Man I hear that Jamo, it's tough cruising with the ERA on any given day or weekend and trying to find enough room to just open it up a little.
The "Hidden Hawaii":
A place called "Peacock Flats" camp ground on Oahu. Past Wainae, almost to the very end on the paved road. Turn right at the military gaurd station and show your 'pass' to gain access. To get the pass you have to go downtown to the DLNR office and fill out a form with your vehicle license number(s), it's good for two weeks. No cost, just the hassle of finding the office.
The paved road takes you to the top of the mountain range near the big white radar domes that sit up there. The view is spectacular. The paved road ends and you leave the military area and enter the 'hunting/camping' dirt road's which many miles later end up on the other side of the mountain and "Peacock Flats" campground. BRING THE MAP from DLNR with you, you'll need it! Plenty water too, no services back there. I've seen boar, peacocks (of course) and some rather large Hawaiian Grouse type bird life, quite a lot of wildlife back in there because it's so seldom accessed. The MAIN dirt road is doable with a rental car, but a 4 wheel drive is highly recommended for max enjoyment. LOT'S of side roads, some get very gnarly, you never when or where, might have to back up if you chicken out. Views to BOTH sides of the island. Miles of dirt roads to explore. Once we picked up two mountain bicyclist's who had got lost, run out of water and were pretty beat up in general. We loaded their bikes on top of the Jeep, gave them water (they needed it badly) and hauled them out of there. On the weekdays you won't run into people, to remote. On the weekends you may see other folks, usually at the camp ground itself.
We would take our LICENSED Enduro motorcycles back in there to ride. ONLY licensed vehicles are allowed, best trails on the Island, by far!
