Manoa Falls is one of the most beloved natural wonders located on the beautiful island of Oahu. This 150-foot-tall waterfall has been featured in popular movies and TV shows like Jurassic Park and Lost. Located at the end of the lovely Manoa Falls Trail, it’s also a favorite destination of visitors looking to experience a relatively easy rainforest hike for themselves. Manoa Falls is located next to the Lyon Arboretum, just north of Waikiki and popular downtown Honolulu attractions like the Honolulu Museum of Art and Iolani Palace. The Queen Emma Summer Palace is also not far from here. Some popular tour companies operate excursions to Manoa Falls as well.
History and Background Information
The Manoa Falls Trail may be hiked from sun up to sun down throughout the entire year, though beginning the hike after 5:00pm in the evening is discouraged. Located in an especially lush stretch of the spectacular Manoa valley region, Manoa Falls is part of the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve. It rains here almost every single day of the year, which explains in part the rich diversity of the natural life on display in the area. Those visitors wanting to learn more about the remarkable variety of plant species indigenous to this rainforest should make a point of also visiting nearby Lyon Arboretum, a botanical garden home to some 6,000 different types of plants.
What’s Here
Manoa Falls is only accessible via the popular Manoa Falls Trail. This approximately 1.5-mile, out-and-back trail can get pretty crowded during peak tourist season, but on the whole it’s a great option for those visitors who want to say they went on at least one fabulous hike during their Oahu vacation. The difficulty of a given hiking trail is ultimately subjective, so it is hard to accurately rate Manoa Fall Trail; having said that, most people find it to be an easy-to-moderate trek.
Along the way, you’ll gain a little over 600 feet in terms of elevation, and the trail is more than likely going to be pretty muddy in places—you are adventuring through the midst of a rainforest, after all! You’ll pass over charming footbridges and through dense vegetation until you emerge triumphantly at the outing’s star attraction: Manoa Falls.
Manoa Falls is approximately 150 feet tall, and a perennial favorite photo opportunity for visitors from all over the world. Seeing this majestic waterfall for yourself is always an amazing experience; however, Manoa Falls is considered to be at its peak during Oahu’s rainy season—which usually falls somewhere between the months of October and April.
Many visitors choose to experience Manoa Falls as part of a guided tour offered by a local tour company. For instance, the Kaimana Tours’ Rainforest, Waterfalls, and Movie Sites Self-Guided Hike includes roundtrip shuttle service from Waikiki to Manoa Falls. Once you arrive at the Manoa Falls Trail trailhead, they’ll provide you with a complimentary bottle of water and bug spray and you’ll be able to enjoy a self-guided hike through the area’s many banyan trees, bamboo plants, eucalyptus trees, and more—which will of course culminate at the falls.
Tips for Visiting
*No matter how tempted you are, do not swim in or drink from Manoa Falls (or the pool below it). Those doing so put themselves at significant risk of coming down with the bacterial disease Leptospirosis, which can result in severe flu-like symptoms that will knock even the healthiest individual out for weeks to come.
*The area immediately surrounding Manoa Falls—as well as the entirety of the Manoa Falls Trail itself—can be very muddy and slippery, so you’ll want to take a number of precautions as you prepare for your hike. Be sure and wear comfortable hiking shoes with good traction; likewise, you’ll definitely want to carry sufficient drinking water and wear insect repellant. Don’t wear any clothes you deeply care about and would hate to see get really dirty.
*If you’re interested in doing both Manoa Falls and Lyon Arboretum during your time on Oahu, try and plan to hit them both on the same day; it’ll make for a long stretch of outdoor fun, but given the two attractions proximity to one another, it just makes sense to schedule them together. When in doubt, do Manoa Falls second; you’re liable to be more tired and messy and ready to call it an afternoon after that leg of the adventure.
