Upper Manoa Falls to Konahuanui

What a day yesterday was!  We began our day by leaving our house and heading for the Manoa falls trailhead at 5:30 am.  Once at the trailhead we waited for the rest of our group to show up and then we pushed off on the Manoa falls trail.  I knew that I was going to be in for an incredibly long day as soon as we left.  I had brought with me my massive green duffle bag and had stocked it with tons of rope, with the intention of installing them in places above manoa falls, adding tons of extra weight to my already heavy pack.  As I toyed with getting use to the weight of my pack, the rest of the group continued at a good pace and we arrived at Manoa falls within thirty minutes from our departure of the start of the trailhead.  We took a brief break to take a group picture and prepared for the climb that was just ahead of us.  This consisted of most of the group putting on their microspikes and me putting my shoes away since I would be going barefoot.

We set off for the upper manoa falls and everything went exceedingly fast on this climb up upper manoa falls.  In no time we had reached the waterfall directly above Manoa falls.  There is a big beautiful pool (all though it was a little murky looking on this day from all the rain) below the falls that's about five to six feet in depth.  From here we continued our climb and met the first two opsticals, which I was already aware of from future experiences on this trail.  There is a ledge with drops straight down, that must be negotiated and you have to link your arms into banyan roots and simultaneously pull yourself over to get by.  Everyone completed this part fairly easily.  Almost instantly after this part there is a near vertical rock face that must be climbed with the aid of some ropes that don't look very inviting to use.  My friend went first and installed yet another rope, and then using all three ropes, we all commenced the climb over the rock face one at a time.  Three out of the five us had an extremely tough time negotiating this part.  I have no problem admitting that I was one of them.  There is virtually no footholds and the ones that are there are incredibly small.  My feet were wet and kept wanting to slip.  I had numerous of negative thoughts sprinting through my head but I managed to block everything out and listen to my friend that was spotting me.  I got myself to a tree trunk that had fallen next to the rock face and I positioned my back against this for a short rest and then successfully made my way the rest of the way up.

I didn't look back once.  I just kept climbing and pulling myself up the muddy and slippery slope until I had finally reached a point where I could stop and rest.  As I was taking a breather another member of our group installed a rope for what would be our climb down a sheer eighty foot rock face to the next waterfall.  There is some foot holds and everyone was in the mode of preparing to climb down.  This is where our whole day changed instantly.  When you hike in groups, there will be instances where one and sometimes more than one, people in your group are not comfortable and you have to switch your plans.  One of the members of our group wasn't sure if he would be able to hold his own weight, and was really apprehensive of this climb down.  He also did not want to go back down where he had just come from so he started making his own trail going up the mountain.  We all decided to follow him and see if we could find another way out.  This did not bother me one bit.  I was ready to go down to the next waterfall but was not all that upset when we didn't.  Another option would have been to just backtrack from where we had just come from but that was an option that I just was not willing to embrace at this time.

Our new plan was to climb up the mountainside until we reached the top and from there we would find a way down.  I couldn't stop laughing about all of this but at the same time I was just praying that we would find a trail upon reaching the top (if we even make it to the top, I recall thinking).  So off we went up the side of a muddy, almost non existent trail on a mountainside.  It seemed like it would never end.  At points the climb became increasingly steep and excessively muddy and incredibly hard to gain further progress, so I would go ahead of the rest of the group and install ropes in the parts that were tough to climb with the ropes I had brought with me for all of us to use.  These were a huge help for the group on this day and I was now happy that I had brought them.  We could tell that we were not far from the top.  My buddy and I reached the top first, installing a rope yet again, and the rest of the group made a quick climb up right behind us.

Reaching the top we looked around to assess what little options we had.  The ridge terminate behind us so our only option was to go straight ahead.  We saw the highest mountain peak in the koo'lau mountain range, Konahuanui, in the distance.  Our plan would be to to connect our ridge to another ridge that would connect us to Konahuanui and then we would take a contour trail down to the puaoa flats trail and back to Manoa falls where we started.  I had my doubts that this would work but I accepted the idea and in the back of my mind was preparing for what might ultimately be a overnight stay in the mountains if our plan didn't work.  Others in the group talked about calling rescue a few hours before dark if we couldn't make it out but i'm still not sure if they were serious or not.  If I only knew one thing, it was that I was not getting helicopter rescued off this mountain today.

Upon starting off on the ridge I couldn't help but think how overgrown this trail was.  Uluhe ferns and tree branches were scraping and cutting my body up everywhere.  I wondered to myself if anyone had ever even been on this ridge before us.  We continued+

 our further progress, at points having to dig into the mud and grab nothing but grass to pull us further up the mountain.  After a few hours we finally had reached the top of the ridge that would take us to Konahuanui. 

Beautiful views opened up to our right from Mt. Olympus to Makapuu and the mokolua islands could be seen off in the distance to our left.  Behind us (where we just came from) the clouds that had been smothering us for the past hour had now receeded and views of Lanihuli, Bowman and pearl Harbor opened up in that direction.  It was at this point that I knew we were gonna make it off this mountain.  It was also at this point that I knew that we would be hiking in the dark for a good portion of the last part of the hike.  This is why you always bring a head lamp or flashlight with you.  You never know when something like this can happen.  What is the one thing I didn't bring with me on this day?  My headlamp of course.  Luckily two others had theirs.

Konahuanui was in our sights now.  We pushed forward and summited K2 and then took the connector trail to the left and were finally on our way back to civilization.  We reached the Nuu'anu valley overlook right at dusk and those of us who had flash lights pulled them out and headed down the puaoa flats trail.  This entire trail but especially this part was like the energizer bunny, it just kept going and going and going.  We were closing in on fourteen hours and were incredibly tired but we finally arrived back at Manoa falls.  We were overcome with happiness.  We knew it was just a short twenty or thirty minute walk now and we would be back to our cars and headed home.  This was a very exciting loop to have finished but I can honestly say that I do not think I will be doing it again any time soon, if ever.  The initial trail to upper manoa falls isn't to dangerous but once you get to the second waterfall it can become very tricky and very dangerous in spots.  If you are gonna try going to the waterfalls above Manoa falls, my suggestion would be to go with someone that has been, who can help you find your way up.  The rest of our route consisted of us trailblazing more than anything else so there would not be much of a point to me posting directions.  We did put pink ribbons up so if you see them you will know you are on our route. For now I am just glad to be off this trail and am looking forward to the waterfall hikes that are soon to come with the rain we have recieved this past week.

Mo'ole Valley and falls

For the past three months we have not experienced very heavy rains here on Oahu, so I have been staying away from the waterfalls as of late.  However a few nights ago we had a flash flood warning and I prepared myself to hike into a little valley tucked away in nuu'anu named Mo'ole valley.  This would not be my first trip back into the area so I didn't have to do any research but I was a little worried about time.  Me and my wife had scool the next day at one o'clock so I was just keeping my fingers crossed that we would make it to the last waterfall and back in time.

The morning started around 6am.  I had stayed up all night the night before finishing papers for school that I had been procastinating on, so I knew this was going to be an insanely long day.  My wife and I headed out for nuu'anu.  We parked in the same spot as we did for the Lulumahu Falls hike (see directions at the bottom of the page).  Once parked at the hunter check-in-station off of nuu'anu pali drive, we gathered our backpacks and cameras and commenced running across the highway to where there is a roadside drainage ditch and a fence just beyond that.  We crossed the drainage ditch and took a right at the fenceline and a few seconds later we were at our starting point for the hike.  Our starting point was a gate that is always unlocked.  We merely opened the gate and then closed it back behind us and off we went.  Upon entering the gate we were transported into the beauty that is mo'ole valley.  Mo'ole valley is quite different from most valley hikes that i've been on here in Oahu.  The trees are diverse and the hau thickets and paperbark trees dominate a lot of the hike up until the ditch portion.  At first the trail looks a little confusing but there are plenty of ribbons and markings on the trees to lead the way.  I will go back in the next few weeks so I can give a detailed trail description, but on this day I did not have the time to keep track of a route description that would be worthy of putting on this blog.  While the trail was very confusing at one point a long time ago, it is now very manageable even without directions.  Ribbons and spray paint cover the trees and trail and should be more than adequate in helping you find your way.

Next up we reached the ditch system, where we came upon a tunnel.  Pull out your flashlights and head into the tunnel (you can contour and go over the hill from what i've heard but i've never done it).  Going through the tunnel is a lot more fun than you would imagine at first glance, so don't be put off by it.  If there is no water in the tunnel as you are walking through it, you may want to consider turning around and trying this hike at another time.  Like I stated in the beginningof this write up, these falls only flow in flash flood conditions and just shortly after, or after a few days of continuous heavy rains.  The water in the tunnel well be an indicator of if the falls are going or not. 

After exiting the tunnel we took a right and followed the stream upwards (there will be little trails marked with yellow ribbons for you to follow) and within a few minutes we reached the first falls.  The first waterfall is a very small waterfall but it splits at the bottom and is very appealing to the eyes.  There is a shallow and typically clear pool at the bottom of the falls that one can take a dip in to get a little wet.  Next, we headed up to the right, (there will be a black rope to aid you in the little climb) and followed the obvious trail.  After a few minutes we came to a tree with a big yellow ribbon and a black arrow on it pointing up and to the right.  For anyone hiking this trail do not follow this ribbon just yet.  Take the trail past this marker and when it ends walk briefly through the stream (heading upstream) and within a few minutes you will come to the biggest waterfall that you are going to see on this hike.  My guess would be that it is about sixty to eighty feet in height but I could be wrong in that estimation.  Just like the first waterfall, there is a little pool under the falls for you to get wet but it doesn't get much deeper than four or five feet.  Also, be careful of falling rocks if you do decide to get in the pool.  From here backtrack to the junction with the yellow ribbon and the black arrow pointing up and this time take that junction.  This trail will go on for fifteen to thrity minutes (depending on your pace) until you eventually see a nice little waterfall on your left hand side.  There is a little trail you can take down to see it but there is no pool at its base.  The waterfall itself is definetly worthy of a few pictures, so take the opportunity to walk down and see it if you have the time.  If you do not choose to go down to this waterfall you will just continue straight ahead and keep following the trail. 

After following the trail and ribbons for just a little bit longer you will end up on the left side of the stream and come upon yet another waterfall.  This waterfall is my least favorite and unlike some of the other falls on the stream this one really takes an enormous amount of rain to get it going.  It is also tough to get a good picture of this waterfall due to all the tree limbs that are hanging in front of the falls.  At this point you will climb up a little trail to the left of the falls and then scramble a little bit around a some what wide ledge and end up at the top of the before mentioned falls.  Once again, just follow the well beaten path and ribbons and just keep heading upstream.  In my opinion, all of the waterfalls seem to be about the same distance apart on this hike.  They seem to all be about ten to twenty five minutes from one waterfall to the next.  When you come upon the next waterfall you will see that it has two tiny tiers to it.  This entire hike is fairly easy but if you find one part hard it will be this next part.  You will find some rope on your right side and will begin climbing upwards to continue further progress.  The climb is some what steep and in parts there is not much room for error but overall the climb is not that difficult.  Be very careful on this part and watch your footing because the rocks are very slippery and a fall here would almost certainly cause you some serious injuries and pain.  After making it up this part and venturing a little farther on the the trail you will see a few small falls and a bigger one above it.  The bigger waterfall was probably my favorite waterfall that we saw on this day and it had the nicest and deepest pool of all the pools on this hike.  Also if it is a clear day, look behind you and you will get some views of downtown honolulu.  We went a litlle further up the trail and then, since my wife and I both had to get to school we turned around and high tailed it back to the start of the trailhead.  There is another waterfall past where we turned around but is a little harder to find than the previous ones.  Also this trail does lead to Lanihuli but I have not personally completed this feat.

If you are planning on hiking this trail be conscious of the fact that you need heavy rains over the last few days or a flash flood to have just happened or there will be no waterfalls.  This valley is on the board of water supplies property, however they no longer use this land so you will be perfectly fine hiking back here and will not encounter any problems.  This is yet another trail in which people have been stingy in giving directions to and have been very protective over like a lot of the other trails and places in nuu'anu.

To get here (coming from Waikiki) act like you are going to the pali lookout by taking the pali highway.  Before the pali lookout turnoff there will be a street on the right hand side named nuu'anu pali drive.  Veer right and get on to this street and just follow it all the way until it ends.  Upon ending, Nuu'anu Pali drive while intersect back with the pali highway.  Do not get back on the pali highway.  Instead pull off to your right and park in the open area that you will see in front of a gate.  This parking is mostly used by hunters but you will be perfectly fine parking here.  However, just like everywhere else you go in this world, do not leave any valuables in your car.  Once parked, grab your stuff and run straight across the highway (be careful and make sure the coast is clear before taking off) and go over the roadside drainage ditch and to the fenceline.  Take a right at the fenceline and about 20 yards down you will see a gate that will be unlocked.  Open the gate, closing it behind you, and you will be in mo'ole valley and at the starting point of the hike.  Good luck and have a great hike.

Naohia Falls (Ice pond)

This is a great bang for your buck hike.  This entire hike consists of simply walking down a gravel road, culminating with a tiny scrambe down a dirt hill, with the aid of some ropes before reaching a ten to fifteen foot waterfall and a gorgeous pool (granted, it hasn't been raining to hard or not raining at all) with a deep swimming hole, rivaled possibly by only sacred falls here on Oahu.  Not many people frequent this place but is very well known with locals, yet you very well may have it all to yourself.  The pool is probably eight to ten feet deep at its max depth but it is perfect for some swimming and relaxation time with your friends.  Many locals jump from the rocks above in to the pool, but I would not necessarily recommend this.  All though not nearly as impressive, there is another little pool upstream and a few falls above that.  To get to them climb up the lower falls on the left side (be careful, the falls will be slick) and then merely head upstream. 

This is another one of those board of water supply hikes that I am unsure of the access restrictions.  While many say it is trespassing, everyone goes to this place and again, I have never heard of anyone having any problems or being hassled while at the falls or while on the trail.  I have not been back to the falls for a few months but I do know plenty of people that go all the time.  There is an easement with these type of things here on Hawaii (including Maui and the emi property).  While trails like these may "officially" be off limits, locals have been visiting with no questions asked for a long time.  One thing that has bothered me in the past is this.  As some people find out about these falls, they start going once or twice a week, probably in part because of the easy and short accessibility.  I would beg that if you do go here (which I strongly recommend) please don't start going all the time.  Make it a once every two months type of thing, otherwise it will become overrun like Hamama falls is beginning to be.  That's just my suggestion and plea though.

To get to Naohia falls take H1East  (coming from the honolulu airport) heading toward honolulu.  Next take the likelike highway, exit 20A.  Take a slight left on to N/Kalihi street.  Take a slight right onto Nalanieha Street.  Next turn left onto Kalihi street and keep driving until the road ends at the end of kalihi valley.  Find a parking spot on the right side of the road.  Continue on foot straight and cross a bridge and then head down the road with houses on your left and you will come to a fence.  Go to the right of the fence and pass around the fence easily.  Follow the beat up gravel road and eventually you will see and hear the falls below you on your right side.  climb down the somewhat steep and sometimes muddy hill using some ropes and commence swimming. 

Lulumahu Falls and Kaniakapupu Ruins

What an adventure this was.  I don't want to make this post to long so I am gonna just put the main details from my experience finding Lulumahu Falls.  I attempted to find Lulumahu Falls on three consecutive days.  The first day I started from Kaniakapupu Ruins (King Kamehameha III Summer Palace) and went through the bamboo only to get lost for an hour or so and have to back track to the ruins.  I then headed past the ruins and down to the stream and ended up spending a few hours lost and barely made it out before dark.  I was seriously starting to get worried that I would have to sleep in the woods on this night, but was delighted when I found the stream and followed it back to the start of the trail and to my car.  The next day on my second attempt to find Lulumahu Falls I started from the ruins again with a gps in hand this time and bushwhacked my way all the way to the falls.  It took me over three hours to reach the falls, being that I took a completely stupid route, and in the last twenty minutes of the hike the already wet weather changed from raining to a down pour and flashflood conditions.  Upon reaching the falls I was in absolute shock by the amount of water pouring down the falls and the continually rising and swollen stream was becoming increasingly dangerous so I ran as fast as I could to get out of there and upon my exit decided to take the trespassing route on the board of water supplies property.  This route took me a mere 20 minutes to exit, even in flash flood conditions.  Since the weather cleared up, I went back the next day, taking the short route via the board of water supplies property and had a very relaxing hike to the falls.  The falls are truly beautiful and the hike is a beginner hike that anyone can go on, if you know the right way to go.

My three day excursion of finding Lulumahu Falls took place some time ago, and all though there are more hints on the internet now than there was then, there is still really no good directions from what I can find.  There is however a few web sites that I have come across that have blaitant lies on them for the main purpose of dissuading and keeping others off of trails like these.  This trail may or may not be trespassing.  I truly do not know the answer to this, but I do know this, the board of water supply does not use this property any more and has not done so for a very long time and from my trips back into this area and from all my friends who have gone, not one person I know has ever been hassled, ticketed or arrested.  I truly do not believe that anyone has ever been cited or arrested for hiking back in this area, but that is my opinion, although I believe that I am probably dead on with this assumption.  Certain web sites and blogs tell people not to go to places like these because, in my opinion, these same people want to keep these trails to themselves or only take those that they deem worthy.  The situation is laughable but do not let posts from otheres fool you and dissuade you from exploring this area (luakaha, kaniakapupu ruins, Lulumahu Falls, Mo'ole valley, etc, etc).  All the falls in this area are absolutely beautiful and if everyone in the hiking community goes to these places whenever they want, with no worries (and in huge groups at times), then there obviously is not very much of a risk of getting in trouble, otherwise everyone would not be doing it.

The nice thing about Lulumahu Falls is that it always seems to be flowing, even when other falls, like Luakaha nearby are dry, making it one of the few waterfall hikes you can pretty much do year round.  As with most hikes, please treat these places with respect and don't act a fool while on the trail and at the falls or ruins, and please do not climb on the ruins like an idiot (they are in bad enough shape as it is).

The best way to get to the trailhead for Lulumahu falls or Kaniakapupu ruins is to take the pali highway (coming from Waikiki) and act as though you are heading for the Nuu'anu Pali lookout.  Just before getting to the pali Lookout there is gonna be a street on your right hand side that you want to take, named Nuu'anu Pali drive.  If you follow Nuu'anu Pali drive all the way to the end it will eventually reconnect with the pali highway.  Just as Nuu'anu Pali drive is about to reconnect with the pali highway there will be a open turnout spot just to the right with some spots for cars to park.  Once parked there, there will be a gate directly behind with a hunter check in station and a gap in the fence.  Go through the gap in the fence and take an almost immediate right and head towards the gravel road (you can also go to the huge gate a few yards down and crawl through the hole on the left side, but people always seem to be there in my experiences).  Follow this gravel road until there is a trail going left with bamboo on both sides.  Take that left and follow the wide open trail.  The trail will turn sharply to the right but will stay wide open.  When the trail ends at a bunch of trees look for a small opening and a trail that goes through briefly through the woods.  If you follow this trail it will bring you out to a clearing.  At some point make your way up the hill.  There are stairs but if you don't see them just trailblaze your way up the overgrown vegetatioin shortly and you will end up on the board of water supplies property (which they don't use and noone is ever there) and reservior four with another gravel road.  Follow this gravel road until just before it ends and head up some concrete stairs on the right side and there will be a wide open trail to follow.  Just remember, if ever in doubt, just head upstream.  The trail jogs from one side to the other once on the stream but as long as you stay near the stream and look for ribbons you should be good.  As for Kaniakapupu Ruins, park in the same spot and walk back down the street on nuu'anu pali drive for about five minutes (be careful and watch out for oncoming cars).  You will eventually see a board of water supply tank on the right side of the road.  Just across the street from the board of water supply area there will be a faint but somewhat obvious path on the left side of the road that you will need to take.  Just after starting on this trail you will begin walking through a bamboo forest and will take a left onto a obvious trail shortly after.  This trail will take you directly to the ruins.  This trek should take no more than ten to fifteen minutes.

Wailele Falls

Recently we had recieved some good rain so I thought it would be a good oportunity to check out a tiny little waterfall and pool located in Laie, behind the Polynesian Cultural Center.  I couldn't find much information online or any directions so I asked around a little bit but was surprised that no one was willing to help me with directions to these falls.  I found some coordinates via a geocaching site and pieced things together a little but still wasn't sure of the access point.  That morning we headed for Laie and drove behind the polynesian cultural center to where a softball field was and we were met by a guard shack with a guard in it.  We decided this was obviously not the best way to enter and headed back to the main street.  We ended up driving down to Laie beach park and parking in the parking lot there and then crossing the street and walking back towards the polynesian cultural center.  We found an access road on our left hand side before pcc and headed down it.  If you ever visit this place just remember this, park at Laie beach park and walk back towards pcc and you will take a left at the first access road you see.  There is another access road just after the first one you come upon and right before the pcc but this is not the correct one. 

Once on the access road stay to your left and you will be fine.  You might encounter some people farming on the land but noone should give you a hard time.  After walking down the access road for a bit you will come upon a blue laie reserves sign that says no access without permit and junction.  Take a left and follow another gravel road that will eventually pass by a little house and then past some taro fields and finally into the woods and then to the stream.  Once at the stream there should be some ribbons to follow and there will be some crossings of the stream but as long as you remember to just keep heading upstream you will be fine.  On this day we thought maybe we had gone the wrong way because despite the recent rain there was very little to no water in the stream.  As we got closer to the falls we started to see a little more water but realized that there wasnt going to be much of a waterfall and were just keeping our fingers crossed that the pool wouldn't be filled with stagnant water, so we could swim.  As we approached the falls they looked nothing like I had seen in pictures.  I felt bad for bringing three others along with me to a waterfall that had no waterfall.  I appologized to my friends and chuckled to myself, but the pool looked very nice and was still swimable.  While the water wasnt the beautiful green color from pictures we had seen, it was still very clean and clear looking.  My friends didn't even seem disappointed that there were no falls, instead the all just jumped right in and started swimming and jumping off the rocks and swinging from a little rope that has been secured to a tree on the right side of the pool.  Despite feeling bad at first, I realized that everyone was there to enjoy the beauty and to have fun and that I was probably the only one disappointed that there were no falls.  Also, if you look carefully in the pool or in the streams you will be able to spot some prawns.  We some them everywhere on this day but were unable to catch any.  They are a lot quicker than I thought they would be.

While I am not sure of the exact distance of this hike, I will say this, it is very short and easy.  No climbs just a little rock hopping but it is suitable for anyone.  There is a very easy way to do this trail legally, but unfortunately until recently I never knew it because it seems that many bloggers and others are trying to keep this place a secret and are unwillingly to divulge any information.  Here's how to legally access this place.  Call Laie Reserves inc. at 293-9201 and tell them you are inquiring about a permit to hike on their property.  Tell them laie falls.  On the permit you receive, Laie falls, malaekahana falls, and koloa gulch will show up but not wailele falls, however you are allowed to hike back to wailele with this permit from what they have told me.  The permit is good for one year from what my friends have told me but i've also heard of one day permits.  The property is not accessible on sundays.  This is a mormon town so everything is shut down on sundays but I still venture back there to be honest and have never had any issues.  Another way to contact laie reserves is to send them an email.  There web site is  http://www.hawaiireserves.com/, and the hiking permit information should be on the left side under the community services bar.  This is a very fun place to go swim and have fun with a few friends and I will be going back once we get some rain to take some pictures so people can see how beautiful it can really be.  You can also check out Kaleo Lancaster's, Island Trails.  His video and pictures are amazing from the day that he went and his directions are about the only helpful ones i've found on the internet.

Kaliuwa'a (Sacred Falls)

I am gonna start this by saying I in no way recommend going to these falls and if you do so, you will be trespassing and risking the chance of being arrested or fined or even injured.  There is a reason this place is closed.  This past march me and my wife took a trip to Maui and while there we hiked to a waterfall in which the walls completely closed in where the falls were, very similar to Sacred Falls.  When I reached these falls in Maui a huge boulder came down and hit in the water a few feet from me and made the loudest thump sound I have ever heard.  I was about as scared as I have ever been and wasted no time in getting out of that place.  For some reason after that happened and we returned to Oahu, I became even more intrigued with visiting Sacred Falls.

For those that don't know Sacred Falls is a 4 mile round trip waterfall hike located in a state park in Hau'ula, that has been completely shut down due to a tragic accident on mothers day of 1999 in which 8 people died and over 30 were injured by falling rocks.  The state has never reopened the trail due to the liability issues and the fact that they believe the possibility for another rockslide and more injuries and deaths is very likely if the falls are reopened.  On top of the deaths and injuries from the rockslide that day, many other deaths and injuries have also occured here before the 1999 incident.  People had been killed by falling rocks before this incident and many have been injured, killed, or rescued due to flash floods that sweep through the area. 

Once again I don't recommend doing this hike and I am not telling anyone to trespass but on the day I went, this is how I did it.  I drove towards Hau'ula from the Kaneohe side of the island and about a half mile before reaching Sacred Falls State Park I parked just off the road on the right side of the street where there is a beach.  I walked about five to ten minutes down the street to where Sacred Falls State Park was on my left hand side right in front of me.  Directly across the street from Sacred Falls state park is.  On the opposite side of the road there is a little beach where I hung out until I saw that the coast was clear and then I ran across the street and headed into the park.  I had heard from others that parking at the little pullout by the beach right across from the park entrance was a horrible idea and that if I did so there might be a cop waiting for me when I came out.  This made perfect sense to me and I figured if I had done it that way that I would have been asking for trouble and simply drawing attention to the fact that I was in the park.  As I was at the beach and looking at the park I saw a yellow gate and to the left of that gate I saw a little path, and went towards that path and not through the gate.  The path took me directly into the woods and kept me hidden.

Once on the trail everything was pretty straight forward.  At one point, as I was going down the road I reached a blue no trespassing sign with a junction and luckily took the left route which happened to be the correct one.  Shortly after this I ended up walking on the side of the stream and crossing it a few times and despite what i've heard from some people, I believe the trail is in fairly good shape and very recognizable the whole way.  Near the end of the trail I came out of the trees and was able to witness for myself exactly why this place is considered so dangerous.  Just before the waterfall I crossed to the right side of the stream and as I looked up I saw that the walls were closing in on me and if there were to be a rockslide or flashflood there would be no where for me to go.  There is no higher ground.  If it hasn't been raining to hard recently the pool will be a turqoise green color as it was for me and will be incredibly inviting.  There is definetly a weird feeling one gets when you are back at the falls.  Me and the two people I was with decided to swim on this day but we were all quiet and respectful when doing so.  A total of three rocks fell (none bigger than a golf ball in size) when we were at the falls.  None were big but even a small rock falling from that height could result in death or serious injury.  We decided that we had tempted fate long enough and knew it was time to head out. 

The feeling I got while at the falls was so eerie and to be honest I really don't think I will ever go back.  It is still dangerous back at the falls and if a rockslide ever does happen again, whoever is back there will be helpless and positively injured or killed.  I have seen some videos recently on youtube of small groups at the falls and in a few of the videos people have been swimming and jumping into the pool and yelling and screaming while at the falls.  If you do make the decision to go to the falls do not be that person.  Yelling in an area that is known for rockslides is just pure stupidity, and on top of that this place is very special and is obviously a cemetery.  Respect it and treat it as the special place it is and not as if it were your own little playground.

This is an amazing falls but like i've stated before, it has the possibility to be very dangerous at any given moment.  Never attempt this hike if it has been raining hard or if there is a flash flood warning.  It is extremely dangerous to be back there in these conditions.  The very last thing is that I have never seen guards and have never heard of guards being there from my friends who have gone either.  To be honest I have never heard of anyone that I personally know of having an issue with going to the falls.  But as I say that do realize that you are trespassing if you go and if caught you will be fined or in an extreme case taken to jail.  Once again, I do not condone trespassing or recommend doing this hike but I also know that some people are like me and just have to see this place at least once.  This post is not telling you to go but instead is here to inform you of the dangers if you do decide to tempt fate.  For everyone reading this, be safe hiking and always remember that while on the trails here there is always danger.  The easiest way to avoid something bad happening is to not go at all. 

Here are the coordinates for the state park.  I park about half a mile down the road and then walk to this point.  Please don't be stupid and park here.  There very well could be a cop waiting for you when you come out.  N21 36.053 W157 53.878