Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii - Things to See and Do

What to see and do at the Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii

Visited December 2023

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Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii has been the filming location for many TV shows and Hollywood movies

Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000-acre private nature reserve and working cattle ranch located on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. The ranch includes the Kaaawa Valley, the Kualoa Valley, and the Hakipuu Valley. It is a popular tourist destination, known for its breathtaking landscapes, cultural heritage, and diverse outdoor activities.

In 1850 through 1880, an American doctor and missionary Dr. Gerrit P. Judd purchased the ranch land and the island of Mokolii which is located just offshore from King Kamehameha III. The family still owns the ranch and the attractions located here.

Kualoa has been the filming location for many popular TV shows and for of over 70 Hollywood movies including Jumanji, Kong Skull Island, Jurassic World, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, Jurassic Park, Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor, Godzilla, Tears of the Sun, and 50 First Dates.

We visited Kualoa Ranch on 12/14/2023. While there we visited the free attractions on the site while we waited for the 2.5-hour Jurassic Adventure Tour which takes you thru all three valleys on the ranch. It is one of the 13 different tours offered on the ranch.

The Jurassic Adventure Tour took us from the Visitor center in the Kualoa Valley to a World War II bunker on a cliff between this valley and the Kaaawa Valley. We toured the bunker which is filled with props from some of the movies and TV shows filmed on the ranch. We then continued down into Kaaawa Valley which is also known as Jurassic Valley. Here we visited numerous sites from Jurassic Park movies and the sites of various other films such as Skull Island and Jumanji. The tour then crossed back to the Kualoa Valley, and then into the Hakipuu Valley. In the Hakipuu Valley, we were able to see the island of Mokolii off the coast and the ancient fishpond. The ranch is engaged in reforesting the valley with native vegetation. The highlight here was a visit to the location of the Jurassic World gates and observation deck.

To see the numerous tours available at Kualoa Ranch through Viator: Click here for details.

View of the Kualoa Ranch from the visitor center and restaurant.

Some of the horses on the ranch.

Molii is an 800-year old ancient Hawaiian fishpond and the island of Mokolii

Molii is an 800-year old ancient Hawaiian fishpond which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. The island of Mokolii which is located just offshore is also known as Chinaman's hat.