Puu Ualakaa State Park - Honolulu, Hawaii - Panoramic Views & Stunning Sunsets

There are hundreds of places in Honolulu offering panoramic views of the city and sea, but the wayside lookout in Puu Ualakaa State Park is considered among the best. From a height of 1,048 feet, the views of Diamond Head, Waikiki, and downtown Honolulu are majestic. And on clear days, which means just about every day, it is possible to see all the way past Pearl Harbor and the airport to the Waianae Range across the entire length of Oahu Island.

The viewing platform at the Puu Ualakaa State Wayside has a concrete base, with a surrounding steel railing and a substantial roof that provides shelter from the gusty breezes and shade from the tropical sun. Temperatures here tend to be ten degrees cooler than they are by the shore below. A paved walkway makes access easy, even by wheelchair, and a grassy area below the platform is a favorite location for photography.

Two especially good times to come here for sightseeing are dawn and dusk. When the clouds are right, the early morning and evening skies paint the perfect backdrop for "paradise.'' Admission to the wayside is free. Open hours are 7am to 6:45pm throughout the year, with extended access to till 7:45pm from Labor Day through March 31.

Because the wayside closes early, spectacular night views of the city lights and stars over the Pacific cannot be seen from this point, but they can be enjoyed by parking higher up along winding, single-lane Mount Tantalus Road. The peak of Mt. Tantalus is nearly 2,000-feet above sea level.

As one might imagine, the unlit road turns into a romantic hangout for young lovers after dark. But it also becomes a preying ground for thieves, so visitors are advised to keep their cars locked and within sight while taking in the scenery.

In Hawaiian language, the name of the state park refers to a crop that was once grown here. "Pu'u Ualaka'a'' literally means "rolling sweet potato hill.'' In early times, planters would use gravity to help bring in the harvest, allowing the tubers they dug up to roll down the slopes to packers below.

Apart from the lookout, the park offers several hiking paths. The most popular route is the Ualakaa Trail - a "good family trail.'' There is a trailhead sign on the approach to the wayside. The trail itself begins a short walk back down the road from the parking area.

The trail takes a mile-long loop through a thick wooded canopy. The terrain is rated as "forested cinder cone,'' and the difficulty is easy. A steadily rising walk with a 400-foot gain brings hikers to a four-way intersection at the uphill end of the trail, 0.53 miles from the start. A system trail map can be found here, showing the paths that lead further away: the Makiki Valley, Moleka, and Maunalaha trails.

Mountain biking is not allowed on the trails. Dogs must be kept on leashes. Although no hiking permit is required, camping and open fires are not allowed.

Services available at Puu Ualakaa State Park include free parking, restrooms, picnic shelters, trash cans and drinking water, in addition to the scenic lookout and well-marked trails. The park is located at the end of Round Hill Drive, about five miles (10 minutes) from Waikiki through the Rain Forest Reserve by car.