The Haunted Hike In Hawaii Will Send You Running For The Hills

As a state full of fascinating history – including wars, royalty, and mythology – there are countless ghosts who have taken up residence among the 1.4 million residents that call the Hawaiian Islands home. Unlike visiting any of Hawaii’s haunted hotels or roadways, where you are protected by hotel security or your automobile, the haunted hikes you will find across the islands offer little peace of mind - especially at night. Imagine walking along a trail and hearing footsteps or a spooky scream in the distance - how are you to know if it is a fellow hiker enjoying the trail or a paranormal creature?

While you will find haunted trails across the islands - and especially on Oahu - there is perhaps no hike more sinister and spooky than Oahu’s abandoned Old Pali Road, where ghost stories often outnumber hikers found on the trail at any given time.

The trail begins at the Nu’uanu Pali State Wayside, a lookout point with breathtaking views of windward Oahu, and also the site of a major battle during King Kamehameha’s campaign to unify the Hawaiian Islands. Hundreds of warriors were pushed over the lookout and fell to their untimely deaths. There have been several reports of their lost souls seen wandering this area after dark.

It isn’t until you’ve made your way down the overgrown road that has been reclaimed by nature and underneath the new Pali Highway, that the real terror begins.

It is said that Pele and the demigod Kamapua’a – a half man, half pig – had a bad breakup and agreed to never see each other again. Legend has it that you cannot take pork over the Pali Highway, because it means that you are symbolically taking Kamapua’a from one side of the island to the other. If you try to bring pork across, your car will stop at some point along the journey and an old woman with a dog will appear. To continue on your way, you must feed the pork to the dog - or else.

At the end of Old Pali Road, by the Ko’olau Golf Course, is the abandoned Kiona’ole Road, another infamous spot for paranormal activity. There are three major ghost stories that revolve around this area: it is haunted by murder victims whose corpses were dumped nearby, by restless spirits that call a large tree home (don’t get too close, or they’ll transfer to you), and by the ghosts of those who were pushed off the Pali lookout. The warriors are now thought to haunt the small, unmarked trail near the road that is home to laua‘e ferns. It is said that those who pick the ferns are followed home by shadowy figures and subsequently fall ill or are plagued with nightmares.

While we can't say that we've encountered any ghosts on the Old Pali Road, we will say that walking on an old, abandoned road - that could easily be the filming location of the next great horror movie - is an eerie experience. If you're looking for more spooky experiences on Oahu, be sure to check out Hawaii's Haunted Plantation, as well as this haunted Oahu road trip.

Do you think Old Pali Road is haunted? Have you ever hiked this road or encountered paranormal activity in the area? Whether you have or have not, we'd love to hear all about your experiences in the comments.