USA Kaiwa Ridge Trail to Lanikai Pillbox (3)
This spot is located on the Kaiwa Ridge trail which leads to the Lanikai Pillbox. The trail is located in south-east Oahu, Hawaii in the city of Kailua.
This specific spot is located on the "back half" of the overlooking the town of Lanikai, and the two small islands Moku Nui & Moku Iki.
This trail, generally speaking, provides great views of Kailua and Lanikai coastlines and there exist many areas to take awesome photographs.
This specific spot is located on the "back half" of the overlooking the town of Lanikai, and the two small islands Moku Nui & Moku Iki.
This trail, generally speaking, provides great views of Kailua and Lanikai coastlines and there exist many areas to take awesome photographs.
Photography Tips
Most photographs will be taken in the middle of the day when many people are out hiking. However, sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning and the best time to capture a shot. The main photo at this spot was taken around sunset.
This is a panorama which was stitched together using the merge function in Lightroom. I would recommend to bring the widest lens you have available. Also, due to the wind, the ISO was increased slightly the aperture was fairly open to reduce the shutter speed as much as possible. The specs of the main photo photo are shown below.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 III
Lens: Sony 16-35 f/2.8 G-Master
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f/5
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 16mm full frame (approx. 11mm on an APS-C sensor)
This is a panorama which was stitched together using the merge function in Lightroom. I would recommend to bring the widest lens you have available. Also, due to the wind, the ISO was increased slightly the aperture was fairly open to reduce the shutter speed as much as possible. The specs of the main photo photo are shown below.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 III
Lens: Sony 16-35 f/2.8 G-Master
Shutter Speed: 1/160 sec
Aperture: f/5
ISO: 400
Focal Length: 16mm full frame (approx. 11mm on an APS-C sensor)
Travel Information
There are two entry points for the Kaiwa Ridge Trail:
1. The least popular (and BEST in my opinion) is located at the end of Kamahele St. on the south-western part of the ridge. There is plenty of street parking in a relatively nice area at the trailhead (very convenient). This entry point is SIGNIFICANTLY less traveled than #2 below. Far fewer hikers take the "back route".
2. The most popular entry point begins on a drive located off Kaelepulu Dr., just south of the Mid-Pacific Country Club. There is no reliable parking in the area. Some websites mention 7 spots are available just past the country club entrance. But as of April 2021, those appear to have been eliminated and "No Parking" signs now appear in that location. I would recommend to park at Kailua Beach and walk (approx. 1 mile). This is the most popular point because it is close to Kailua and Lanikai, and is a relatively quick hike to the pillbox.
I would recommend to avoid when it's raining or weather is poor as the dirt type on Hawaii can be very slippery when wet. Many areas are steep and may need to be scrambled. Please keep this in mind if attempting to hike in the dark to take a sunrise or sunset photo. Remember to bring a headlight if hiking for sunrise/ sunset.
The Lanikai Pillboxes are the real destinations of this trail, but many great views can be observed during the hike itself.
1. The least popular (and BEST in my opinion) is located at the end of Kamahele St. on the south-western part of the ridge. There is plenty of street parking in a relatively nice area at the trailhead (very convenient). This entry point is SIGNIFICANTLY less traveled than #2 below. Far fewer hikers take the "back route".
2. The most popular entry point begins on a drive located off Kaelepulu Dr., just south of the Mid-Pacific Country Club. There is no reliable parking in the area. Some websites mention 7 spots are available just past the country club entrance. But as of April 2021, those appear to have been eliminated and "No Parking" signs now appear in that location. I would recommend to park at Kailua Beach and walk (approx. 1 mile). This is the most popular point because it is close to Kailua and Lanikai, and is a relatively quick hike to the pillbox.
I would recommend to avoid when it's raining or weather is poor as the dirt type on Hawaii can be very slippery when wet. Many areas are steep and may need to be scrambled. Please keep this in mind if attempting to hike in the dark to take a sunrise or sunset photo. Remember to bring a headlight if hiking for sunrise/ sunset.
The Lanikai Pillboxes are the real destinations of this trail, but many great views can be observed during the hike itself.
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