Book on their siteNature & outdoors · 75 minutesWaterfall walks
STOP 1 OF 4
Mānoa Falls Trail
Honolulu · Free to visit
A short rainforest walk from the end of Mānoa Road.
1–2 hours · Parking about $7
EThe editors
Waterfall walks
Four valley walks that end at a fall. Never swim after heavy rain.
4 placesA full dayRead the guide ↓
- 1. Mānoa Falls TrailA short rainforest walk from the end of Mānoa Road.HonoluluFree to visit1–2 hoursParking about $7
- 2. Waimea Falls (Waihī)A paved valley path to a fall with a lifeguard.North ShorePaid entry2 hoursIncluded with Waimea Valley entry
3. Likeke FallsBehind the Koʻolau golf course. Best after rain.WindwardFree to visit1–1.5 hoursFree
4. Lāʻie Falls TrailA longer climb above Lāʻie to a small fall and pool.WindwardFree to visit3–4 hoursFree (permit when issued)
The guide
How to do it: Waterfall walks
Oʻahu’s waterfalls sit at the back of wet valleys, and the walks to them are muddy most of the year. They’re best a day after rain, when the falls are running and the trail has had a few hours to drain.
Only Waimea Falls has a lifeguard. Don’t swim in the others: falling rocks, flash floods and leptospirosis are real risks.
- The order to do it in
- Mānoa Falls from Honolulu, Likeke on the windward side, Waimea on a North Shore day, Lāʻie only if permits are open.
- When to go
- Mornings. Turn back if the stream is rising.
- Getting there
- A car. Mānoa Falls has a paid lot (about $7).
- What to bring
- Shoes you don’t mind ruining, insect repellent.
- What it costs
- Waimea Valley entry ($26 adults); the rest are free.
Worth knowing
- Likeke is an unofficial trail; keep to the main path.
Started from the pins on Deviating the Norm’s Oʻahu map (the map). Places, notes and the guide checked and written by us; prices and opening times change, so check before you go.
Private tours
Rather go with a guide?
Book on their siteNature & outdoors · 75 minutesBook on their siteNature & outdoors