Hi everyone! Long time, no post!
I’ve yet again spaced out this blog post a little further out than I had intended to from my last one but wedding planning and my 9-5 has seriously taken up a lot of my time (I know, excuses, excuses…)! On the plus side I’ve been adventuring around Washington more on my free time and have been getting a lot of hikes in so I’ll be compiling some more PNW content soon for all my local readers before we head off to Greece next month! But let’s cut to the chase and get to the real reason you stumbled across this post. You must be curious about some of the beautiful waterfalls around the Big Island! While not as plentiful in waterfalls as some of the other Hawaiian Islands, the Big Island definitely has its fair share of amazing cascading beauties. I’m highlighting 3 of some of the more popular waterfalls on the island and will be making this post short and sweet since my last Hawaii-related post was rather lengthy. You can find it here (https://theintrovertsjourney.com/index.php/2018/02/05/bigisland-hawaii-beaches-history/) if you’re in need of a little Big Island beach guide to make the most out of your beach days while on vacation. Keep on reading for some inspiration for your chasing waterfall adventures!
Akaka Falls State Park
This waterfall is probably the most popular among tourists and for good reason. Its tall free-falling waters and green gorge combined with the lush jungle atmosphere make for the perfect family outing. You also get to see two waterfalls on this little loop (Hakuna Falls) although it’s a little hard to see clearly from the viewpoint unless it has been raining quite a bit. Akaka Falls is approximately 422 feet and makes a for a lovely day trip with the family, friends, significant other, or even solo. There is a small little loop to get there that is approximately 0.4 miles and is right off the large parking lot (this loop also has stairs for those that can’t handle stairs anymore or need accessibility). The loop is lovely with a lot of tropical jungle-y vegetation surrounding you. The entrance fee is $5.00 to park a car and $1 for pedestrians. It is free for Hawaii residents. It is located approximately 11 miles from Hilo. If you have time for only one waterfall on your trip I’d highly recommend this one just because it’s so easily accessible, has a nice loop to get exercise in, and is definitely a stunning sight to see. Also, I apologize for my horrible pictures. These pictures were from our trip in 2015 on a very old low quality camera (before we got into photography and creating visuals for the blog…before the blog even existed haha) but I assure you the waterfall is very pretty and my pictures do not do it justice!
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls, or Waiānuenue, is another popular attraction on the Big Island and probably one of my favorite waterfalls on the Big Island as well. It is one of the easiest to get to as it is located in Hilo and you essentially park in the large parking lot, walk up to the viewing point, and voila! A beautiful waterfall is right before your eyes. The falls are approximately 80 feet tall and if you’re lucky enough you might be able to see rainbows (best to go in the morning time for this). The falls flow over a natural lava cave and can be quite powerful, especially during heavy rains, so please refrain from swimming in the ponds as it is quite dangerous and people have unfortunately passed here. Parking is free so definitely go and check this one out if you’re staying in or near Hilo! Again, these photos came from 2015 on an older low-quality camera. These pictures turned out a little better thanks to editing but still not close to what we could capture now!
Pe’epe’e Falls and Boiling Pots
We went to see this waterfall on our recent 2017 trip and it was kind of a last minute thing. I am glad we went as it was beautiful to see, although a bit far away from the viewpoint. This viewpoint was best for seeing the Boiling Pots. I wish I was feeling a lot better that day so that we could have climbed down for a better viewpoint of the falls. I was very sick and shouldn’t have even been out of bed that day honestly but I didn’t want to waste another day on the island! Also the trail down to the falls were closed for safety issues. Not to say that it keeps everyone out as we definitely saw people down there and as we were leaving we saw 2 cars pull in and the passengers had swimsuits on and floaties in tow. I wouldn’t encourage going down there but if you do choose to venture down below just be very careful and wary of the conditions of the water. The parking lot is big and it’s free so if you’re nearby and want to see a waterfall with a little less traffic than what you will get at Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls then stop on by!
The drive itself to this area of the island is pretty terrific depending which way you go. We went along Route 19 and made sure to take the Onomea Scenic Drive (Pepe’ekeo scenic drive) which is a must do! This little 4 mile loop is absolutely stunning and it feels like you’re driving back in time through an old Hawaii, before tourism and development took place. The road is very windy and has a few one-lane bridges (drive slowly and enjoy the ride!). The loop goes through a beautiful rainforest with arches framing the road so perfectly. It is an island lover’s dream come true! You will pass Onomea Bay where you can pull off to the side of the road and get a pretty amazing view. You can also walk the trail directly to the bay. You will pass the Botanical Gardens on this loop as well which I am regretting not spending some time at! I highly recommend taking this scenic drive if you’re coming from Kona to visit the Hilo side! It is most definitely worth it!
Onomea Bay
Well, that’s all for now! If you’re headed to the Big Island soon I hope you have an amazing time and safe travels!
Until next time,
Kelsie