Upper Makua Cave

Did this hike with my husband, two daughter ages 1 and 3 a friend and his daughter age 2
Super easy hike going up little steep but not bad at all took maybe 20 – 25 mins going up because my 3 year old wanted to climb up the hills and rope herself
When we got to the top we saw a little cave and was a little confused and asked if this was it. there were two girls sitting and pointed and said there’s another one. we walk past another «cave» and peek around the corner and yup there’s nothing there lol so we look at eachother and say «is this it?» It was more like a hole in the wall rather than a cave. after seeing the lower makua cave I was honestly expecting to see something similar but it was not even close
The view was beautiful but the cave was ehh the view is what made the hike worth it
Coming down was more of an adventure than going up… I’m guessing the people that were going down as we got to the top fell a lot and caused a lot of loose rocks to fall because the path that was once there was now covered In small fist sized rocks and lots of them so for those portions we had no choice but to «surf» it down
Fun hike with the kiddos however if you are not physically able to use one hand to climb a rope/​hill and another to hold your kid I suggest a carrier of some sort if not it could be pretty dangerous for you and the baby

«Down, down, down, downnnn… gravity!
Helping wash the dishes, and I drop a cup. Why does everything fall down, instead of falling up?
Riding up a hill, I spill and hit the ground, wish I could fall up instead of falling down.
Down, Down, down, downnnnnnm…»
I learned everything I need to know from Schoolhouse Rock…(YouTube:schoolhouserockgravity)
I tried several times to write this straight-​up, but that’s not me.
Headed to the westside, my boys and me rollin, 97.1 (which you’ll lose after Waianae, but 94.7, or 93.9 cover the whole lsland) old school pumpin, sunroof open, smoke bellowin (not mine btw). The westside is a beautiful drive (I have fallin head-​over for the westside!). Uncluttered pristine beaches, mom and pop’s, cheap gas, no popo. The west is what Haleiwa used to be and more.
You’ll pass Nanakuli, Waianae, and Makaha, and just as you pass Kaneana Cave (The cave of man, thought in ancient times to be the birthplace), you’ll go down. Trails are all to visible on the right.
Park on the side of Farrington, and pick any trailhead from here, they all converge.
Tips!!!
Anything you wanna keep, put in the trunk.
Wear board shorts (girl or guy).
If you are weary of scratches, wear long sleeves, in the shadow of mount Makua, it can be chilly anyway.
Bring a beach towel… hopping in the ocean after is a must.
Three steps (I’ll not say it’s easy or hard, but it’s a great view and decent workout!):
1. You’ll travel through undergrowth and brush. Trails are easy to follow;
2. Rock stairs, really you just work your gluteus here;
3. Is a little more difficult as you’ll scramble your way up to the pathway to the caves. Lose rocks and grass shrubbery for hand holds. This is all at about a 45 – 50 degree angle.
The path to Makua Caves is on the right, it’s hard to miss. It’s narrow and affords superb views. Follow this to the two caves where you can explore and take a break (plan on 45 minutes to one hour).
Here’s the thing. This is a fairly easy hike (thought you weren’t gonna say that?), but after you see the caves, admire the view and head back, you’ll notice the trailhead continues upward.
If you wanna, go up, go up. Another thirty minutes of slip skidding (now at 60 degree) and you reach a solid rock wall. End of the line for me. For Brother Justin, however, it only began.
Brother Justin is Spiderman! Ain’t not two ways about it. He does all three peaks of Olomana like it’s Kapiolani Park, he does Stairway bi-​weekly. He freestyled Makua!!! (See pics!)
While he was climbing, I noticed something, and this, I think, is important. There are really no restful places on this particular part of the hike. Wherever you sit or stand you feel it. A pulling sensation! Even on what seems to be level ground. It’s really uncomfortable, yet exhilarating! Which leads me back…
«Sir Isaac Newton underneath the apple tree, one hit him on the head, he said that must be Gravity!»
This is or was a live fire range for US Military, and is considered an illegal hike.
Enjoy, but be safe. I didn’t fall during this hike, but Kyle did. :) Aloha
Now go hit that beach!

My bestie is my go to person for hike recommendations. I guess she over estimates what I am able to handle. This hike is not for beginners. A good rule is anything with a rope is not for beginners.
You can park on the side of the road on Farrington Highway.
Find the path thru the long grass and follow up. It’s a climb. Beware of loose rocks. When you get to the top of the rope, find the donkey path to the right. You will feel like you’re walking on the edge of the mountain.
Depending on your speed it’s about ½ hour to 45 min just up. Awesome photo op.
Be careful and have fun.

Really short, but it’s steep with lots of crumbly rocks/​dirt. So worth it though — amazing views up there, and the upper cave is very unique. My human wears cleats on this one.

This is not a sanctioned hike with a nice paced trail. You should only do this hike with proper shoes and not by yourself. It has an estimated 65% incline near the top
Now that I got that out of the way, this is fantastic with stunning views. If you have a fear of heights, make sure you have a patient person with you who understands that. There are parts of the hike where you need to be on all fours and grabbing on to rocks in order to prevent yourself from tumbling down.

Important! Not enough people mention once you get to the top of the one rope, follow the path that goes off to your right. Do NOT keep going straight up. It just leads to a dead end at a cliff and is just a loose dirt chute… Also we started at the path that was before the adopt a highway sign and had to cut over around the top to the path where most others had started (by the speed limit sign). We came down the latter. I think the way up was a little longer but more stable rocks. But either way gets you there.

This hike is short and sweet with enough of a challenge to give your hiking skills a test. I am not an expert hiker and I enjoyed this one, mostly because the views are insane and left me speechless! Ok, maybe the hike up the incline left me speechless too!
I wrote a full review of the hike which can be found on my blog.

An insta-​famous hike that gets more attention than it deserves.
Anti-​climactic. Hardly a hike.
15 – 20 minute rocky, crumbly climb, and you’re there. The trail has changed drastically in the past year, as foot traffic has worn away at the mountain side.
It’s a shallow cave in the side of the mountain with a decent but un-​spectacular view, exaggerated with gopro’s and wide angle lenses. I don’t often leave such negative reviews for hikes or for anything. but for an hour drive from town, couple this with another hike or a beach day.
It’s virtually impossible to get up or down, without causing rocks to roll down the mountain. So please mind hikers above or below you. Oh and be aware that cars are commonly broken into at the Kanaena Cave parking lot, and on the side of the road.
As always, be respectful of other hikers, pack out all trash, pick up others’ trash if you can. We were all young and stupid once. It’s okay to pick up after others.
Love hiking? Show the land some love.

Makua Cave !! Kaena Point side~
Cave: 100 feet high and hundred fifty feet wide
Located just past mile marker 17 and Keeau Beach Park,
this mysterious cave is full of Hawaiian legend. Nicknamed Makua Cave,
this cave on the northwestern shore of Oahu is officially known as Kaneana
(there’s even a sign across the street etched with this name).
Kaneana is translated to mean Cave of the Kane (kane means man in Hawaiian).
Located on the South western coast of Oahu, for 150 000 years the island of hawaii has
harbored near Makua on Oahu, the volcanic rock
was eroded by the sea form a cave out of a gargantuan lava tube.
This is where Makua cave was born. The cave can be reached by farrington hwy, the coastline
surrounding the cave is remote and ideal its sheer height of the mouth of the cave is spectacular view.
Make sure you take shoes and wear long pants the gravel is pretty slippery.
about a mile and a half hike.
This is a hike you must do on Oahu.
Stay on the path after the 45mph sign head towards up the mountain stay on the left
when you reach the rope turn right
Here is a video of the hike to help you. Stay safe and positive energy to you!

Quick & fun hike. Once you climb up the rope take a right ;) people tend to get lost after this point.

Did this hike the other day and I would have to say I was slightly disappointed. The hike is very short, maybe 1 hour Round-​trip, but you do quickly gain elevation. We started at the sign prior to hitting kaena point that says ‘Kaneana’ on the left hand side of the road. There is a small lot to park in and it is directly across the street from the lower Makua cave. The lower cave is literally a few steps across the road from the parking spot so this did not constitute as a hike. The lower cave is larger than the upper cave but lacks an awesome view. After visiting the lower cave we walked north on farrington hwy towards the 45mph sign. The trail to the upper cave has many starting points, all which lead to the cave. The trail also has a lot of crumbling dirt and loose rocks so be careful. After climbing up the section with the rope for assist ace, you veer right on the path, not straight up. After veering right you go across a slightly narrow path around a curve and then u immediately run into the small upper cave that is next to the larger upper makua cave. The cave isn’t very deep so it hardly qualifies as a cave, but it does offer an awesome view of the west side of the island. I found the way down to be more difficult that going up because I kept loosing my footing due to the crumbling dirt. I actually had a harder time getting down from here than I did transversing the 3 peaks of Olomana, which is pretty sad honestly lol.

Caution when doing this hike… there is a sign that says Government Property Keep Out Im sure everyone knows what that means. It’s not a super busy hike and I can only imagine because it’s far from everything and there is a sign that says keep out. The views from this hike are breathtaking no where else on this island can you find a place. The beaches nearby are gorgeous. The cave isn’t huge and there is nothing special about it but the view. Going up and down is a little tricky because of the falling rocks and dirt. Not recommended for children. You could possibly see goats so don’t freak out lol

Thank you to all the people who previously reviewed this hike! We wouldn’t have been able to figure it out without your help.
Parking: At the Kaneana Cave parking lot. There’s quite a lot of room for cars so parking shouldn’t be an issue. Hiding your belongings is still a good idea, even though there are lots of other people who come to visit Kaneana Cave.
Trailhead: Towards Kaena Point on the mountain side of the road (obvi) near a 45 mph sign. The speed limit sign is about 5 minutes from the lower cave. There are many possible trails that start along the road, which all lead to Upper Makua Cave.
Trail: There’s a really great picture posted by Daphne E that tells you exactly what to expect when trying to figure out how to get to the cave. When I went last weekend (mid-​May), almost all the plants were yellow and dead and the dirt was dry and crumbly. The initial ascent wasn’t too bad, but the it gets steep and the footing is uncertain. If you take the time to map out where you’re going to step, you should be able to go from rock to rock easily. It’s probably a good idea to have your hands free to grab dead grass or rocks, just in case. The trail does turn right pretty suddenly. From below it doesn’t look like there’s a trail, but you’ll know it when you see it. Getting to the cave is easy from there.
Stuff: I didn’t need any water while hiking this trail, but it never hurts to bring some with you. Definitely bring a camera (GoPro is really great for getting the whole cave) so you can adequately document your trek and share your silhouette cave pics on Instagram.
Extra: If you continue around the cave, you’ll see a narrow path leading up above the cave. The view is really nice up there, and there’s an interesting rock formation that looks like stairs. Apparently there are wild goats up there sometimes.
The trail was pretty busy when we went around 10:30AM. I’d recommend going early or later in the day because too many people ruins the tranquility… and inhibits your ability to take unobstructed selfies.

If you’re a fellow townie, it will take you more time to drive out here than it will for you to reach the cave. Not to worry, there’s plenty to see/​do along the way and after you finish this short jaunt you can always hit the beautiful beaches right across the street or continue just a little further to explore Ka’ena Point.
I was surprised at how easy it was to find it (just google map Makua Caves, it will lead you directly to where to park) and head up the well-​trodden trail. The only thing I’d caution is of the loose dirt and falling rocks. Go up/​down with plenty of space between people to avoid being hit by rocks and be mindful the earth is not stable, don’t get yourself hurt and ruin it for everyone.
Beautiful, short and very rewarding little stop almost as far away as you can get on the island!

Length: 1 hour round trip
Difficulty: intermediate
The way: park by the road next to lower makua cave on your way up to kaena point. Then walk north towards kaena point on Farrington Hwy. You’ll soon see the 45 mph mark on the inland side of the highway. You’ll see a very small trailhead. It can get a little confusing but if you’re going uphill then you’re going in the right direction. As you go past the low shrubs and tall grass you’ll eventually reach a hill made of loss rocks. Make sure you create some distance between you and those following you to prevent falling rocks from hitting anyone. This part can be a little hard especially on the way down. There’s nothing inherently life threatening about this part other than possibly sliding down the small hill and being a little scraped up. Soon you’ll find a rope that you can use to go up a steeper part. Once you reach the top of this rope make a right and follow the side of the mountain towards the water. You’ll first find a smaller cave then as move on you’ll see the larger cave. It’s smaller than the lower makua cave and you can’t truly go in it, but the views from up here are amazing.
Overall, a great short hike with amazing views at the top. Worth the pit stop on your way to kaena

Thank you fellow Unilocalers for the directions that has lead me to this short, sweet (and hot) hike with rare breathtaking views of the far west side of the island!
I have to mention that the drive from town to the site is just as long as the hike. Meaning prepare for a lengthy ride to the country. Check out the glitter sand beaches along the way, most beaches are not overpopulated with tourists, ample parking. Keep driving until you finally start thinking «are we there yet?!» You’ll reach the lower makua cave to the right, although you might miss it because the entrance faces away from the road. Park in the dirt lot with a rock that says «KANEANA.» From here cross the street and begin walking. You can kind of make up the distinct shadows of the cave from the road, it will be on the rock mountain above of the lower makua cave.
Find the trailhead. This is where you explore… I found the entrance by an area of what seems to be burnt shrubbery from a fire? Follow the unmaintained trail through more shrubs. There are many split ways in the shrubs but for the most part it takes you to the same area which is the more rockier and steep portion that also involves a little rope climbing.
I would say this hike was a good 30−40min only cuz it was our first time, and also because it was blazing hot!!! NO SHADE until you get to the cave. The view is absolutely priceless and well worth the drive and quick hike.
Be fully prepared with a full tank of gas, I’ve cold water, shades, hat, sunscreen and of course your gopro or camera!
FYI AT&T has little or no reception in this area.
Enjoy!

You’re trespassing on Government Property to do this hike. Hike at your own risk.
Very, very short — but challenging! Good shoes are key, as is being hands free. It’s steep and the footing can be very loose. This hike is not for children.

This hike was actually pretty fast! It’s a bit chAllenging. I wouldn’t recommend you bring your kids up here. I would recommend wearing good gripped shoes and maybe high socks cause those branches can be a pain to walk through.
You park outside of Makua cave on that dirt lot and just walk a bit down the road until you reach the speed limit sign. From there you just make your way up the mountain. There’s different paths but it’ll all lead to the top. You’re basically just walking at a steep incline through all the plants and over some loose rocks. You’ll get to a rope, which will help you go up further and come down easier. Once you reach the top of the rope, just go right and scale the mountain until you reach the cave! The view is Amazing and it’s pretty worth it. Just be careful and don’t slide on your way down. Cause I slid down about two times haha.

We hiked upper Makua Cave on Mother’s day – it was very cloudy, overcast, and on our way down, it started to rain. The view we had is not the same view as most of the pictures posted, but let me tell you, watching the rain fall through a cave while being able to look out at a stretch of the beautiful Waianae coastline, is pretty epic.
This hike is NOT easy. Definitely avoid this hike if you are pregnant, have a serious health condition, or even afraid of heights. I think someone in a previous review mention it’s considered an «intermediate» hike and I believe that’s if you consider yourself a pretty seasoned hiker or are tip-​top shape. I will give props to my mom though. She completed the hike with us with few breaks along the way, so it’s not impossible.
The trail is in Makaha and this specific spot is located above Makua Cave. You have to walk through shrubbery and when you come across two trees along the slope of the mountain, you’ll find a trail that will take you to the cave on your right side. If you get to a point where you stop and think «wow this is really steep maybe I should stop»…it’s a good idea to stop and look around for another trail and avoid continuing to go up unless you’re absolutely certain you didn’t reach the goat trail on the right.
This hike can get dangerous as there are falling rocks of all sizes. If you go with a partner, make sure each person hikes up or down one at a time. Steer clear of any pathway that rocks might come down from. It’s also best to avoid if it’s raining to avoid muddy and potentially more dangerous situations. Enjoy the beautiful view and respect the aina!

How often do you look out at a place in Hawaii and say damn #luckyweliveinhawaii. All the time right? Yah, me too. Well this weekend I thought this yet once again, except I was in a place a bit unfamiliar to me — The West Side. Now before you townies freak out about how long the drive is and blah blah trust me on this one you’re going to want to make the trek.
I was looking for an easy but rewarding Sunday hike and came across this hike on
— by David Chat, one of my favorite hiking bloggers. I had seen it before but was always hesitant by the car theft warnings, especially since I wasn’t the one that would be driving. Turns out that the place you park the car — Kaneana Cave attracts many tourists so there always seems to be cars coming in an out — making it less likely that your car will get jacked. :)
There are 2 sites I looked at to direct me exactly to the cave because if you don’t know where you are going. You will 1. get lost 2. wont find it
*My word of advice is take a picture of their route on your phone and you will 100% guarantee find it.
a.

b.
There’s a spot after you make the ascent up the hill that you may question where to go next. You’ll look to the right and you’ll see a grassy area, find the trail (yes there is one) and follow that around the rock
and soon you’ll be at the cave.
David Chat rates this as intermediate. Here’s why. There’s falling rocks as you climb the steep ascent to the cave. I kinda sprinted up it, and tried doing the same on the way down. I DO NOT recommend that. Have one person descend the hill all the way to the tree and then make your way down. None of the rocks are stable so don’t even risk it. No one wants an injury after having an epic hike.
Another great thing about this hike is that it’ll take you less time to climb it than to drive to the actual spot. Yes, its that short of a hike. Happy hiking! :)