Kulaniapia Falls

Hilo, Hawaii, USA

About Kulaniapia Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Kulaniapia Falls is a private 80-100ft waterfall (the height is just a guess) on the Waiau Stream situated on the lower slopes of Mauna Kea not far from Hilo.

According to the owner Lenny, the film crew for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” actually came over to his property to film the waterfall.

Kulaniapia_Falls_105_02232008 - Kulaniapia Falls
Kulaniapia Falls

After seeing a made-for-TV re-run of the movie, I didn’t recall seeing this waterfall appear in it.

But then again, it could’ve made an appearance only in the full screen version as opposed to the made-for-TV version.

I’d imagine that it would have been the very first waterfall that the main characters tumbled over before going over the Devil’s Throat of Iguazu Falls.

Anyways, we found Kulaniapia Falls to be one of the more attractive waterfalls that we’ve seen on the Big Island.

Kulaniapia_Falls_001_jx_02012008 - Our room within the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls
Our room within the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls

We also felt the Asian-themed accommodation nearby the falls suited us as a nice place to relax and sleep to the sound of the falling water (as long as the mosquitos didn’t bother us).

Julie and I actually visited Kulaniapia Falls on two separate occasions.

On our first visit, we had to hunker down during a real soggy and unusually drenching Super Bowl XLII weekend storm in February 2008.

On that eventful day, the heavy rain swelled the stream and made the waterfall appear menacing.

Kulaniapia_Falls_006_02022008 - Kulaniapia Falls in a menacing state during a heavy rain storm that caused flooding on the windward side of the Big Island
Kulaniapia Falls in a menacing state during a heavy rain storm that caused flooding on the windward side of the Big Island

Therefore, we came back for a second visit nearly a month later to experience the falls in a more normal state.

Visiting Kulaniapia Falls

From the Inn, we had to walk around the property on grass (on the car park side) before finding the descending trail to waterfall’s base.

The path passed beneath the balcony of the Inn with the waterfall clearly in sight practically the entire way.

We were told that Lenny worked real hard (along with hired assistance) to clear that path as jungle once completely the entire area around the stream.

Kulaniapia_Falls_121_02242008 - Julie approaching the Kulaniapia Falls on a path that was once completely covered in thick jungle
Julie approaching the Kulaniapia Falls on a path that was once completely covered in thick jungle

In addition to the convenient access to the base of the waterfall, apparently the falls also provided localized hydro power for some of the electricity on site.

Moreover, I noticed a bamboo garden further downstream from the inn though we never really got a chance to experience it.

I guess one of these days, we’ll make a return visit and see the rest of Lenny’s work.

Authorities

As mentioned earlier, Kulaniapia Falls is on private property and is not open to the general public. If you would like to visit the falls, please visit www.waterfall.net to book a waterfall rappelling adventure or to reserve a room.

Guests without reservations will be turned away (something they’ve had to do more frequently in recent years).

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: hilo, big island, hawaii, waterfall, waiau stream, indiana jones, lenny, private, inn at kulaniapia



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Kulaniapia Falls March 7, 2010 10:46 pm by Mark Lindberg - Private, Serene, and Magical. Our pick for the most beautiful waterfall on the Big Island. ...Read More

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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.
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