Alelele Falls

Piilani Highway, Hawaii, USA

About Alelele Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Alelele Falls was the last waterfall I saw while driving the Hana Highway (actually Pi’ilani Highway at this point) all the way around East Maui.

Just when we thought waterfall fatigue had set in after a full day of seeing waterfalls, this one surprised and amazed me. Even if I was sick of waterfalls at this point (hard not to do), I was glad I made the stop.

Road_to_Hana_269_09032003 - Alelele Falls
Alelele Falls

Here, I witnessed a 50ft waterfall two days after a rain storm (hence the decent flow). I understand it doesn’t last for very long (give it a few more days before it trickles or goes dry, I reckon).

If that’s the case, timing is everything with this falls (as well as most of the other falls on this side of Maui).

Then again, Alelele Falls doesn’t seem to be touched by irrigation ditches further to the northeast. Perhaps the presence of the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park, which protected Waimoku Falls and the Pools of ‘Ohe’o, seemed to buffer this waterfall from them irrigation ditches as well.

Ever since the Big Island Earthquake in October 2006, this part of the road was inaccessible for all the subsequent times we’ve returned to Maui (including our 2007 visit).

So we were never able to see this waterfall ever since 2003. However, they apparently re-opened the Pi’ilani Highway for going completely around the eastern slopes of Haleakala, and I’m definitely keen to come back and revisit this little gem.

After parking the car at the Alelele Bridge pullout (see directions), I followed the trail north from the east side of Alelele Stream for roughly 10-15 minutes to the falls.

There was at least one stream crossing, possibly more, depending on which criss-crossed footpath I followed (I don’t remember).

I recalled that the stream crossings required some nifty rock hopping, and I’m sure I would’ve gotten wet if the water flow was higher.

Authorities

Alelele Falls resides on the island of Maui, Hawaii. To my knowledge, it does not belong to a formal authority. However, for information or inquiries about the general area as well as current conditions, you may want to try visiting the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) website.

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Tagged with: alelele, piilani, east maui, maui, hawaii, waterfall, hana, south maui



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Love this site August 12, 2020 8:17 pm by Linaka Hana - Aloha and thank you for creating this collection. Filling my eyes with the beauty of nature’s wonders. Mahalo! ...Read More

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Favorite on Maui August 12, 2020 8:21 pm by Linaka Hana - Aaaahhh... Alelele; love this waterfall on east Maui, with the ~40 foot drop, generally small and Cold pool, gorgeous black lava rock formations and steep canyon walls where Makani comes whipping down so fiercely. And yes there are many larger, longer, higher, more majestic and even more easily accessible waterfalls on the island. We love… ...Read More

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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.