hike."
As we moved on to go to the second pillbox area, we encountered a group of young women out for a hike: three who live in Ewa and two who are visiting from Portland, Oregon.
"I just thought this would be the best and easiest place to show them views of the island," said one woman from Ewa.
The Unfit Adventurer Rating for this hiking trail is: (ratings are out of a possible five hiking boots.)
Ease of hike for unfit folks
Views offered
Friendliness of fellow hikers
Worth the struggle
Feeling of accomplishment
So, if you decide to hike the Lanikai Pillbox Trail, then be aware that the experience for everyone who does it is different. You’ll need to rely on your own physical skills to determine whether this is the right hike for you.