• One of the most popular hikes on the island takes visitors inside Diamond Head volcanic crater, where even relatively unfit travelers can trudge up 175 stairs and journey through a 225-foot unlit tunnel to reach an observation deck once used by the military to search for approaching enemies. The paved trail attracts novice hikers rewarded with a view of the shores of Waikiki and nearby areas from above.

• More intense than Diamond Head is the climb into Koko Crater to the south, where more than 1,000 makeshift "stairs," which are really wooden blocks from an old railway track, take climbers to the top for sweeping views of the upscale Hawaii Kai homes and marina.

• While on that side of the island, the paved pathway on Makapuu Lighthouse Road offers views of Manana (Rabbit) and Mokuhope islands. A rocky switchback leads more adventurous explorers to some tide pools and a powerful blowhole located nearly 400 feet below the road.

• Crave waterfalls? Most tourists make their way to the Manoa Falls Trail, which veers through a bamboo forest, over massive boulders and exposed roots before the 0.8-mile-long trail reaches the 150-foot shimmering falls. Don't expect a swim, as a 2002 landslide dropped debris and rocks into the pool at the base of the falls, causing the state to rope off the pool. Most people end here, but the 1.3-mile Aihualama Trail will take hikers up a winding path to the end of Manoa Valley and a stunning overlook.

• The Judd Trail, known as Jackass Ginger, crosses a shallow, rocky stream and passes bamboo, ironwood and eucalyptus forests before coming to a small waterfall, which trickles into a refreshing pool. A rope swing makes for an adventurous dip and a slippery rock can be used as a slide. (The trail is also where ABC's hit show "Lost" filmed many of last season's scenes, including Eko's death and the mysterious Jacob's home.)

• Midway through that hike, the Nuuanu Trail veers off for a rigorous climb and more great lookouts, connecting to those 20 other trails above Honolulu. Look carefully from these openings, especially on the Manoa Cliff Trail, for distant falls across the valleys.

• Kaau Crater Trail takes hikers past multiple cascading falls, and the 1.5-mile walk up the Maunawili Trail brings thrill seekers to a deep pool where many jump into brisk water from more than 40-feet above. Sadly, one of the best island waterfalls, the 87-foot Sacred Falls in Kaluanui Valley, closed in 1999 after a rock slide killed eight people and injured dozen of others. The state has since closed the two-mile trail and the Maakua Gulch Trail, which leads to small waterfall and wading pool.