Ehukai Pillbox Hike | Haleiwa | Island of Oahu | Hawaii
More information: https://www.best-of-oahu.com/ehukai-pillbox-hike.html Know Before You Go: Parking for this hike is just off Kamehameha Highway at Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park. You’ll find the trailhead at the east end of the parking lot. Length: 2 miles round trip Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Moderate to difficult. Terrain: Dirt, grass, very steep in some places. Kid-Friendly: Yes. Dog-Friendly: Yes.
It was our last day in Oahu. We had wanted to hike Diamond Head but failed to get the necessary reservations so decided on a drive instead.
We had stopped at the Dole plantation and then continued driving around the North Shore of Oahu. I was looking at the map and kind of tired of sitting in the car, so I suggested we pull in to the parking lot of the Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park and hike to the pillboxes. We had talked about wanting to see the pillboxes when we were planning our trip, and this seemed to be our last chance.
This hike is pretty steep but short. As you reach the top of the ridge, look through the gaps in the trees for amazing views of the North Shore.
The pillboxes are amazing. They are old military bunkers used in World War II on Oahu by soldiers tasked with watching for the enemy approaching from the north. Soldiers would spend hours in these little cement boxes with long narrow windows to the sea. They are made of thick concrete that offered protection from enemy fire. Graffiti artists have redecorated in an extreme way, but you can still imagine what it was like more than half a century ago when you stand and keep watch over the ocean.