Ka’au Crater Hike
Ka’au Crater Hike
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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Trek21202951982
6 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
My wife and I did the Ka'au Crater 3 waterfall hike. Though we did not hike around the crater. NOTE: The hike is not a beginner hike. Though my wife and I are not avid hikers we do hikes here and there. This hike can be dangerous and if not careful you can get seriously hurt, get lost, there has been deaths here if not careful you may need to be rescued. We recommend if you do this hike DO NOT attempt to do this hike in the rain, not after a few days of rain or after a heavy rain the day before your hike. Not trying to worry anyone but we want to be real for all to know it can be dangerous. We recommend downloading All trails app it uses satellite and once you lose cell service the app still shows your location and the trail to follow. There are steep inclines, wet clay which is slippery at times your walking on 12 to 18 inched of trail with drop offs on one side and at times in both sides. You will be climbing rocks, using many ropes up the falls and rappelling down using a rope. As everything you do, do with caution and be safe. If at any time you feel its to dangerous do not continue because the hike does become harder and more strenuous as you go. It took us a total of 8 hours to complete this hike with about 45 min of lunch and breaks. We did have to backtrack a few times due to the trail being overgrown, not very visible and the markers are not very clear. Overall it was a challenging hike but well worth it. Very beautiful and a great challenge for us. We recommend this hike just make sure you know your limitations and be safe.
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheDrJason
Houston, TX32 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
Wow so much to say.
First thing is first: DO THIS HIKE. If you are even thinking about it, done. Go! Do it!
Second thing that must be said: Actually do the full trail, so many people half did it, and turned around early. There was even a group of hikers who thought they went to the peak, but did not.
Third-- definitely not an easy hike. It is on the difficult side of things; so expect 5-7 hours of work.
ok, little about us. 30 and 40 year somethings who are in pretty good shape; work-out daily, fit. That being said, I think it is doable at other ages if fit, and even if a little not fit. However, if you're not in shape, you simply cannot do this hike.
I think kids that are sharp, and listen to their folks, and probably at least 10 years old could also manage. That being said, there are absolutely a few dangerous spots where one would need to be 100% attentive and on your game to avoid injury.
Now about the logistics. Easy to find, all directions online are accurate. Plenty of random parking spots on the side roads prior to the entrance.
Leave your car UNLOCKED, and leave it empty. Guess what ? Then no broken windows, and no issues.
Now, the hike is mud for 1 hour and a cool stream, and fun, then 3 great water falls.
One (the second), you literally climb back over at the top, including over a big rock, kind of neat.
After the third, you have a good 30-45 minutes left to the peak. Maybe an hour. This area is really cool, different terrain. Much less mud.
Then you need to keep going all the way around the crater. You'll take a different path down until this loop re-unites at the muddy stream area one mile from the exit. So many people did not do this part, or failed to realize. Makes no sense to me. I would do the loop... not only is it gorgeous, but its less repetitive than trying to climb right back down what you came up. There are some interesting spots, where .. do I turn left? do I turn right? If someone wants more details, just email me...
Some pictures attached.
Oh, gear:
a) Yes hiking shoes, only way you can do this.
b) I would suggest 2-4 bottles of water per person; whatever that adds up to.
c) some snack would be nice, it took us 6 hours, but I bet that's a pretty quick pace.
First thing is first: DO THIS HIKE. If you are even thinking about it, done. Go! Do it!
Second thing that must be said: Actually do the full trail, so many people half did it, and turned around early. There was even a group of hikers who thought they went to the peak, but did not.
Third-- definitely not an easy hike. It is on the difficult side of things; so expect 5-7 hours of work.
ok, little about us. 30 and 40 year somethings who are in pretty good shape; work-out daily, fit. That being said, I think it is doable at other ages if fit, and even if a little not fit. However, if you're not in shape, you simply cannot do this hike.
I think kids that are sharp, and listen to their folks, and probably at least 10 years old could also manage. That being said, there are absolutely a few dangerous spots where one would need to be 100% attentive and on your game to avoid injury.
Now about the logistics. Easy to find, all directions online are accurate. Plenty of random parking spots on the side roads prior to the entrance.
Leave your car UNLOCKED, and leave it empty. Guess what ? Then no broken windows, and no issues.
Now, the hike is mud for 1 hour and a cool stream, and fun, then 3 great water falls.
One (the second), you literally climb back over at the top, including over a big rock, kind of neat.
After the third, you have a good 30-45 minutes left to the peak. Maybe an hour. This area is really cool, different terrain. Much less mud.
Then you need to keep going all the way around the crater. You'll take a different path down until this loop re-unites at the muddy stream area one mile from the exit. So many people did not do this part, or failed to realize. Makes no sense to me. I would do the loop... not only is it gorgeous, but its less repetitive than trying to climb right back down what you came up. There are some interesting spots, where .. do I turn left? do I turn right? If someone wants more details, just email me...
Some pictures attached.
Oh, gear:
a) Yes hiking shoes, only way you can do this.
b) I would suggest 2-4 bottles of water per person; whatever that adds up to.
c) some snack would be nice, it took us 6 hours, but I bet that's a pretty quick pace.
Written March 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kt44did
Island of Hawaii, HI55 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
I'm going to give big picture first and then for those who want, go into the nitty gritty details. Big Pic: I did this hike solo (probably not recommended, but clearly possible) and wish I had my sturdy hiking boots. It had rained hard two days prior, so the trail was still extremely muddy and slippery. The whole hike took me 6 hrs total, though I was being very slow and deliberate. The crater ridge trail is much harder than the first part where you go through waterfalls. Gorgeous views of course, and when I was done, I felt like I completed a marathon - in a good way, like I had just accomplished something huge.
The Deets: I don't know what superheroes said they got to the first waterfall in 45 minutes, but it took me about an hour and 15 minutes. Again, being solo, I was being extra careful and taking a lot of photos so that could have thrown off my timing. Thank you to the literal trailblazers who put up pink and orange ribbon to help guide - that's the only way to really get your bearing. Well, that and following a large water pipe for much of the first part. Then you get to the magnificent waterfalls. Its true that you essentially have to rope climb up along each of the three waterfalls. On the third waterfall, you're rope climbing right alongside it and it is MUCH longer than I anticipated.
Once I reached the crater ridge, I went left. I saw most people in the reviews went right, so of course I HAD to know what would happen if I went left. From what I can tell, no major difference, except that you when you go left first, after about 10 minutes you see the path out (the one to take if you dont want to return via the waterfalls). So that means if you go left on the crater trail, then you have to hike those first 10 minutes again once you complete the trail. Going left also saves the most amazing views towards the end, so if you really like delayed gratification, and the weather is promising, then that's the way for you. The ridge trail itself is MUCH harder than I anticipated. The waterfall/ jungle route was fun and challenging, but the ridge trail was challenging in the way that took all of my body strength to get through. Because my shoes were so muddy and slippery, I sometimes crawled on my knees and hands so that I didn't slip off the muddy edge of the cliff. All in all, with rests, photo ops, and some real struggle, I completed just the ridge trail part in about an hour 45 mins.
The Trail Back: I already felt accomplished after doing the first part with the waterfalls and then the crater ridge itself. Then realized I had to get back somehow. be mentally prepared for this part too! It still takes at least 90 minutes to return and even though you're on a real path, which feels like a luxury at this point, I would still classify it as a moderate trail on its own. I eventually saw my old friend giant Water Pipe and knew I was home free (though even after seeing the water pipe, it's still about 20-25 minutes to the actual exit).
I was thoroughly impressed with this trail. I started at 7:45am on a Monday and only saw two other pairs the whole 6 hours I was in there (both pairs were all men). So, it certainly is a great trail to be away from the crowds.
Ladies - I am 5'3" and fairly fit. I had trouble in some areas of the trail, but it never seemed impossible. Everyone yelled at me for going alone but I made sure many many people knew where I was and I had cell service for the majority of the trail.
If you're an adventurous person and in decent enough shape to hike (and maybe crawl) for 6 hours, then you'll love this.
The Deets: I don't know what superheroes said they got to the first waterfall in 45 minutes, but it took me about an hour and 15 minutes. Again, being solo, I was being extra careful and taking a lot of photos so that could have thrown off my timing. Thank you to the literal trailblazers who put up pink and orange ribbon to help guide - that's the only way to really get your bearing. Well, that and following a large water pipe for much of the first part. Then you get to the magnificent waterfalls. Its true that you essentially have to rope climb up along each of the three waterfalls. On the third waterfall, you're rope climbing right alongside it and it is MUCH longer than I anticipated.
Once I reached the crater ridge, I went left. I saw most people in the reviews went right, so of course I HAD to know what would happen if I went left. From what I can tell, no major difference, except that you when you go left first, after about 10 minutes you see the path out (the one to take if you dont want to return via the waterfalls). So that means if you go left on the crater trail, then you have to hike those first 10 minutes again once you complete the trail. Going left also saves the most amazing views towards the end, so if you really like delayed gratification, and the weather is promising, then that's the way for you. The ridge trail itself is MUCH harder than I anticipated. The waterfall/ jungle route was fun and challenging, but the ridge trail was challenging in the way that took all of my body strength to get through. Because my shoes were so muddy and slippery, I sometimes crawled on my knees and hands so that I didn't slip off the muddy edge of the cliff. All in all, with rests, photo ops, and some real struggle, I completed just the ridge trail part in about an hour 45 mins.
The Trail Back: I already felt accomplished after doing the first part with the waterfalls and then the crater ridge itself. Then realized I had to get back somehow. be mentally prepared for this part too! It still takes at least 90 minutes to return and even though you're on a real path, which feels like a luxury at this point, I would still classify it as a moderate trail on its own. I eventually saw my old friend giant Water Pipe and knew I was home free (though even after seeing the water pipe, it's still about 20-25 minutes to the actual exit).
I was thoroughly impressed with this trail. I started at 7:45am on a Monday and only saw two other pairs the whole 6 hours I was in there (both pairs were all men). So, it certainly is a great trail to be away from the crowds.
Ladies - I am 5'3" and fairly fit. I had trouble in some areas of the trail, but it never seemed impossible. Everyone yelled at me for going alone but I made sure many many people knew where I was and I had cell service for the majority of the trail.
If you're an adventurous person and in decent enough shape to hike (and maybe crawl) for 6 hours, then you'll love this.
Written August 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lucyrupkus
London, UK4 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
First of all, we love hikes and hiked Angel's Landing a few days before this which was great!
However, we didn't realise until we got there (prob our fault for lack of reading) that this is not a maintained trail, which means its super dangerous. It's slippy all the way, which open shrapnel pipes which could cause serious injury if you slipped on to it.
The waterfalls are beautiful, and reaching the crater also feels an achievement. But the slippery levels, just ruined the experience for us as we felt we were constantly trying to not slip down the valley!
From the look of a lot of people faces which we passed, they also didn't look to be having a great time either.
I would recommend trying a trail which is maintained, there are many craters and waterfalls, don't risk your health over, it's simply not worth it. Soz.
However, we didn't realise until we got there (prob our fault for lack of reading) that this is not a maintained trail, which means its super dangerous. It's slippy all the way, which open shrapnel pipes which could cause serious injury if you slipped on to it.
The waterfalls are beautiful, and reaching the crater also feels an achievement. But the slippery levels, just ruined the experience for us as we felt we were constantly trying to not slip down the valley!
From the look of a lot of people faces which we passed, they also didn't look to be having a great time either.
I would recommend trying a trail which is maintained, there are many craters and waterfalls, don't risk your health over, it's simply not worth it. Soz.
Written July 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Esther L
62 contributions
May 2019
Started at 10:30am, got back to the car at 5:15pm. Tried to do the entire loop but when we were circling the crater, the trail down was not groomed well so we weren’t positive if we had even found the correct path. However, we followed all the instructions online and kept left at the top but still had issues finding it. Had to hike down the waterfalls, super slippery, wish we had crampons. Ended up hiking with just boots. Extremely muddy st the end. Thankfully we had a change of clothes. Drank 2 bottles of water per person
Written May 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katarzyna
Hawaii82 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
This is a trail for advanced hikers. You have to pull yourself on ropes to make it to the top of a pretty steep waterfall. Also being located on the back of the valley it's often wet and very slippery. Amazing views at the top but expect it to be challenging. Go only when it's dry. To get there take Waiomao Rd and get there early - in winter it gets dark in Hawaii after 5pm which lots of people don't realize.
Written April 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hardy S
Sankt Margrethen, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland42 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
The hike takes around 4-5 hours and is on some places difficult to go - but it's a wonderful journey with great views - nice waterfalls and a really good exercise as well. Take plenty of water with you. I wouldn't recommend the hike with young children and definitely I wouldn't recommend to do it if there was some rain because it might be to slippery then.
Written July 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Savvy Adventurer
11 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
This is by far the best hike I have ever been on and the most dangerous! This gem is hidden in private property so I recommend having a printed map or an App like Hiking Project or AllTrails to navigate to the hike and during the hike. It is not well marked, outside of the pink ribbon ties to a tree here and there to reconfirm you have not gotten off trail. I recommend not attempting this hike during the wet season as the danger vastly increases. If you do be sure you are strong enough to do a pull up. I had to be able to hold my own weight while monkeying across a waterfall using a rope... and crossed streams nearly waist deep. You can avoid this in the dry season!
During this hike you will have to cross the stream many times (look for pink ribbons across the water to know when to cross). You will also climb up along waterfalls, by far my favorite part of this hike. Don't trust the ropes with all your weight as it is clear some have torn before! Once you are finished climbing up 3 waterfalls you will get to the ridge. If you are scared of heights this can be very freaky. Since it was so wet, my husband and I sat down and scooted during the thinnest parts of the ridge. We also heard warthogs! Warthogs are dangerous so avoid if you can. Once you get back down from the ridge you will have to try and navigate back to the street. This can be quite difficult with the lack of ribbons so again recommend an app that tracks you. My phone died and hiking this trail at the end in the dark did not help with the navigation!
Since it was so wet this trail took my husband and I 9-10 hours and we are in fairly great shape (weightlifting 4-6 days a week and avid hikers in the summer). Again recommend going in the DRY SEASON!
During this hike you will have to cross the stream many times (look for pink ribbons across the water to know when to cross). You will also climb up along waterfalls, by far my favorite part of this hike. Don't trust the ropes with all your weight as it is clear some have torn before! Once you are finished climbing up 3 waterfalls you will get to the ridge. If you are scared of heights this can be very freaky. Since it was so wet, my husband and I sat down and scooted during the thinnest parts of the ridge. We also heard warthogs! Warthogs are dangerous so avoid if you can. Once you get back down from the ridge you will have to try and navigate back to the street. This can be quite difficult with the lack of ribbons so again recommend an app that tracks you. My phone died and hiking this trail at the end in the dark did not help with the navigation!
Since it was so wet this trail took my husband and I 9-10 hours and we are in fairly great shape (weightlifting 4-6 days a week and avid hikers in the summer). Again recommend going in the DRY SEASON!
Written June 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramona A
Victorville, CA23 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
This hike is amazing! Waterfalls, rope climbs, rock scrambling, steep drops, narrow ridges and the top of the world views. However, we hiked during a huge rainstorm and the mud slides so fast! The ropes are super slippery and the ground is not stable. It is an extremely difficult hike in the rain. The water level rises fast and the water moves fast. The mudslides start quickly. We had to slide down most of it because there was no traction under our feet. I am so glad I accidentally came across this hike but I am not sure if I would do it again.
Written June 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hhhhhhhhhhhhaley
17 contributions
Jun 2015
DO NOT DO THIS IF IT HAS RAINED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. The trail is beautiful, up three waterfalls, through the jungle, and pops you out right at the base of the crater, but then it gets steep and ridge-y. There are a few places where I would not stand up fully because the wind was strong and there were only 6 inches of trail and both sides are STEEP drop offs. Don't get me wrong, this is an amazing hike but it can be ver dangerous, especially in the rain. I would recommend going early as to beat the afternoon clouds and enjoy the view. It was a 6 hour hike for us and we didn't stop much as we were trying to get past the scary parts before the clouds rolled in. Do not attempt this if you are not an experienced hiker.
Written September 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, we are in Honolulu and wanna do the Kaau trail, can you do it without using s map? Is it well sign posted?
Thanks in advance
Monika
Written September 25, 2019
Hi 3monie3 yes you can, the trail is marked with with pink and orange ribbons but sometimes they are hard to spot. What we did was we downloaded the AllTrails app, you do a search for the trail and it gives you a map with your gps location within the trail. It also works with no internet! Cause you’ll have no service once you’re deep in the trail. Good luck! Have fun.
Written September 25, 2019
Hi there! I don't think I had any problems putting in Ka'au Crater trail. It's at the end of Waimao road before it turns into a private road. Youll see 5 mailboxes at the end of the street and a sign behind the mailbox to mark the trail entrance. Other reviews have said if you park too close though, there's a possibility of your car being broken into since people know it's a long hike, so I parked down aways.
Written December 18, 2018
I climbed Vesuvius but it was my first real.hike with a 4&5 year old who did better than me. But I made it, I want to do this on a clear day with no rain could I make it without the kiddos?
Written March 12, 2017
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