Hoopii Falls

Kapaa, Hawaii, USA

About Hoopii Falls


Hiking Distance: 2 miles round trip
Suggested Time: 90 minutes

Date first visited: 2006-12-22
Date last visited: 2006-12-22

Waterfall Latitude: 22.10735
Waterfall Longitude: -159.34389

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Hoopii Falls (or Ho’opi’i Falls) is actually a series of two waterfalls nestled within the quieter, more residential side of Kapa’a.

The falls are said to be on state land, but the trailhead to the falls was unsigned when we were there.

Hoopii_Falls_015_12222006 - Julie checking out the Upper Ho'opi'i Falls
Julie checking out the Upper Ho’opi’i Falls

Thus, we initially had a little trouble finding it.

Compounding our confusion, we saw a bunch of unwelcoming “No Trespassing” signs and aggressive guard dogs.

It made us wonder whether residents here really wanted tourists coming to the falls even though it’s supposed to be public.

Then again, I don’t really blame them considering the area wasn’t all that well equipped for tourist traffic.

So with that said, it would be wise to respect the locals’ desire for privacy and peace so tread lightly.

Two Waterfalls

Even though there were two waterfalls, it was only one of them that was officially named Hoopii Falls.

Apparently, local and government maps disagree over which waterfall got the official name.

However, I think ultimately it was supposed to be the latter, taller waterfall that carried the name.

Speaking of which, the Upper Ho’opi’i Falls was said to be 10-15ft tall with a deep plunge pool.

We saw a couple of kids here enjoying themselves in the shadowy pool downstream of the falls itself.

The Lower Ho’opi’i Falls was said to be about 30ft tall in a darker more primitive part of the Kapa’a Stream.

This waterfall didn’t look like it was a good place for a swim.

The way we walked to both falls was as follows.

Hiking to the Upper Hoopii Falls

Hoopii_Falls_011_12222006 - Approaching the top of the Upper Ho'opi'i Falls
Approaching the top of the Upper Ho’opi’i Falls

We walked to the end of the old dirt road (once we found it; see directions below).

Then we followed the trail down a muddy, slippery slope to the south bank of Kapa’a Stream.

The trail narrowed and continued downstream along the banks of Kapa’a Stream for about a half-mile to a spur.

Then, we turned left at the spur, where we were close enough to hear a waterfall.

A few more minutes of downhill scrambling led us to the top of Upper Ho’opi’i Falls.

Hiking to the Plunge Pool for Upper Hoopii Falls

Back on the main trail, we then continued when the trail quickly reached another steep and slippery downhill section, which reunited with the Kapa’a Stream.

At the stream was a junction with a choice between upstream and downstream paths.

The upstream path went for a few minutes to a rocky area where Kapa’a Stream met the Upper Ho’opi’i Falls’ plunge pool.

I’d imagine this was the way those kids accessed the plunge pool of the falls.

Meanwhile, the downstream path eventually led us deeper into a dark and shaded forest.

Hiking to the Lower Hoopii Falls

Hoopii_Falls_029_12222006 - The Lower Ho'opi'i Falls
The Lower Ho’opi’i Falls

Here, the trail deteriorated into a maze of confusing false trails, low-hanging branches, and large fallen trees.

As we continued on the darker, primitive trail, we basically stuck close to Kapa’a Stream to avoid getting lost.

And finally within 15-30 minutes, the trail climbed alongside a large fallen tree to arrive at a narrow ledge.

This was where we were able to capture the view of Lower Ho’opi’i Falls that you see above.

Authorities

Ho’opi’i Falls is said to reside on state land hidden behind the Kapa’a Homesteads in the island of Kauai, Hawaii. 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.

Hoopii_Falls_001_jx_12222006 - Me descending the old dirt road past the gate
Hoopii_Falls_003_jx_12222006 - A close look at the top of the Upper Ho'opi'i Falls
Hoopii_Falls_019_12222006 - This approach looked like the one that those kids that were playing here had used to get to the plunge pool
Hoopii_Falls_022_12222006 - Distant look at the Lower Ho'opi'i Falls


Due to the presence of many residential roads and bypasses in Kapa’a, there are many ways to get from Hwy 56 to the start of the Hoopii Falls hike. We will highlight the way we went here.

From Lihu’e, we took Hwy 56 north into downtown Kapa’a turning left onto Kawaihau Road (about 9 miles north of Lihu’e) and followed this road for 3 miles through the Kapa’a Homesteads residential area to Kapahi Road. We then turned sharply right onto Kapahi Road, where we slowly looked for parking (may be difficult when you try it) near the unsigned, old public dirt road on the left. That dirt road was elusive because it was unsigned and sandwiched between private residences.

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Tagged with: kapaa, wailua, kauai, hawaii, waterfall, residential, hoopii, ho'opi'I, kapa'a



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Recent Tips on Ho’opi’i Falls hike March 1, 2012 12:18 am by Alisa - We hiked here in Feb 2012 and wanted to share these tips: 1)The "dirt road" is almost non existant, look for a wide parking spot for about 3 cars just past the last house on the left as you come down Kapahi Road. You have just passed the "trailhead". Its about an 18" gap in… ...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.