Upgrades Ahead: Exciting Changes Coming to Lanikai Pillbox Trail

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu City Council approved a key permit on June 26, allowing the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to begin long-awaited trail improvements and visitor management planning at the heavily trafficked Kaʻiwa Ridge Trail, also known as the Lanikai Pillbox Hike.

The improvement project is aimed to address increased safety concerns, environmental damage, and overwhelming crowds — many drawn to the scenic trail by social media posts.

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“We heard about it on TikTok,” said Dallas visitors Alyssia Nguyen and Ayriana Do. “It’s gorgeous, but it was super slippery coming down. Still totally worth it.”

Alex Thai, a hiker who is from Oahu and living on the mainland now, said the hike has become much more popular over the years.

“It is a little steep, there’s some roots and ropes to grab but I think it depends on your level of fitness or comfort but it can be a difficult hike depending on your fitness level,” Thai said.

The hike draws hundreds, if not thousands, of people daily and it has impacted coastal waters and residents.

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“During heavy rains we have feet of trail dirt getting washed off,” said Rep. Lisa Marten, who represents Lanikai and helped secure $900,000 in funding for the project. “People keep cutting new paths in the steep parts that are less slippery and easy to navigate, so we have swaths that are like 25 feet wide with all these exposed paths so when it rains that dirt just goes onto the road, into storm drains and on to nearby shore where there are coral reefs, so that’s one problem.”

The DLNR’s Department of Forestry and Wildlife said it plans to reduce erosion with native rock and soil and using sustainable switchbacks to manage the lower portion of the hike, which the state believes is the biggest contributor to sediment runoff.

“It will make the hike a bit easier to navigate up the hillside, but it will still be a challenging hike,” explained Marigold Zoll of DLNR’s Forestry and Wildlife division.

The state is also looking at visitor management to the popular hike.

“We’re working with a tech company to develop a reservation system for this trail,” Zoll explained to city council members. “And we’re planning on using a similar model where it will be free for residents and eventually if we get rules passed by Nā Ala Hele, we’ll be able to charge a fee for visitors.”

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She says they can roll out the reservation system quickly.

“The management policy is something we have to do with all our over-loved places statewide,” Marten said. “And this would be our first trail, opposed to a state park, it would be the first state trail [to have a reservation system], which is why they have to do all those rule changes to have reservation, fees and have some of our beautiful places maintained by user fees from our visitors.”

“I’m appreciative the city council not only passed this, but also weighed in on the importance of this management system, so that strikes home to DLNR that it’s something we have to follow through on,” she added.

City Council Chair Tommy Waters also said he liked the idea of the reservation system for popular hiking areas near residential homes.

“I don’t like the reservation system, I think they did it with Diamond Head, and it makes it more difficult because if you’re coming back to visit family or on a trip, it’s just nice to be able to do these things and not reserve it,” Thai said.

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He also said he hasn’t gone to Hanauma Bay the last two times he visited because it’s always booked or too busy.

“I don’t think I would like that,” Nguyen said. “Just because people come here on vacation and it’s kind of a go with the flow schedule.”

“I agree,” Do said. “Once you get up there, there’s plenty of room, there’s a lot of people but plenty of space to take pictures.”

Marten said she’s also heard complaints from residents who live near the trail who say they are woken up every morning, before dawn, to the sound of car doors slamming and hikers shouting.

“I really think the neighbors deserve to sleep,” she said.

Safety is also a concern.

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The Honolulu Fire Department has conducted nearly 50 rescues in the past four years at the trail. Local residents said the constant sound of helicopters and drones is overwhelming too.

“This trail needs a lot of improvements, get it done,” said resident Carolyn Mau.

Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina raised cultural access issues during Thursday’s meeting, noting that Native Hawaiian practitioners requested designated access times during which the trail would be closed to the public.

“We need to preserve cultural access along the ridgeline,” Kiaʻāina said. “A reservation system would help manage that, too.”

She also discussed a broader Lanikai Traffic Management plan which could ban parking along the Lanikai loop and limit hours for parking in the Lanikai area.

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The state said data is being collected from cell phone tracking and hiker surveys, in collaboration with University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s School of Travel Industry Management, and is being used to inform reservation planning.

The first phase of construction will address the steep slope at the start of the trail. Officials hope to begin work by the end of 2025, with closures announced in advance.

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