East Oʻahu
Lanai Lookout
A pull-off on the southeast coast road where the lava shelf drops straight into the water.
Why go
The layered rock is the best roadside geology on the island, and on a clear day you can see Molokai and Lanai from the railing.
The catch
People climb down onto the shelf for photographs and the surge comes over it without warning. The railing is where the view is.
- How long
- 15 min
- With children
- Yes
- Effort
- Easy
- Cost
- Free
- Parking
- Limited
Before you go
- Not worth it in poor weather
- Heavy shore break
Getting there
Driving times on real roads, from the same data the trip planner routes on — not straight-line distance.
| From Waikīkī | 25 min | 10.6 miles |
|---|---|---|
| From HNL airport | 53 min | 24.8 miles |
| From Hawai‘i Kai | 10 min | 3.6 miles |
| From Ala Moana | 24 min | 11.1 miles |
Add traffic. These are free-flowing times, and the H1 through town at eight in the morning is not free-flowing.
More on Lanai Lookout: OpenStreetMap
Hours, fees and access rules have not been checked against a primary source for this entry yet. Confirm before you build a day around it.
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What else is close
Nearest by road, which is not the same as nearest on a map — and not the same as sharing a region either.
- Halona Blowhole Lookout2 min awayA lava tube that fires seawater up through the rock when the swell is right.
- Koko Head Stairs2 min awayA punishing climb straight up an old railway track. Over a thousand steps.
- Hanauma Bay5 min awayA protected bay inside an old crater, full of fish and easy to snorkel.
- China Walls7 min awayA long lava ledge at the end of Portlock where the shelf drops into deep water.
- Koko Crater Botanical Garden7 min awayA dryland garden on the floor of an old crater, with a plumeria grove in the middle.
- Makapuu Lighthouse Trail7 min awayA paved uphill walk to a cliff view over the ocean and a red-roofed lighthouse.