Hawaii's Akaka Falls State Park

Akaka Falls is a great place to get a taste of the tropical side of the island of Hawaii. We consider it a must stop place when showing visitors the island. It is easy to get to, takes less than an hour to see, and gives people an experience of the tropical forests of the Hamakua coast as well as a memorable Hawaiian waterfall. In our experience, Akaka Falls has yet to disappoint any visitor and children find it particularly delightful.



The hike to the waterfall from the parking lot is less than a half mile through dense tropical vegetation to a grand viewing spot of Akaka Falls which drops 442 feet into a pool of water below. Though the path is not wheelchair accessible (it has stairs), it is a fairly easy course to walk for young and old.




The hike takes about 30 minutes and leads past huge bamboo plants, ferns, vines, flowers. and across bridges spanning miniature waterfalls. There are actually two waterfalls on the route, both with overlooks. The smaller waterfall is Kahuna Falls, which falls 100 feet. The Akaka Falls scenic overlook is above Kahuna Falls and has a better viewing area of the falls and the pond below.


Akaka Falls State Park is north of Hilo above the town of Honomu, an old sugar cane plantation town. The parking lot is paved and has bathrooms. The State recently instituted a charge for non-residents of $5 per car and $1 for people walking into the park. The trail head is located just off the parking lot. If you are short of time you can take the “Akaka Falls Only” path to the left (south) from the first junction on the path. This bypasses the hike through the rain forest and the water fall is just a short walk up the path


Bring umbrellas because a downpour can happen at any time, but it won’t spoil the beauty of the waterfalls.

If the hike makes you hungry, stop in Honomu on the way back to the highway. The tiny village has galleries, shops and restaurants. We stopped at the Woodshop Gallery & Café for lunch. Their fish was great and we loved the smoothies. The restaurant is vegetarian and vegan friendly.


Directions- Take Route 19 north out of Hilo and turn right on Route 220 (after the 13 mile marker) towards Honomu and drive through the town. Route 220 ends at the parking lot for Akaka Falls State Park.

If you are interested in a more in-depth tropical garden experience, consider visiting the nearby Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens off Route 19 toward Hilo just after mile marker 7.