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The Views from Puu Manamana

Posted: June 5, 2008

I climbed to the top of Puu Manamana to photograph the spectactular views overlooking Kaaawa and Kahana Valley on the Koolauloa coast of windward Oahu.

The Puu Manamana Trail is a tough hike that climbs 2,100 feet over a 2-mile distance that starts on the shores of Kahana Bay just opposite the fishpond at the mouth of Kahana Stream. 

One of the special things about this trail is that the initial heart-pounding climb up the side of the mountain provides an ideal vantage point to see Huilua Fishpond which is fed by a number of fresh water springs.  According to Hawaiian tradition this fishpond was built by menehunes and was used to raise mullet. 

Another special thing about this trail is that a side spur leads directly to the “Crouching Lion”, a rock formation whose profile resembles a lion to the Western eye. According to the lore of old Hawaii, this rock formation is a kapua (shape shifter demigod) that was solidified in the form of a ilio (dog) watching the skies.  It’s Hawaiian name is ”Kauhiimakaokalani” which means “watchtower of heaven”.  The photo above was taken at sea level from Kamehameha Highway where the “crouching lion” profile can be seen.  

One of the more charming sights along the trail are the yellow-orange flowers of ilima (Sida Fallax) that bloom in great numbers in the rainy season.  The mountain form of ilima, which grows as a shrub 3-4 feet high, thrives along Puu Manamana Trail. 

The higher one climbs up the trail, the more common ohia trees become along the narrow ridge. Vibrant red lehua flowers burst into bloom in this photo of Kahana Bay with Huilua Fishpond at the mouth of Kahana Stream.

Puu Manamana is one of the most dangerous trails on Oahu.  It involves climbing up, over, and around a series of exposed rock faces with steep hundred-foot drop-offs on either side.  The climb is not for anyone who is acrophobic and requires considerable balance and nerve.  In the photo above I have just climbed one of several rock faces.   

The top of Puu Manamana is wetter and lusher than the lower sections of the trail.  In this photo near the top, red lehua blossoms embellish this magnificent view of Kahana Bay with Punaluu, Hauula, and Laie Point extending off into the distance along the Koolauloa coast. The climb up Puu Manamana is a heart-pounding ordeal that is not for the faint of heart.  But the views from this narrow ridge are among the finest on Oahu and are well worth the travail.   

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REFERENCES: 

State of Hawaii Brochure on Huilua Fishpond

Elizabeth Sterling and Catherine Summers - Sites of Oahu, p. 173 (Emerson – Pele and Hiiaka, p 93)

Dangerous Hawaii Hiking – The Puu Manamana Trail