Things to do nearTantalus Lookout - Puu Ualakaa State Park

Puu Ualakaa State Park takes its name from a Hawaiian phrase roughly meaning rolling sweet potato hill, a reference to the way gourds and root crops were once rolled down these slopes during traditional Hawaiian cultivation practices. The park occupies a forested ridge on the lower slopes of the Koolau Range, part of the Tantalus and Round Top Drive corridor that winds through one of Honolulu's most scenic highland areas.

At Tantalus Lookout, a paved overlook platform gives visitors an unobstructed, 180-degree view that stretches from Pearl Harbor and the Ewa Plain in the west to Koko Head Crater and Makapuu Point in the east. On a clear day the panorama takes in downtown Honolulu, the Aloha Tower, the densely packed neighborhoods of Moiliili and Manoa, Waikiki's hotel towers, and the broad blue expanse of the Pacific beyond.

The surrounding forest is a mix of introduced and native species, including Norfolk pine, eucalyptus, and patches of native ohia, and the canopy supports a variety of birds including the red-billed leiothrix and the Japanese white-eye. Hikers use the park as a trailhead for several routes that descend into Manoa Valley or climb deeper into the Koolau ridgeline, making it a genuine destination for those who want more than the view alone.

The drive up Round Top Drive is itself a pleasure, curving through dense green forest with occasional glimpses of the city below. For anyone spending time in Honolulu, Tantalus Lookout offers a perspective on the city that no beach or street-level vantage point can match.