A North Shore ahupuaʻa run by the nonprofit Hiʻipaka LLC since 2008, with a botanical garden, restored cultural sites and a roughly 40-foot waterfall at the end of the main path. Hale o Lono, a heiau dated to about 1450, sits near the entrance.
Why we love it
It’s the easiest waterfall walk on Oʻahu, and the valley’s cultural sites and gardens make the walk there as good as the falls.
What to expect
A paved, accessible path runs about three-quarters of a mile up the valley floor to Waimea Falls, past labeled gardens and Hawaiian cultural sites. Most people reach the falls in 20 to 30 minutes and spend two to three hours in all. A paid shuttle covers the path if you’d rather ride. Swimming at the falls happens only when lifeguards say it’s safe, and everyone wears a free life jacket. Heavy rain, water quality or drought can close the pool. Snack bars and a coffee house are near the visitor center.
Know before you go
- Swim status
- Lifeguards decide at 9 a.m. each day whether the falls are open for swimming. Call (808) 638-7766 for that day’s status.
- Life jackets
- Life jackets are required for all swimmers and provided free in all sizes.
- Mondays
- Closed Mondays in October and November. Open daily in spring break, summer (May 25–Sept. 7) and December.
- Respect
- Do not touch, move or take rocks or other objects at the valley’s religious sites.
- Pets
- No pets. Only leashed ADA service animals are allowed.
Photo: Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
