Lower Makamakaole Falls (Maui, Hawaii, USA)

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Lower Makamakaole Falls (Lower Makamaka'ole Falls)

Lower Makamakaole Falls (or Lower Makamaka'ole Falls) is a rare waterfall in West Maui that you don't need a helicopter to see. On our first visit here, we drove some seriously narrow and unpaved single-lane roads (Kahekili Hwy or Hwy 340) hugging cliffs (very scary). After driving through this road going clockwise on this side of the island, this waterfall would've been a welcome sight, but it turned out that we didn't see the actual one.

Nope, it wasn't until we came back the other way (this time from Kahului to avoid that single-lane road) four years later did we finally see it as you see pictured above. This main tier is said to tumble some 60ft.

I've read that the word makamaka’ole means "without friends," and this could be a reference to days past when troublemakers were banished here.

Directions: The best view of Lower Makamaka’ole Falls is from the roadside pullout next to the power pole immediately north of the 8-mile post. Brush obstructs the view of Lower Makamaka’ole Falls from other points along the road, though you may be able to see smaller cascades upstream from the main falls from other nearby pullouts.

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One of the smaller upper tiers of Lower Makamaka'ole Falls. We had mistaken this for the main falls on our first visit back in September 2003.

Power pole and cross at the correct pullout

Contextual view of the main falls

The cross and the narrow Kahekili Hwy

Wooden poles at the top of the scramble down to the top of the falls (I didn't do this though)

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