Akaka Falls State Park, Hawaii
Akaka Falls is the tallest waterfall most visitors to the Big Island ever stand in front of, a 442-foot ribbon that drops into a rainforest gorge 25 minutes north of Hilo. A short paved loop carries you to the overlook and past a second fall on the way. This guide covers the hours, the trail, the entry fee, whether you can swim, and the guided Hilo Hawaii waterfalls tours and zipline that run nearby.
Quick answer
Akaka Falls drops 442 feet in a single ribbon, one of the tallest waterfalls in Hawaii, inside Akaka Falls State Park near Honomu, 25 minutes north of Hilo. A paved 0.4-mile loop reaches the overlook in under fifteen minutes and passes Kahuna Falls on the way. Entry runs $5 per person plus $10 to park, and you view the falls from a railing, with no swimming.
Key takeaways
- Height: 442 feet, fed by Kolekole Stream
- Trail: paved 0.4-mile loop, about 30 minutes with stairs
- Drive: 25 to 30 minutes north of Hilo on Highway 220 near Honomu
- Fee: $5 per person plus $10 parking, Hawaii ID free; open 8:30 am to 5 pm
- Pay by credit card only, or prepay ParkMobile zone 808030 before you lose signal
- Swimming: none, you view the falls from a railed overlook
Visiting Akaka Falls: A Local's Guide
What to Expect at Akaka Falls
You park, pay at the kiosk, and step straight onto the paved loop, so the falls come fast. Within a few minutes the trees open and the 442-foot ribbon appears across the gorge, dropping so far that the water breaks into mist before it lands. The overlook is railed and paved, the roar carries up the cliff, and on a bright morning the spray throws its own small rainbow.
Expect a cool, damp walk under a canopy of bamboo and ferns, a few other visitors even early, and about half an hour on your feet. Pack a rain layer, since a passing shower is normal here, and wear shoes with grip for the wet stone steps.
Akaka Falls Hours, Fees, and Directions
The park runs 8:30 am to 5 pm daily. Non-residents pay $5 per person plus $10 to park, children under three go free, and Hawaii residents enter free with a state ID. The kiosk takes credit cards only, with no cash option, so pay before you drive up when you can, since reception drops under the trees.
You can prepay through ParkMobile in the app or by phone at (877) 727-5975, using zone number 808030 for Honomu. From Hilo, head north on Highway 19 for about eleven miles to Honomu, turn inland onto Highway 220, and follow it 3.6 miles to the lot at the road's end, a 25 to 30 minute drive. Grab gas and a snack in Honomu, because the park has only restrooms and no store.
| Detail | Akaka Falls |
|---|---|
| Hours | 8:30 am to 5 pm, daily |
| Entrance (non-resident) | $5 per person (under 3 free) |
| Parking | $10 per vehicle (Hawaii ID free) |
| Payment | Credit card only; ParkMobile zone 808030 |
| Drive from Hilo | 25 to 30 minutes (about 11 miles) |
| Trail | 0.4-mile paved loop with steps |
| Time needed | About 30 minutes |
| Restrooms | Yes, at the trailhead |
| Swimming | Not allowed |
The Akaka Falls Loop Trail
The trail is a paved 0.4-mile loop, short on distance but stacked with stairs, so wear shoes with grip for the sections that turn slick. You walk through a jungle that looks planted: groves of bamboo that knock together in the wind, wild orchids, torch ginger, and philodendron leaves the size of a door. Go left from the trailhead and you hit the Akaka overlook first, where the 442-foot ribbon drops into a green gorge.
The loop then passes a screened view of Kahuna Falls, a second drop the forest half-swallows, listed anywhere from 100 to 300 feet by different guides, before climbing back to the lot. The pavement and its stairs rule out wheelchairs and strollers, so give the walk about 30 minutes at a steady pace. Kolekole Stream feeds the falls, and a large stone the Hawaiians named Pōhaku o Kāloa sits in the current about seventy feet above the lip.
How Tall Is Akaka Falls?
Akaka Falls drops 442 feet, more than twice the height of Niagara, which puts it among the tallest single-drop waterfalls you can reach on foot in Hawaii. Kolekole Stream feeds it, gathering rain off the slopes above Honomu before it pours over a basalt cliff into the gorge. After a storm the flow doubles and runs brown with runoff, and in a dry spell it thins to a white thread.
The overlook faces the drop head-on, so the falls read full-height from the railing.
The Fish That Climb the Cliff
Two native animals make a climb no person could. The ʻoʻopu ʻalamoʻo, a Hawaiian goby found nowhere else, spawns downstream and then hauls itself back up the wet cliff with a suction disk on its belly. A native shrimp, the ʻōpaekalaʻole, scales the same wall to live in Kolekole Stream above the falls.
Watch the canopy and you may catch Hawaiian honeycreepers and warbling white-eyes working the trees. The name ʻAkaka means a split or a crack, which fits the way the stream cleaves the cliff and drops clean through it.
Can You Swim at Akaka Falls?
No. You see Akaka Falls from a fenced overlook across the gorge, with no trail to the base and no pool within reach. The cliffs stand sheer and the stream above moves fast. To swim under a waterfall on this side of the island, drive to the private Kulaniapia Falls near Hilo, which opens its pool to day guests.
Akaka Falls or Rainbow Falls?
See both, and let timing set the order. Rainbow Falls sits five minutes from downtown Hilo and throws a rainbow in the morning, so start there at sunrise. Akaka Falls is taller and greener but sits 25 minutes north, so it works once the early light flattens.
Rainbow needs no walk, while Akaka asks for a 0.4-mile loop with stairs. Our Rainbow Falls guide covers that stop in full.
Honomu and What Sits Nearby
The plantation town of Honomu guards the turnoff, one street of wooden storefronts worth ten minutes on the way out. Stop at the old general store for a malasada or browse the galleries. A few miles on, Umauma Falls and the World Botanical Gardens give you a three-tier waterfall and a zipline course, and the Hamakua Coast runs north from there past sea cliffs and gulches.
Pair any of these with Akaka to build a half-day loop out of Hilo.
Guided Days from Hilo Near Akaka Falls
Akaka Falls is a self-drive state park, so guided experiences sit beside it rather than inside it. The zipline above nearby Kolekole Falls is the closest thrill, and these full-day tours from Hilo cover the island's other waterfalls, the volcano, and the coast. Each includes pickup and free cancellation.
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- Hilo Farmer's Market — local fruits & crafts
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Akaka Falls on Video
Where Is Akaka Falls?
Akaka Falls: Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to hike Akaka Falls?
Plan on 30 to 45 minutes for the paved 0.4-mile loop. The distance is short, but the trail climbs and drops on stone stairs, and most people stop to photograph the 442-foot falls and the bamboo groves. Move fast and you can reach the main overlook in under fifteen minutes.
Can you swim at Akaka Falls?
No. Akaka Falls is viewed from a railed overlook across the gorge, with no path to the base. The nearest waterfall you can swim under near Hilo is the private Kulaniapia Falls, which sells day passes to the pool at its base.
What's better, Rainbow Falls or Akaka Falls?
Rainbow Falls is easier and closer, five minutes from Hilo with a morning rainbow and no walk. Akaka Falls is taller at 442 feet and greener, 25 minutes north on a 0.4-mile loop. Most visitors see both in a day, catching Rainbow at sunrise and Akaka once the light flattens.
How tall is Akaka Falls?
Akaka Falls drops 442 feet in a single fall, more than twice the height of Niagara and among the tallest waterfalls you can reach on foot in Hawaii. The same loop also passes the 100-foot Kahuna Falls, though the forest screens most of it.
What are the hours at Akaka Falls State Park?
The park opens at 8:30 am and closes at 5 pm daily. Arrive before mid-morning to beat the tour vans and find parking, since the lot at the trailhead is small.
Is there a zipline at Akaka Falls?
Not inside the park, but a zipline course runs beside nearby Kolekole Falls on the same stretch of the Hamakua Coast, sending you over a 250-foot drop. It books as a separate tour from the state park visit.
How do you pay the entrance fee at Akaka Falls?
The kiosk takes credit cards only, with no cash accepted. Because reception is weak at the park, prepay through ParkMobile before you arrive, either in the app or by phone at (877) 727-5975, using zone number 808030 for Honomu.
What movie was filmed at Akaka Falls?
Akaka Falls shows up in the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and again in George of the Jungle (1997). Location scouts keep coming back for the same reason visitors do: a 442-foot single drop framed by rainforest, reachable in a ten-minute walk.
Is the Akaka Falls trail wheelchair accessible?
No. The 0.4-mile loop is paved but climbs and drops on stone stairs, so it does not work for wheelchairs or strollers. You can still see the 442-foot falls, since the main overlook sits a short walk from the trailhead.