Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

This is such a mild trail, you almost can’t call it a hike. It’s more like a walk on a trail through the grass.


Pele's Chair is a delightful hike and swim. A great free thing to do on Oahu.
It's an easy hike that’s fun for the whole family; a hike to Pele’s Chair trail brings you to a dramatic coastline, legendary rock formations, and one of the best natural seawater pools on the island.
Roundtrip Distance: 1.3mi. Difficulty: Easy. Great for all ages.
Characteristics: Relatively level, smooth terrain until the very end where you can scale a short hill if you wish. This is more walk than hike so you should have no problems.
Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

Most folks make the hike to Pele’s chair to jump off the pole, but did you know the snorkeling is excellent? Bring your gear!
Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

This is such a mild trail, you almost can’t call it a hike. It’s more like a walk on a trail through the grass.
Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

Although the beach nearby isn’t the greatest, it’s still a fun place to hang out. The water is knee deep which lets you lay on your back and relax. The shallowness and dark colored bottom gives you a bathwater-warm temperature and some tide pools on the side are wonderful for children to explore and play in.
Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

This has to be one of the funnest pools on Oahu. For those young at heart, you can “walk the plank” and jump off the flattened telephone poll that acts as a diving board. The water is relatively shallow and has a sandy bottom that gives the place a tropical turqoise look when the sun is out.
Read more: Jump in the Pool at Pele's Chair - Jump in the Pool at ...
Oahu Hiking - Hike & Swim at Pele's Chair

This dramatic rock formation that looks like a chair from some angles is believed by native Hawaiians to be the one of the last places where “Madame Pele”, godess of fire and volcanoes, left Oahu to continue her search for what is now believed to be her home on the Big Island.
This rock grabs your attention from the highway and as you hike towards it, it has a magnetic pull on your attention. I find myself having a difficult time not looking at it constantly. When you get up close, it has an eerie, spiritual feel to it. One time we were there and a woman was mediating on the rock.
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Experienced hikers know what to bring, and here’s a guide for the rest of us:
• Water (lots!)
• Hat, large enough to give you plenty of shade. Personally I like the large “Chinese” hats.
• Good hiking shoes. Either that or go barefoot, like I do!
• Light lunch for your reward at the end of the trail.
• Nuts and energy snacks for along the way of particularly long hikes.
• Camera
• Sunscreen
• Binoculars
• Depending on conditions, leave a change of shoes and clothes in the car.
• GPS unit.
• Walkie-talkies for the group.
• Wireless phone