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Maunawili Falls Trail
Located within the East Region on Oahu
East Oahu Hiking Trails
Best Hiking Trails on Oahu
Maunawili Falls Trail
Maunawili Falls is in the Maunawili Valley at the foot of the Pali Cliffs. It’s about 40 minutes from Waikiki.
Important Notice: The original Maunawili Falls trailhead via Maunawili Road has been closed since July 2021 and remains closed. The trail is currently accessible via the alternate Maunawili Demonstration Trailhead on Pali Highway. This alternate route is approximately 5 miles roundtrip. Check the DLNR website for current access status before visiting.
Trail day tools
Before you drive to the trailhead, check the trail and weather layer.
Hawaii hikes can change quickly with closures, rain, mud, heat, and daylight.
From the sign marking the trail, walk a short distance to the hillside. The trail can be quite muddy and is an upward climb that is rather adventurous. There are some steps along the trail, and by the time you follow the stream, you’ll find the ground becomes a little less challenging. You’ll have to hop some rocks to cross streams that can be a bit of a balancing act.
When you reach the plateau, you can admire the view of the valley and jungle before the path heads downwards to the falls. The steps here are large and should be taken slowly. You’ll reach the cascading falls where you’ll navigate across another stream and some boulders to reach the cool natural pool at the bottom of the 20 ft waterfall. It can be tricky to dive or swim in the area, but people do take the risk. As well, the water can be contaminated with leptospirosis bacterial disease that could make you very sick.
From here, you can follow the trail to reach the top of the falls, although many people choose to swim to the falls and then climb the side. At the top of the trail, you will discover a second waterfall to enjoy before you head back.
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Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
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Created with AI from this HawaiiGuide page and read by a computer-generated voice. Double-check fees, hours, and reservations on the full page before you head out. Hawaiian pronunciation is tricky for synthesized speech and a few words may land slightly off; mahalo for your patience as we keep refining.
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