Kamehame Ridge

This hike was fun, much easier than I was expecting! It’s a paved road all the way up, the only semi-​challenging part is that it’s all uphill. Once you get to the top, you go around the fence by the old rusty truck. However, as of 4÷4÷16 the catwalk/​concrete slab has been removed. The views are still beautiful, and it was interesting seeing all the abandoned little buildings on the way up!

Hey guys!
Recently the government closed down this hiking trail and that’s too bad because this hike was great! So, let me just tell you about my experience and above is a link to a video I made if your interested in watching!
It was winter break for us college kids & it was the beginning of the year. So, me and my friends decided to check out this hike trail. None of us ever went on it or knew where it was. But we eventually found the trail and got to the top. Parking was easy because it’s free street parking. There were other groups that went the same time as us which was a good thing because we were able to follow them. Going up was like a pavement/​road and it was more of like a walk up to the catwalk. It took us about 30 minutes to get up.
Yet, when me and my friend kylee hard a hard time find it on the way up. there was no clear walk way to follow. There was a bunch of weeds blocking our view, but in the video above you’ll see that we found the place :) Overall, we had fun going on this hike and it was super easy!
So sad that they had to close this hike down. But I’m fortunate enough to say that I hiked this trail!

So everybody insisted on sharing the aloha. Posting this site and directions to this site. It’s private property. And people decided to risk it and kept going. Well its gone! Like totally ripped out. The residents of Hawaii kicked the bill that almost hit six figures because people can’t respect private property. And now that slab of concrete that offered such an awesome photo op is gone. Thank you all for wasting my hard earned taxes and sharing my aloha.
All that is left is a little nub of concrete. An fu from the state of Hawaii.

I don’t even consider this a real «hike.» First, the land is owned by Kamehameha Schools/​Bishop estate. This is not a legally sanctioned trail by the State of Hawaii. It was never a legal trail. The stations at the top are operated by the FAS. I’ve seen people cut through the fence, leave trash, and vandalize the surrounding areas. It’s no wonder the state got pressured into cracking down.
Now the consequences of the over-​exposure of this ridge: The slab of concrete labeled «Dead Man’s Catwalk» was recently demolished. Now future generations won’t be able to see it first-​hand anymore.

Did this today. Cops came rounded everyone up! Gave warnings and a LONG lecture… told us if we weren’t out the gate before they drove through and closed it they would cite us. They took all of our pictures too. This is my first Unilocal review ever but I thought I’d give a warning. It’s not legal to do not even from the ridge. Anyone on the catwalk no matter the route taken was warned and their picture taken. Feeling lucky it wasn’t worse. Hope this helps. Some locals told us as we sped out a new satellite company has purchased the land and was tearing it down. Not sure how true this is but they really cracked down today.

Deadmans Catwalk.
Hey Unilocalers, to help you guys out this review will be very detailed jst so you guys don’t get confused at any point in the hike. Because the directions we used were horrible & it took us longer to get there because of the confusion. But I hope it helps you guys out & this is the way my boyfriend & I went. I’m not too sure if there’s a shorter way or not but this will take you there (: My boyfriend & I went around 1pm yesterday on a Monday, there wasn’t a security guard but there were cars that drove up the paved road & locked the gate behind them. Oh, & fyi going up to the catwalk is all uphill, it would be smart to take a waterbottle with you.
1. Walk through the entrance gate, you could hop over the wall or if you’re small enough jst go through it.
2. To your left will be a big fence with some type of circular building in it, walk past it, follow the paved road up.
3. You will come to a big fence that’s blocking the road (when we went it was open & unlocked) you could walk right past it or if it’s locked then you could either climb it or walk to the left & around the fence. After that follow the paved road up.
4. When you see a bent sign on the right hand side of the road then you’re almost there! About half way through the hike! Follow the paved road.
5. Next will be some kind of leadership camp to the right with a small open grass area to the left. When we went there was some type of program going on down at the camp & cars parked on the grass. Don’t get worried, jst keep going up.
6. You’ll pass 3 large containers to the right with a fence around it & some type of electrical structure. Keep going up, almost there!
7. You’ll come to a big fence blocking the road up. On the sign will be a red spray painted arrow pointing to the right, do not follow that arrow. Go to the left & follow along side the fence until you come to a hole in it. Go through the hole. You’ll end up in some kind of work area. It looked abandoned but there are definitely workers that probably go up there to check & do maintenance work & whatnot.
— Go a little more in & to the right you will see an abandoned smashed truck, next to it (on the left) will be a fence, you could go to the right or left along the fence (which ever on you prefer) & tada! There’s The Deadmans Catwalk!
I hope my review helps you on your hike to the Catwalk & please when going on this hike or any other hike, do not litter or do any kind of childish graffiti. There were graffiti everywhere. Please be respectful. Thank you (:

Done on 11÷23÷15. One of the best views of our honeymoon trip. No guard when we went, but saw the residential neighborhood security guards driving on the way up. It’s at the end of a cul-​de-​sac and you must pass the no trespassing gate at the top. There are several views along the way if you can find them past the hidden house, but the dead mans cat walk is all the way at the end. Once you reach the power lines/​electrical rooms, there is an hidden walk way on the right that leads you up and down till
You reach a gate that you go around to each the cat walk. Views for days.

Dead mans catwalk is an easy hike as most of it is paved. There are now many signs posted stating that it is private property and that hiking is prohibited. We went on a Saturday and there were many people hiking. You do have to jump over a fence halfway up that is not too tall. The views at the top are Gorg! It was busy at the top with many people waiting to take their pics and not a very big space to wait. On the way down a truck came up the road and warned us to pay attention to the signs that were posted. Worth the risk :)

How did we end up here? Serious super stealth skills.
We walked up like bosses, no guards in sight, beautiful cloudy breezy day. But then came the first car while Kait was having a bathroom break. que diving into the bushes. Coast is clear so we continue, another vehicle approaches so we dive into this grassy area, and what’s next to us? A pair of VS panties (Kaitlin has the same pair she informs me) I can’t help but wonder how did someone leave without them. Again we continue on our journey (should be an hr max there and back hike was 3 hours). We lucked out all the gates were open so no climbing up or around fences, as we got about ¾ of the way there… more cars and people. So naturally Kait hid in a tree and I dove over a guardrail into grass… that was a close one… but then around a corner is 3 workers. like oh crap! So while we are figuring out what to do And we hear a car! Shoot! So we dive both into a grassy area. I can’t see her but we both realized the truck literally stopped at our location. Shoot! He is walking around. what seems like 10 minutes (2 minutes) and it just so happens Kait is in the spot where the survey marker is that he is working with. so he sees her and is like Hi there. I stay stealth… until Kait walks over and he’s like holy shit I didn’t see you there! Well that’s the goal of being super stealthy. Kait will learn. Another person pulls up… we have to decide do we continue or try again another day. We didn’t come all this way for nothing, so naturally we keep strolling. Well by this time it’s super foggy and rainy but we are dead set on getting to the catwalk. Well we reach the top portion just before the stairs… and what do you know… tons of people. We turn back running to hide and of course we are loud dropping everything out of the backpack, thank god it was windy because no one saw us… so we think. We end up waiting in a lookout off to the side and decide to wait it out, they should go on lunch soon. Well it starts pouring down rain… but finally they leave. We waited out the ran and fog… to a beautiful view and zero issues coming down. We were there from 9−12ish!

Awesome!!! went super early and was able to see the view everyone’s been talking about.
* there is a guard, to avoid that. just go early (4−6am)

I think it’s pretty ridiculous this hike is closed and they are cracking down so hard on it. Especially since people have been doing the hike anyway and there haven’t been any news stories or reports about problems. So basically it’s, «the hike is closed because there might be a problem»?
There are plenty of responsible and respectful hikers, so if you are going to have a guard/​cops there anyway– why not ticket those who act in an inappropriate way?
It’s greedy, it’s not logical, and it’s wrong. Shame on the «landowners» who feel the need to assert this power. Hike after hike is closed on this island. When that incentive is no longer an incentive to live/​visit Oahu and economic factors become an issue, maybe this will all be re considered.
Extremely disappointing– but not because I can’t do the hike, more over the lack of Aloha.

Been waiting to go on this hike for years… finally did it amd it was amazeballs!!! Uphill, killed my calves, but paved so not crazy hard… went early, gates were open for a retreat and maintanence… view was amazing! Back to the car, there was a cop but he didnt get outta his car so ok.

Although it has an incline, this trail is almost completely paved, making it easy to do. The views are breath taking. We saw 2 goats on a nearby ridge. Just walk around the fenced in area, approaching from the left side is slightly easier. Hold onto the fence and make your way into «the dead man catwalk». Takes about 30 minutes to come up. Wear a hat because it can get sunny, there are no shelter from sun. Can clearly see the Makapu’u lighthouse from the trail.

This hike is illegal/​off-​limits/​guarded. We risked it and tried this hike on a Saturday morning around 8 am. There was no sign of a guard, so we proceeded. I’ve been told it’s hit or miss when the guard is there, so just use caution.
This is a relatively easy hike, with paved road most of the way. There are a few areas where you should watch your footing, but only when getting to the catwalk itself. There is fencing to hold on to, so you won’t feel completely helpless.
It took about 30 mins to get to the top. We walked at a pretty brisk pace. I felt the burn in my calves a few times when the road got a little steep, but nothing too difficult if you take it a little slower.
The views are just gorgeous! We had a blast taking lots of pictures on the edge of the catwalk and getting the typical photos for Instagram/​Facebook. We posted a pretty sweet video on Youtube of our adventure.
We then went over to a less known trail that is completely overgrown with brush but not too difficult to get to. It is to the left of the catwalk and offers some similar views of Waimanalo. The whole hike itself took us a little over an hour.
Overall, I think I would recommend this as a TO DO for Oahu, Hawaii. We certainly had a blast. I’ll probably go again with my kids (14, 16) as it’s not as dangerous as I originally thought.

Finally made it to Deadman’s cat walk! Thank goodness no guard or cops on site. Short hike with a long incline but well worth it! The view was super amazing from the bottom up. To bad this hike is closed to the public, if u get a chance and hope there isn’t any guards at the entrance it’s well worth it. Be prepared to crawl into small man made holes and there is a lot of areas that are fenced off. And remember, it is a residential area.

Length: 1 hour roundtrip
Difficulty: easy, paved road all the way
The way: This is an illegal hike but we went on a weekend afternoon and had no issues. Drive and park at the end of Kamehame Dr and you’ll be faced with the first gate. Hop over this and it’s paved road all the way. It’s fairly short hike but you still feel like you’ve got a nice workout. The second gate was opened when we got there. You’ll soon hit a fork in the road and you’ll want to veer left. The third gate was locked but you have to walk around it from the left. You’ll have to walk a fair distance and through some trees before you can spot the puka to crawl through. We saw some huge dudes try to crawl through a small one at the beginning of the hike and thought it was pretty hilarious. From here you’ll see a large platform that you can climb onto, although the view is not too exciting from up there. Walk past the platform and you’ll go up a small hill and veer sort of off the trail to your left from here you’ll climb down to the fence. You’ll have to sort of walk around the fence over a cliff to get to the Dead Man’s Catwalk so be careful when doing this. The view from here is amazing and totally worth the short hike. The catwalk itself is pretty short but there’s a cement block at the base of it if you want to take some timed selfies.
Overall, a nice short hike with a great payoff. Illegal though :(

Illegal, yet beautiful to hike, Dead Man’s Catwalk is one of my favorite views on O’ahu!
This hike is absolutely illegal and you will be stopped if caught! My family and I hiked this right before noon and it was a mistake. It was so hot that we needed to take breaks every once in a while. Hopping over the first fence, we continued on until we saw a pink ribbon tied onto grass to indicate that that’s where the catwalk was. We follow the path to find out that it wasn’t the catwalk but another spot with a beautiful view of the east side of Oahu. On a sunny day, the water looks so blue! We took a few pics and decided to continue hiking.
We were halted by another fence with no openings but then I noticed a path that lead up from the left side of the fence and remembered reading something about it. We went up the path and basically stayed close to the fence so we wouldn’t fall. After tackling lots of grass and bushes we finally found a hole to go through. There were electricians working up there when we passed through the hole. Once through, a worker noticed us and shook their head. We could already tell that they weren’t pleased that we were there. They told us to go back or to go around because we were trespassing. We go back out through the hole and continue along the fence.
At this point my body was starting to get itchy with all the bushes and grass we were going through so I used my camel back as a shield. We finally make it around and get to a small cliff leading to the catwalk. My fam was too scared to go down with me so I went by myself. As I started to take pics, the workers noticed me and told me I wasn’t suppose to be there. Frustrated, I climbed back up and went back around with my fam to the first small catwalk we saw previously.
After half an hour of taking pics, the electricians were leaving for lunch or whatever. I wanted to go back to take pics because I probably won’t ever get a chance to get up there again since they might completely close it down. My cousin and I go while the rest went back to the car. We were running low on water so we moved quickly. After going through the hole in the fence again and checking if it was clear, we went to the catwalk and took a few pics before heading out again. As we headed back we noticed that the guard was at the gate patrolling. We quickly climbed over the fence and walked away without looking back so we wouldn’t get cited.
Overall, the hike was somewhat difficult, but I was mostly scared about getting caught. The view is def amazing! Just sad that people have vandalized the place. I’m glad I got to hike it before they ever completely shut it down or increase security.

It’s totally illegal but totally worth it. Respect your surroundings don’t leave trash and be respectful especially when parking in the neighborhood. The view is amazing but don’t get caught. There will be a guard sometimes and they will have the police come from what I hear. Be careful and know the risks before going.

I love this hike! I would definitely do it again. It’s short and sweet, paved, windy at times (so not deathly hot), but also entirely uphill so your legs burn afterward. At least mine does. Hellooo I’m inactive remember?! And the views… the views are spectacular. Worth every leg burning minute!
Getting to the catwalk was interesting. I guess I didn’t read the reviews well, but I didn’t know that you had to divert the course, go through a narrow trail of tall bushes and trees, and basically at some point be in a reed forest. I, being the klutz I am, hit my head on a tree branch and scraped up my legs from sharp leaves. :(But, catwalk is a gorgeous picture. Definitely worth it.
This was a pretty crowded hike. I guess the word is out. I believe we saw about 30 people, maybe more. Some really fit and just jamming it up the mountain, some people pushing strollers, people with kids. It’s a good hike. I did see a big pile of dog poo going up, If you’re gonna bring an animal, either have them poop WAYYY in the bushes so it’s not to be seen, or clean it up.
I wanted to point out something however. I can TOTALLY understand why residents in this beautiful neighborhood want to stop people from coming up here. There are some rude locals who come up here and I myself was annoyed. There was one group of loud people, with one guy in particular, YELLING from the top of the ridge, he was just whoo hooing and screaming and yelling, and yelled at my friend to «wave» back at them and when she didn’t, yelled an obscenity at her. Supppper annoying. He either actually had a mental problem, or he was one of those super loud guys who think they are funny and want attention, but really, just… very lame. We all were hoping he would fall. Not die. Just fall, lose some of that arrogance he got.
Then on the way down, I see them, in the back of their truck just cruising outside the houses in the neighborhood, chillin, being loud, playing music. It’s like… yea. this is why places like this get shut down. Because you then feel you can have a tailgate party afterward. I get it, it’s not a gated community and it is a free country. But seriously, have some sort or respect. I wouldn’t like it if random people came and hung out outside my house being all loud and shi.
I also saw a totally unrelated person, put their dirty shoes up on one of the mailboxes of these freaking million dollar homes to stretch. Like foot on top of concrete pillar stretching.
All of these people looked local. Looked young-​ish (teens to late 20’s). It was annoying. I guess me in my old age was just totally put off. Can we all try to respect the neighborhood people! It’s a quiet neighborhood, it’s a wealthy neighborhood, maybe have some manners k?
And that’s my scolding of the day :)

«The Dead Man Cat Walk» hike… is what most people would call it. I saw tons of pictures of people who been to this hike. But this isn’t the name of the hike. Didn’t even know what the name of this hike was until I checked in on Unilocal,and it gave me Kamehame Ridge. What am I gonna do without Unilocal in my life?!
Anyways, my friend said this hike has a really nice view. So we went venturing there in the morning. It was really hot. I got sunburned… and a farmer’s tan is what’s next. Argghhh! I considered it not a really long hike, less than an hour, and a view that’s worth it. Especially if you take ridiculous pictures there. The plank is very known for interesting pictures. At the same time, gives me a creepy feeling. But be careful near the edge because it’s kinda dangerous. A big gust of wind, you would be sky diving toward the ocean. There was this loner chair sitting there. The heck?! Yea, sit there and watch your friends do a cat walk. How entertaining?
Oh yea, as for Parking, can’t forget that! Park anywhere near the edge of people’s houses. I guess it’s okay. Maybe someday I’ll come again!