Aside from your flight into Honolulu, or perhaps a helicopter excursion, Round Top Drive offers you another type of aerial view of the Honolulu skyline, this one by car. The staggering ascent upwards, through every intricate twist and turn, may evoke familiar feelings of slowly climbing to the top of a roller coaster. Difference being, instead of dropping at top speeds once you've reached the top of Round Top Drive, you have the privilege of taking your time to gaze at Oahu's island city and the landmarks that encompass it.
Mount Tantalus is the 2,010-foot tropical mountain monument that you carve on your way to the peak. The sights you see at the top are not the only benefit of the drive. Mount Tantalus certainly has the elements of a rainforest environment, as you feel a refreshing drop in temperature along the drive. Though just minutes from the hotels and sunny beaches, the rainfall accumulation here is a surprising eight times more than that of the Waikiki area in a given year. The landscape along the mountain consists of a wide array of rare Hawaiian plants, a mixture of kukui and banyan trees, bamboo forests, guava trees, wild coffee plants, and the aroma of Hawaii's unique flowers.
For the majority of the 10-mile loop drive, which connects with Tantalus Drive, trekkers find driving conditions pristine. There are a few spots along the way where looking out the window may be a bit nerve-wracking, with only a foot or two separating your car from the embankment, but if you endure those few strenuous moments, you will find the views worthwhile. As you head toward the top, you enter the Round Top Forest preserve and have the option to stop into Pu'u Ualaka'a Park, offering panoramic views that extend from the Manoa Valley and Diamond Head Crater on your left to the Wai'anae mountain ranges on the southwest side of Oahu to your right. Although Pu'u Ualaka'a Park closes after sunset, you can still take the jaunt at night, stopping at any of the lookout points, where the bright lights of Honolulu shimmer on the Pacific Ocean.
Attraction Information
- Directions:
- If you are driving from Waikiki, a convenient way to get to Round Top Drive is to take the Ala Wai Blvd (one way only) to the end, then make a right onto Kalakaua Ave. Take a left on S. Beretania (one way only) and then a right onto Keeaumoku Street, crossing over the H-1 freeway. Make a right onto Wilder Ave and then a left onto Maikiki. Go up until you see Round Top Drive.
