Kua Loa Ranch in Hawaii has served as a filming location for more than 70 Hollywood movies, including “Jurassic Park.” (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
With more than 4,000 acres of lush rain forest and wide-open rangelands, Kua Loa Ranch is a popular and multifaceted destination on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
Tucked into the Ko’olau mountains, the ranch beckons visitors with promises of history and recreation in the Ka’aawa Valley.
The ranch, established more than a century ago, is a private nature reserve featuring hundreds of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and more. It’s been a popular tourist spot for years; hundreds of thousands of people visit annually.
The Kua Loa Ranch on Oahu, Hawai, is a multifaceted recreation area with a storied past. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
The Kua Loa Ranch, established more than a century ago, is a private nature reserve featuring hundreds of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep and more. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
Do some digging on the ranch website and you’ll find 15 single adventures or a package deal there.
My family and I went with the half-day package — $120 for adults — that lets you enjoy a grand tour of the ranch, the Secret Island and a Hollywood movie site, to name a few.
Other packages involve horseback riding, riding all-terrain vehicles around the ranch, ziplining and other activities.
After a short wait for our tour’s start time, we boarded a bus with an energetic and comedic local driver who was very helpful on the tour. He took us down bumpy dirt roads to our first destination, the Hollywood Legends Exhibit, which included iconic TV and movie memorabilia, props and displays well known worldwide.
Horseback riding is one activity of several offered at Kua Loa Ranch on Oahu, Hawaii. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
The ranch, with its naturally scenic surroundings, has been a location for more than 70 movies such as “The Karate Kid Part II,” “Godzilla,” “Pearl Harbor,” “50 First Dates,” “Windtalkers,” the TV series “Lost” and many more.
At the Jurassic Valley, one of the highlights of our time there, you are whisked into a cinematic atmosphere. One famous wide-open field was the location for a scene from the 1993 box office hit “Jurassic Park,” in which a flock of Gallimimus runs from a Tyrannosaurus bursting from the nearby trees. Seeing the actual giant set pieces from the movie “Kong: Skull Island,” with an opportunity to take photos up close, was very cool.
Another part of our package was the Ocean Voyage Tour, a little over an hour tour on two boats near and on the Kāneʻohe Bay. The first 20-minute ride on a small, multi-passenger boat across the Moli’i fishpond provided insight about the 800-year-old pond and Hawaiian ancient aquaculture, according to the website.
On the other side of the pond leading to the bay, we were led on a short walk through the sandy, tree-shrouded Secret Island. The Secret Island Beach Adventure tour, which starts at $55, offers canoeing, paddleboarding, swimming and more.
Mokoli’i Island is a lonesome-looking piece of land that you can view on the Secret Island Beach Adventure tour. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
A catamaran takes guests on the Ocean Voyage Tour of the Kua Loa Ranch on the Kāneʻohe Bay, outside the Kua Loa valley of Oahu, Hawaii. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
From there, we boarded a large catamaran and enjoyed a sunny but breezy 45-minute ride with a wonderful view of the nearby basalt islet, Mokoli’i Island, a lonesome piece of land.
An enthusiastic guide narrated our trip past popular landmarks and sea life, including large sea turtles. We spotted several of the reptiles in the water as they broke the surface and quickly dove back down again.
A free lunch buffet is included on the half-day tour at the Ranch House, which offers a variety of food, from Hawaiian cuisine to grass-fed beef burgers, and other selections. An expansive gift shop has items to purchase that will help you remember your time at the popular ranch. Military discounts are a plus, and the ranch offers them with a valid identification.
On the QT
Directions: 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, Hawaii, 96744-5152.
Times: Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; the last tour departs at 3:30 p.m. Closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.
Costs: Admission varies depending on the package you choose.
Food: Aunty Patty’s Cafe at the Ranch House offers a variety of food; picnic areas available.
Information: 808-237-7321; online: kualoa.com
