3 Oahu Waterfalls You Can Hike

Beauty aside, what's so appealing about Manoa Falls is its accessibility. Those staying Waikiki reach the trailhead via a quick 15-20 minute drive into lush Manoa Valley that's mauka (toward the mountain) from the urban tourist area.

While the trail to the falls is fairly flat, it's often muddy since this area at the base of the Koolau Mountains can be rocky and sets records for the island's top rainfall amounts. Stay on track for roughly 30-60 minutes (depending on whether the trail is muddy or dry) and you'll reach the 150-foot beauty that stacks up as one of Oahu's tallest. Yet, it seems even higher when viewing it from the base.

Since a 2002 rockslide littered the area with boulders and rocks, it's no longer advised to swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls.

For guided hikes that may also incorporate biking or snorkeling, check with companies like Bike Hawaii that combines a waterfall hike with mountain bike trek, Oahu Nature Tours with its Jurassic Park Waterfall outing, Enoa Tours with its Rainforest Waterfall excursion and Hawaiian Hiking Company that operates on Oahu's North Shore.

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