view of the falls from the overlook
trailhead marked by the warning sign
a muddy, unkept trail
Located just five minutes from Lihue, and once the seen in the opening scenes of the tv show Fantasy Island, Wailua falls is a beautiful, easily accessible 80 ft. waterfall on the island of Kauai. Unlike most waterfalls on the island, this waterfall is viewable from a roadside overlook where you can enjoy its beauty and the peacefulness of the surrounding area.
The flow of the south end of the Wailua River over this fall can vary greatly depending on the weather conditions. The picture above was taken during a long dry spell in the area, and thus the water level here is not incredibly high.
The view of the falls from the overlook is great, and for most people this is enough. For those who insist upon a bit more adventure, there is are nearby trails that lead down to the base of the falls.
One such trail begins behind the guardrail just to the south of the overlook. There is a sign put up by the county advising visitors to not go down which should be taken seriously. The trail is steep, and can be extremely muddy (keep in mind that these photos were taken during a dry period).
That being said, if you were to still want to adventure down, several ropes line the trail which aide greatly heading in both directions (up and down).
Note: There is an alternative trail that begins further down the road, but is much less steep which may be easier to climb down. It too is marked by a sign warning visitors to not go down the trail.
Regardless of how you get down there, once you reach the base of the falls, its another beautiful perspective. As an added bonus, there is a giant pool which is great for swimming which wasn’t quite as cold as the water flowing down Hanapaki’ai Falls or Rainbow Falls. Once in the pool, you can swim to the other side and climb up and behind the falls for what is always a great view.
To reach the falls, from Hwy 56, turn onto Maalo Rd (Hwy 583) and drive 3.9 miles to the overlook.
ground view of wailua falls
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