Over 150 meters high waterfall in the northern suburbs of Honolulu falls from a cliff into a small natural pool and is one of the highest waterfalls in Hawaii.

Manoa Falls is located in the middle of a dense green jungle at the foot of the mountains, giving the impression of a trip away from civilization. Yet downtown bustling Honolulu is only 5 miles as the crow flies from Manoa Falls.

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A very popular spot is the natural pond into which the falls fall and Manoa Stream flows out of, but it is definitely not recommended to swim in this pond due to the possible presence of leptospirosis bacteria.

Manoa Falls Trail

From the parking lot at the end of the residential neighborhood, a roughly half-hour walk through lush vegetation leads to the falls. The marked Manoa Falls Trail is about 2 km one way (see map) and follows a nature trail through dense forest. The elevation gain of about 200 metres is evenly spread out and the trail can be easily negotiated by less experienced hikers.

There is no regulation or charge for access to the trail.

How to get there

The trailhead can be reached by car, but it can get very busy on weekends or in peak seasons and finding a parking spot can be a challenge. The official parking lot is 5 usd, unofficially many people park along the road.

You can also take the 5 line bus from downtown Honolulu to the end of the residential area, which runs 1-2 times per hour. From the bus stop to the trailhead is only about 200 yards more than from the parking lot.