Waterfalls in Hawaii

Overview of waterfalls in Hawaii

Waterfalls in Hawaii range from roadside overlooks, like Rainbow Falls in Hilo and Wailua Falls on Kauai, to trail walks like Mānoa Falls in Honolulu. Some sit in state parks, some in a national park, some on private land and one, Waimea Falls, inside a ticketed botanical valley. After Hurricane Lowell, the status of the Wailua Falls overlook and the ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls lookout is unconfirmed.

Waipoʻo Falls on the Waimea Canyon rim can't be reached while Kōkeʻe Road stays shut, as far as we can tell (DLNR, Nov 2, 2026).

On Hawaii Island, ʻAkaka Falls drops 442 feet in a state park near Honomū. DLNR's October 23, 2026 notices list its 0.4-mile paved loop as partly closed for fallen trees. On Kauai's Nāpali Coast, Hanakāpīʻai Falls is an 8-mile round-trip hike from Hāʻena State Park. On Maui, Twin Falls is on a private farm off the Hāna Highway, with $10 parking. Also on Maui, Waimoku Falls drops 400 feet at the end of the Pīpīwai Trail, per NPS.

Two more Maui falls sit along the Road to Hāna. Makahiku Falls is "nearly 200 foot" tall, per NPS, seen from an overlook on the Pīpīwai Trail. Upper Waikani Falls is a roadside view on the Hāna Highway, where HDOT bans parking at Waikani Bridge.

Hawaii also holds the tallest waterfalls in the US by the World Waterfall Database's count, on Molokai's north shore sea cliffs, but none has a trail. Our guide to the tallest waterfalls in the US explains the rankings.

Oahu has three more falls with tricky access. Lulumahu Falls needs a DLNR day permit. Maunawili Falls has had its neighborhood trailhead closed since 2021. Waimano Falls near Pearl City is reached by an unmanaged spur off the Mānana Trail, so no agency posts its status.

Two things changed in 2026: more state parks now charge visitors to park, and Hurricane Lowell closed much of Kauai's state park system in September. Each waterfall page lists the current fee and status from the agency or owner that runs it, where one exists.

Hawaii state park fees for visitors (2026)

Hawaii residents with a Hawaii driver's license or state ID enter and park free. At state parks that charge, non-residents pay $5 per person to enter and $10 per vehicle to park, by credit card only. Children 3 and under are free.

DLNR's current $5 entry and $10 parking rates took effect at eight parks in October 2020. In November 2025 the state Land Board approved paid parking for non-residents at four more parks, Hawaii News Now reported. They include Wailuku River State Park (Rainbow Falls). The park page says fees there started in January 2026. DLNR's Wailua River State Park page (Wailua Falls) says the fees have been required since February 2026.

ʻAkaka Falls State Park charges the same non-resident rates. DLNR asks visitors to pay before arriving because cell reception there is limited.

Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai, the park for Waipoʻo Falls, also charges non-residents $5 per person and $10 per vehicle. DLNR says those parking tickets are valid in both Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Park lots.

Waterfalls on Oahu

Five of the Hawaii falls on this site are on Oahu, and access ranges from a paved garden path to a permit-only trail. Each status shows the date we last checked it.

Honolulu and Waikiki

• Mānoa Falls: open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 27, 2026). The Mānoa Valley trail is about 1.6 miles round trip and often muddy. No trail fee is listed. Honolulu Magazine (2016) described the trailhead lot as private and paid.
• Lulumahu Falls: open with a permit, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28, 2026). DLNR's permits page requires a reservation and permit, and it links a live application. Day permits carry a $2.50 processing fee on trails.ehawaii.gov.

Windward and Pearl City

• Maunawili Falls: partly open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28, 2026). Na Ala Hele lists the state-land part of the trail as open. The private-land section and the old Maunawili Estates trailhead, closed since July 15, 2021, stay closed.
• Waimano Falls: status unconfirmed, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28, 2026). Na Ala Hele lists the Mānana Trail as open, with a signed right fork down to Waimano Valley. The falls spur is not a managed trail, so no agency posts a status for it.

The Maunawili route runs from the Pali Highway scenic overlook on the Maunawili Trail and Connector, out and back only. That is about 6 miles round trip, by our math from Na Ala Hele's trail lengths. Drop-off is advised at the overlook, which has a 2-hour parking limit.

North Shore

• Waimea Falls: open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 27, 2026). Waimea Falls sits inside Waimea Valley on the North Shore, where 2026 adult admission is $26. A paved, accessible path runs about 3/4 mile each way.

Big Island waterfalls (Hilo side)

Both Big Island falls on this site are on the Hilo side, and both charge non-residents $5 per person plus $10 per car. Rainbow Falls is in Hilo, and DLNR's directions to ʻAkaka run north from Hilo on Hwy 19.

• Rainbow Falls: open, as far as we can tell (DLNR notices, Oct 23, 2026). The falls, about 80 feet per Wikipedia, are a short walk from the Rainbow Drive lot to a roadside overlook in Wailuku River State Park.
• ʻAkaka Falls: partly open, as far as we can tell (DLNR notices, Oct 23, 2026). It drops 442 feet beside a 0.4-mile paved loop with steps, 3.6 miles southwest of Honomū, per DLNR. DLNR says part of the trail is closed for fallen trees.

From Kona, we found no official drive time to either falls. DLNR's October 23, 2026 notices say Hawaii Island state parks have reopened, except part of the ʻAkaka trail, Lapakahi and some camping.

Hāʻena State Park reservations (Hanakāpīʻai Falls)

Out-of-state visitors must reserve on gohaena.com to enter Hāʻena State Park, the trailhead for Hanakāpīʻai Falls. Entry is $5 per person, plus parking or a shuttle seat. DLNR lists parking at $10 per vehicle, but the Go Hāʻena FAQ lists $20 per car per time slot, so check when you book. Reservations open 30 days ahead.

Hawaii residents with a state driver's license or ID enter free without a reservation. Winter hours, until April 1, are 7am to 6:45pm.

Kauai waterfalls after Hurricane Lowell

Kauai's falls on this site reopened unevenly after Hurricane Lowell. Day hiking to Hanakāpīʻai Falls is open, as far as we can tell (Go Hāʻena FAQ, Oct 24, 2026). Waipoʻo Falls can't be reached while Kōkeʻe Road is closed (DLNR, Nov 2, 2026). The status of the Wailua Falls overlook and the ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls lookout is unconfirmed.

Hurricane Lowell passed west of Kauai on September 8, 2026, the County of Kauai said. Hāʻena State Park reopened on October 15, 2026, after closing September 6. The Go Hāʻena FAQ (Oct 24, 2026) says day hiking to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, the valley and the falls is open. The round trip is 8 miles. Overnight camping and hiking past the 2-mile point of the Kalalau Trail stay closed until further notice.

DLNR's October 23, 2026 notices list Wailua River State Park as open only for river and designated landing or trailhead access. Hiking beyond the trailhead is closed, and Uluwehi (Secret) Falls is closed. No DLNR notice says whether the Wailua Falls overlook is open.

DLNR's Nov 2, 2026 notice lists Waimea Canyon Lookout as partly reopened since October 24. Other lookout areas stay closed. Kōkeʻe Road stays closed, and DLNR says all other Kauai state parks remain closed. Check DLNR's Important Park Notices before any Kauai trip.

Waipoʻo Falls on the Waimea Canyon rim (can't be reached)

Waipoʻo Falls drops about 800 feet in two falls into Waimea Canyon, per the 2010 State of Hawaii Data Book. DLNR's Canyon Trail runs 1.8 miles along the rim and ends at the top of the falls. DLNR does not say whether that is one way.

As far as we can tell (DLNR notice, Nov 2, 2026), you can't reach the falls, because both trailheads are off the closed Kōkeʻe Road. The notice says "Kōkeʻe Road remains closed until further notice. Access ONLY to Waimea Canyon Lookout OPEN." The Canyon Trail starts at Puʻu Hinahina Lookout or Halemanu Road, both off the closed road. DLNR does not say whether the falls can be seen from the Waimea Canyon Lookout.

Maui waterfalls: Twin Falls, Waimoku, Makahiku and Upper Waikani

The four Maui falls on this site range from a roadside view to a 4-mile round-trip hike. Figures come from each falls page and its official source.

Twin Falls is on a private farm near Mile Marker 2 of the Hāna Highway. It is open, as far as we can tell (official site, checked Oct 28, 2026).

• Parking: $10 per car in a 55-space private lot beside the fruit stand, with no reservations and no street parking.
• Trail: the lower falls are a short walk from the lot. The official FAQ says the upper falls are over a mile round trip, with riverbed crossings.
• Hours: gates open at 7:10am, and last entry is 4:30pm.
• Residents-only day: the site is closed to out-of-state visitors on the first Saturday of every month.

The owners post high-water trail closures on the farm's Instagram and Facebook.

Farther along the highway, Waimoku Falls drops 400 feet at the end of the Pīpīwai Trail, a 4-mile round trip in Haleakalā National Park, per NPS. It is open, as far as we can tell: on Nov 3, 2026 the NPS Current Conditions page listed no Pīpīwai Trail closure. NPS charges $30 per private vehicle, valid for three days.

Makahiku Falls is on the same Pīpīwai Trail. NPS calls it "nearly 200 foot (61 m) tall" on a page last updated Dec 18, 2020. Its overlook is about 0.5 mile in, a 1-mile round trip that NPS says takes about 1 hour. The same $30 vehicle fee applies, and NPS takes cards only. It is open, as far as we can tell (checked Nov 13, 2026).

Upper Waikani Falls is a roadside view on the Hāna Highway (Route 360). Travel guides use the name Three Bears Falls, but we found no official source that uses it. HDOT bans parking at Waikani Bridge: a $35 citation plus a $200 surcharge, per a June 10, 2021 release. No official source covers the route to the pool, so we give no directions to it.

As far as we can tell, Upper Waikani Falls is visible from the highway (checked Nov 13, 2026). Follow the signs posted on the road.

Can you swim in Hawaii waterfalls?

Only Waimea Falls on this list has lifeguard-approved swimming. Elsewhere, the Hawaii Department of Health advises against swimming or wading in any freshwater stream or pond.

Leptospirosis: the Department of Health warns especially against entering fresh water with cuts or open sores. Leptospirosis is a bacterial illness spread through animal urine.

Waimea Falls: swimming is allowed only when lifeguards approve it, at a daily 9am call. Life jackets are required and provided free, and diving or climbing on the waterfall rocks is not allowed.

Flash floods: DLNR's Na Ala Hele hiking guidance warns that rain in the mountains can raise a stream suddenly, even when it looks dry where you are. It says to find another route or wait for the water to drop rather than cross a swollen stream.

Flash-flood risk matters most on the way to Hanakāpīʻai Falls. In 2016 DLNR said Hanakāpīʻai Stream at flood stage has claimed numerous lives, with people swept out to sea while trying to cross. State Parks closes the Kalalau Trail ahead of flood warnings and during flash flooding.

Closed waterfalls in Hawaii: Sacred Falls and Uluwehi Falls

Some well-known falls are closed. Sacred Falls State Park on Oahu has been closed since a 1999 rockfall killed eight people. DLNR said in 2022 that its officers cite trespassers. On Kauai, Uluwehi (Secret) Falls is closed in 2026, and Waipoʻo Falls can't be reached while Kōkeʻe Road stays shut. Check the status line on each waterfall page before you go, and never enter a closed area.

Hawaii waterfalls FAQ