Peacock Flats is a pair of camp sites located in the
Waianae Range
Waianae () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP population was 13,614.
Its name means "waters of the mullet". Its etymology is shared with the far northern Wellington sub ...
on the west side of
Oahu
Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O†...
, Hawaii. It is part of the Kuaokala Forest Reserve and is accessible via the
Kuaokala trail.
Geography
Peacock Flats is accessible only to
four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...
vehicles. It is popular with many of the off-roading clubs on the island and offers both easy and challenging trails over rocks and steep, deeply
rutted trails. The condition of the trails vary greatly with the weather. When wet, the trails are slippery, very treacherous, and almost impassable, however, when dry they can be almost tame.
At the top of the main trail is a camping area (visitors intending to camp must notate that on their permit) with picnic tables and an
outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet, but other forms of dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered. The term may also be used ...
. Hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders share the trails.
Access
Access to Peacock Flats is via the gate at the
Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station across from Yokohama Bay (also known as Keawaʻula Bay). This is a
U.S. Space Force
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...
installation so visitors must get a permit for their vehicle from the State
Department of Land and Natural Resources. The road is occasionally closed when the military raises security levels.
References
{{Reflist
Geography of Oahu