NORTH SHORE OF O‘AHU FACT SHEET
O‘AHU – Known all over the world
as the “surfing capital,” the North Shore of O‘ahu spans from Lā‘ie to
Ka‘ena Point. Lā‘ie is home
to the Mormon Temple,
Brigham Young
University and the Polynesian Cultural
Center, Hawai‘i’s most
popular paid attraction. Roughly 38
miles from Waikīkī, Lā‘ie Point is a great place to view the North Shore
coastline.
Down the road from Lā‘ie is Turtle
Bay, known as a prime spot for whale watching and home to one of O‘ahu’s
most isolated and unvisited beaches.
Starting at the Makahoa Point, adjacent to Malaekahana State
Park, the shore stretches five miles and
often has no footprints from prior visitors.
West of Turtle Bay is idyllic Kawela
Bay, perfect for
swimming, with a sandy bottom and a coconut-lined crescent shaped beach.
Next is Kahuku, an old
plantation-town camp that was established in 1890 when sugar was Hawai‘i’s
largest single source of income. Still
in existence at the century-old sugar mill are three of the original steam engines. One dates back to the Civil War and all are
in working condition. Surrounding the
mill is a shopping complex and close by is the famous “White Shrimp Truck” where
visitors have a chance to taste delicious shrimp. Several shrimp trucks and shrimp shacks have
sprung up on the North
Shore, providing visitors
a convenient place to stop for an enjoyable snack.
From August to February, bird
lovers can tour one of Hawai‘i’s few remaining wetlands at James Campbell
Nature Wildlife Refuge. On the free
tour, one may encounter endangered native water birds, as well as migratory
birds from Alaska and Siberia.
Beyond Kahuku is the gateway to
O‘ahu’s famed surfing beaches. Banzai
Pipeline, Sunset,
‘Ehukai and Waimea Bay are famous locations that both
the amateur and professional surfer are well aware. Many sites are visible from Kamehameha Highway,
yet some remain known only by word of mouth from the local surfers.
During the winter, massive waves
pound the North Shore of O‘ahu, thrilling visitors and kama‘āina
who come to watch one of nature’s greatest spectacles. During the summer, the roaring ocean turns
into a calm body of water ideal for fishing, diving, snorkeling, and swimming.
Past Sunset Beach on Pupukea Road is
Pu‘u o Mahuka Heiau State Park,
a national monument and state historic site, and O‘ahu’s largest Hawaiian heiau
(temple). Believed to have been
constructed in the 18th century, this heiau was known as an
advantageous place for a chiefess to give birth.
Past Pupukea Road lies Waimea Bay, an
excellent spot for spectacular surf watching.
Across the way are tropical gardens filled with native flora and fauna
at Waimea Valley Audubon Center, where any outdoor enthusiast or plant
lover could spend an entire day and wind their way to a beautiful waterfall.
Further west is the historic town
of Hale‘iwa, the quintessential
beach and surf town on the North
Shore. This quaint locale is a mecca for beach
goers, surfers, fishing enthusiasts, craftsmen, artists, clothiers, visitors,
and kama‘āina. The prevailing
architecture style in Hale‘iwa is paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) style with many of
the structures built in the early 1900s.
The rustic charm of Hale‘iwa (“house of the frigate bird”) remains,
although its roadside stands and hand-painted signs now compete with
restaurants and surf shops.
Next to Hale‘iwa is Waialua,
the old sugar mill town that has survived by moving away from sugar and carving
another niche market. Waialua Coffee is
only grown on O‘ahu and uses farmlands that once produced sugar. Using natural, local ingredients, Waialua
Soda Works produces gourmet sodas with unique tastes, such as pineapple and
mango. Also in Waialua, next to the
rusting mill in the center of town, is the columned, stately, former Bank of
Hawai‘i building.
Travel down the coastline and
visit the uncrowded beaches of Mokūle‘ia, which many families use
as a picnic retreat and escape from urban life.
Devotees of polo attend weekend matches at the Mokūle‘ia Polo
Field. For the adventurous, Dillingham
Airfield and Gliderport hosts one of the most scenic views of the majestic
mountains on O‘ahu as the gliders soar 5,000 feet high.
The fertile lands of Mokūle‘ia,
“isle of abundance,” once supported a large population of farmers and
fishermen. Ironwood trees are a common
sight in this area because the sugar plantations planted and used them as
windbreaks. Mokūle‘ia also had
several dairies including Dillingham Ranch.
The farthest point west on O‘ahu is Ka‘ena (“the heat”). Aptly named, this area appears almost barren
and desolate. Ka‘ena Point is no longer
accessible, even to four-wheel-drive vehicles, but is a great place for a
leisurely hike. One of the state’s best examples
of coastal lowland and dune ecosystems, it was made a nature reserve in 1983.
The old O‘ahu Railway Train rounded
Ka‘ena Point and stopped briefly to allow passengers to take snapshots of the
beautiful Wai‘anae
Mountains before
continuing eastward toward the sugar fields of Waialua. In 1913, first-class passengers paid $2.80
each for a roundtrip ticket to the sugar plantation town of Waialua and the nearby elegant Hale‘iwa
Hotel. O‘ahu’s north coast was an
endless cane field rustling in the trade wind, and the Waialua Mill smokestack
stood out against a blue sky.
Temperature
During
the winter, temperatures reach highs of 79°F and dip to 60°F. During the summer, temperatures range from
86°F to 66°F. For more information about
O‘ahu weather forecasts, please call (808) 973-4381. For surf report information, please call (808)
596-7873.
Sights & Visitor Attractions
·
Banzai Pipeline
·
Dillingham Airfield and Gliderport
·
‘Ehukai
Beach Park
·
Historic Hale‘iwa town
·
Ka‘ena
Point State
Park
·
Kahuku Sugar Mill
·
Kaiaka State Park
·
Mokūle‘ia Beach Park
·
Pupukea Beach Park
·
Pu‘u o Mahuka
Heiau State
Park
·
Sunset Beach
·
Waialua Sugar Mill
·
Waimea Valley Audubon
Center
·
Waimea Bay
·
White Shrimp Truck
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35339
070107