How to Watch Sunrise at the Lanikai Pillbox in Oahu, HI

A few of the must-do things for us on our Hawaii itinerary were to watch the sunrise, watch the sunsets and hike up Stairway to Heaven. From my research, one of the best places to watch the sunrise is the Lanikai Pillbox hike. So naturally, it made its way to the top of our list. This was our earliest morning wake-up of the entire trip. It’s one of those where the clock goes off and you think to yourself… “Are we really getting up?? It’s the middle of the night!” We both had a feeling that this would be an awesome adventure, so we managed to roll out of bed, stumble over to our gear and toss it into the car. Just like that, we were off for another day in paradise!

STATS:

Where:
Lanikai Pillbox Hike trailhead – 265 Kaelepulu Dr, Kailua, HI 96734
Coordinates:21.390104, -157.719008

Parking: 
street parking. You will be parking on the residential street so please be respectful of the neighbors. Keep your noise to a minimum. Do not park on the side of the Mid-Pacific Country Club. There were guards there blocking the road on Kaelepulu Dr.

Distance: 
1.35 miles R.T.

Elevation Gain: 
540 ft

Level: 
Intermediate 

Estimated Completion Time: 
3 hours

Ideal Weather: 
Dry days. The steep sections can be difficult when muddy.

Ideal Time: 
If you are going for the sunrise at the Lanikai Pillbox Hike, start your hike at least an hour before sunrise to leave yourself plenty of time to make it to the top and get good seats.

Dog-friendly: 
Yes. We’ve seen a lot of people bringing their dogs with them. 

Lanikai Pillbox Hike is not handicap accessible.

GETTING THERE:

With us leaving before the sun was up, traffic wasn’t a problem at all as we made our way over to the town of Lanikai. At first, we unknowingly set our GPS for the back trailhead of the Lanikai Pillbox Hike. When we got to our location, we were a little puzzled because it placed us in the middle of a neighborhood with no trailhead to be found. We were in a little bit of panic mode as we were on a time crunch and didn’t have a lot of time to spare. I took out my phone to do some quick research and quickly found the right location. We immediately made a u-turn and headed straight to it.

Lanikai Pillbox Hike’s main trailhead is in the middle of a neighborhood so please be respectful. Please keep your noise to a minimum, don’t slam your car doors, and please don’t block anyone’s driveway. Failure to do these things will result in angry neighbors and the possibility of losing this awesome experience for others. There is no parking lot for this hike. You have to find parking on the residential streets. When we finally got to the right spot, we drove up to the road that went up to the trailhead. There, we were greeted by a guard blocking the road outside the country club. He informed us that we couldn’t park any further up the street and to look for a spot down the other way. We ended up parking along the road right about here 21.391854, -157.718200.
 

THE TRAIL:

After parking, we excitedly grabbed our headlamps, and backpacks and it was time to go. We made our way back up Kaelepulu Dr. towards the trailhead. We passed the security guard and headed a short way up the street to the start of the hike.

Lanikai Pillbox Hike is very short. It only measures around 1.35 miles including the walk from our parking spot. But don’t underestimate it. In only 0.4 of a mile, you will gain over 500 feet in elevation and you will be doing it in the dark. We highly recommend a good headlamp so you have free hands to help you navigate up the steep hills. There are some ropes to help you get up the really steep parts. but they are hard to find in the darkness. Unfortunately, it was so dark during the hike up that it was pretty much impossible to get any good photos.

Even in the dark, the trail is easy to find. We didn’t have any problem finding it. Off in the distance, we could see what looked like fireflies. Little tiny lights move about the place. It ended up being hikers that also had the same idea to watch the sunrise.

After about half a mile, we got to the first pillbox. There were quite a few people there already. We considered staying too. However, in the little amount of light that we were starting to get, we saw that the second pillbox was even higher and decided to go for it. It is just a short hike up the hill to the second pillbox.

We got to the second pillbox just as the sunrise began to paint the first colors into the morning sky. We saw what appeared to be little blobs on top of the pillbox. There still wasn’t enough light to give the other sunrise seekers a proper outline. Dustin boosted me up onto the roof and then used his old rock-climbing skills to get up to join me. It was such a peaceful vibe! People were talking very quietly amongst themselves while others just gazed into the masterpiece that was unfolding before us. As you look down from the pillbox, you can see the sleepy neighborhoods of Lanikai and the surrounding towns glowing with lights. 

 
Dustin jumped off of the pillbox to get some wider shots of the scenery. As he hoisted himself back up, he noticed that the silence had been broken by the faint sounds of excitement. There was just enough light at this point for me to see the figure of a guy on one knee in front of a girl that was definitely surprised. What a way to propose! His photographer instincts kicked into action. He rushed over and got some shots of this amazing moment. It was kind of funny how this moment which had absolutely nothing to do with us, had made this whole experience that much more epic! (A HUGE congratulations to Ivan and Jessi by the way.)

 
After many congratulations from everyone there and a quick exchange of emails, so we could send them their pictures, we shifted our focus back to the sunrise. It was definitely surreal and breathtaking. It was amazing to see the landscape magically appear right before our eyes. Since we had arrived in the dark, we had no clue what was around us. We soon found ourselves high up on a cliff, surrounded by a gorgeous beach and a beautiful mountain range behind us.

As the island slowly woke up, the sky showed off a picture-perfect sunrise that was so vivid and full of color. There was a sense of stillness and quietness in the air as if everyone had forgotten how to breathe, mesmerized by the beautiful display of mother nature. Luckily, Dustin was still focused enough to keep taking photos of a sunrise that continued to get better and better. Every time we thought it had finished, the sun would add more colors like it was trying to show off to us. 

 
After about 45 epic minutes of the gorgeous sky, we bid farewell to all of our new friends that we made on top of the pillbox and started our way back down the hill. The scenery was breathtaking even after the sun had risen. It is pretty cool heading down because you get to actually see all the crazy little hills that you climbed on the way up. Be sure to take your time on the steep parts. As always, the way down the hills is usually a little trickier than the way up. Be sure to make use of the ropes on the way down when you see them.

All in all, I will say that waking up that early was not the easiest thing to do on vacation, but man was it worth it. Once you’re done, don’t forget to check out Moke’s Bread and Breakfast for an amazing breakfast. If you’re up for other adventures in Oahu, check out our blogs on the top 10 things to do in Oahu, as well as Makapu’u Tide Pools, Lulumahu Falls, Kaena Point Hike, or Moanalua Valley Middle Ridge.  

Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!

RECOMMEND GEAR:

Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

•  Sunscreen:
Always helpful with the Hawaiian sun.  We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen or Sun Bum Sunscreen

•  Comfortable hiking shoes, preferably with treads
The beginning part of the trail is pretty slippery. Shoes with treads will make your life easier. Vy’s shoes are North Face HedgeHog GTX.  Dustin’s shoes are Coleman Tasman Hiking Shoe.

•  Water
Water. It gets hot on the way down since there are no shades. You don’t need much unless you’re planning to stay there for a long time. Vy uses the Camelback L.U.X.E. Dustin uses the Clik Small pack (sadly Clik is no longer around).

•  Jacket
It gets cold in the morning before the sun rises. We love our packable Patagonia Puff Jackets! It can keep you warm, yet pack up super light. You can get Vy’s version here, and Dustin’s version here. If you want some lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket

•  Headlight and/or flashlight. This is mandatory if you want to go watch the sunrise.
We both used the Black Diamond Cosmo. 

CAMERA GEAR:
•  Camera:
   Sony a99  

•  Lenses:
   Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens 
   Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX   

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