Less than one mile from downtown Hilo on Hawaii Island's windward side, the Wailuku River free-falls 80 feet over a cave into a large pool at the bottom of a lush gorge. Rainbow Falls, named for the prisms created by sunlight filtering through morning mist, attracts busloads of tourists. Rainbow or no rainbow, visitors bask in the beauty of the falls and its Wailuku River State Park environs, with a big banyan tree and tangles of greenery scented in summer with ginger. According to Hawaiian legend, Hina, the goddess and mother of demigod Maui, dwells in the cave behind the broad cascade of water. Just a few steps from the parking area, a tree-shaded, wheelchair-accessible viewing area perches above the gorge.
Wailua Falls on the Garden Isle of Kauai performs the grand finale of a 4-mile scenic drive from Lihue. At the parking area, you'll hear the roar from the twin falls before they come into view a few steps away. Stay behind the railing above the gorge as you watch the powerful twin falls plummet 100 feet. You might also see a wild parrot or two flying in the jungle below. Wailua Falls achieved fame through its appearance in the opening credits of the 1970s television series “Fantasy Island.”
Hawaii Island, also called the Big Island, is home to the tallest sheer-drop waterfall viewable from land, Akaka Falls. North of Hilo off the lush Hamakua Coast, the waterfall is a graceful veil of 442 feet with frothy white flowing into gossamer that reveals glistening wet rock before it enters a deep-green pool. Akaka Falls is the namesake and subject of one of Hawaii's most famous songs and a beloved setting for Hawaiian weddings. It's an easy .25-mile walk, not counting the steep staircase, to the viewing point in Akaka Falls State Park. The loop path, manicured yet cloistered, passes through jungle where torch ginger and orchids blossom, over a bubbly stream with a stand of bamboo and past Akaka Falls' best man, the 100-foot Kahuna Falls.
The .75-mile hike to Manoa Falls above Honolulu in the Koolau Mountains is among Oahu's most popular. The trail ends at the foot of the falls. Boulders have fallen at the pool, so it's best to stay out of the water. Enjoy the view of the pretty waterfall that cascades 150 feet down a mossy lava wall amid tree ferns. During the hike, watch for thick, slippery roots scrambling over the trail. Drink in the fragrances of tropical blossoms and eucalyptus, and let the tranquil soundtrack of the nearby brook soothe you. Do prepare for rain, mosquitoes and slippery mud. Plan to return before nightfall, which comes early here. Many a hiker has gotten lost after sunset in this setting used to film Steven Spielberg's “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”
Hiking 2 miles with a 650-foot elevation climb isn't everyone's idea of vacation fun, but many find Waimoku Falls on Maui's Hana Coast worth the effort. The falls plummet 400 feet down a sheer wall of lava rock, splashing into a big pool. The trail traverses Oheo Gulch and takes you through a tunnel of tall bamboo that clacks eerily in the breeze, along a stream, and past small waterfalls splashing playfully over rocks festooned with ferns and flowers. Due to the danger of flash flooding, get safety tips and a weather update at the Kipahulu Visitor Center (nps.gov) near the trailhead.
If you decide to swim, use caution: Flash flooding, rocks falling from above a waterfall and Leptospirosis bacterial infection are all risks involved with swimming in Hawaii's waterfall pools; those with open wounds need to be especially cautious about the latter. If you are uncomfortable about hiking to waterfalls in Hawaii on your own, consider going with a tour or a Sierra Club hike. Hawaii's signature swimming holes are found in the Pools of Oheo, also known as the Seven Sacred Pools, located on Maui's Hana Coast near the Kipahulu Visitor Center and Waimoku Falls trailhead. As long as rain has been falling, as it usually does almost daily on the lush Hana Coast, the pools are beautiful -- but drought conditions can disappoint. On Oahu, Maunawili Falls awaits those who fantasize about frolicking in a waterfall pool. The 2.5-mile hike to the falls is easy for those who don't mind rock-hopping a stream and climbing stairs. The falls cascade into an upper pool that overflows into the deeper swimming pool. Don't jump -- boulders punctuate the pool's bottom. Enjoy the view of the steep, green Koolau Mountains, and in summer, the delicate beauty and fragrance of white ginger.
