Ho'opi'i Falls Trail

Hoaopiai Falls Trail is a short hike that is jam-packed with natural beauty and offers a unique slice of island life. The trail has two beautiful waterfalls, a stream running along the early part of the trail, cliff diving, swimming holes, and a great mix of tropical flora and fauna, including many colorful songbirds. Hiking under soaring banyan tress, massive monkeypods and giant albizias (not liked by locals for their quick growth rate and invasive status) is a surreal experience. The high jungle canopy makes you feel like you are in one of the many movies filmed on the island such as King Kong or Jurrasic Park. There are a lot of great natural sounds on this trail between the birds, the winds through the tall trees, and the running water. Do your best to find some quiet moments to hear them, between the common rooster crows, of course. The upper falls are for cliff diving, but the lower falls do not have any jumps. Both do have swimming holes and interactive waterfalls when the water isn't rushing too hard. The parking and the trailhead are in a residential neighborhood, and much of this trail is on private property, so please be respectful. Cliff diving here can be dangerous for many reasons. High rains can cause flash floods, wet feet are perfect for slipping on sharp rocks, and jumping from the wrong area or into the wrong part of the pool can result in serious injury. The rule of thumb here is to watch people who have been here before and follow their lead. Just like all hikes on Kauai, expect wet and muddy trails as the norm.