Hike· Oahu· Hawaii
Manoa Falls Trail
21° 20.5′ N · 157° 48.0′ W
A short rainforest walk at the head of Manoa Valley behind Honolulu to a 150 ft waterfall, through bamboo groves and banyans that featured in Jurassic Park and Lost. The easiest jungle hike from a Honolulu berth.
Practical
Coordinates (the falls) from Wikipedia. Trailhead and paid parking at the end of Manoa Road beside Lyon Arboretum (parking lot near 21.3314, -157.8012 in OpenStreetMap), about 4 miles from the Ala Wai harbor by taxi or TheBus. About an hour round trip (Wikipedia). It rains almost daily, so expect deep mud and slippery roots; flash floods can occur, with the wettest months November–March. Do not swim in the pool below the falls: leptospirosis (spread by rat urine) and rockfall are real risks, and there have been fatal falls from the top of the falls (2012, 2016, 2018). Bring insect repellent.
Best for
Easy half-day rainforest waterfall walk from Honolulu
Season
Year-round; fullest falls and muddiest trail Nov–Mar
Nearby
- Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden2.8 NM away
- Castle Medical Center (Kailua)3.3 NM away
- Straub Benioff Medical Center (Honolulu)3.7 NM away
- The Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu)3.7 NM away
- Honolulu Festival (March)3.8 NM away
- Honolulu Farmers Market (Blaisdell Center)3.9 NM away
- Bishop Museum4 NM away
- Foodland Farms Ala Moana4 NM away