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Waialae Falls

Waimea Canyon State Park, Hawaii, USA

About Waialae Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Waialae Falls (or Wai’alae Falls) is a another tall waterfall nestled deep in Waimea Canyon that we were able to see from the Waimea Canyon Road (Hwy 550).

Even though we were able to see this waterfall from the ground (just barely), our best photos of the falls came from a helicopter tour where we flew pretty close to the falls as well as other falls upstream of it.

Air_Kauai_heli_071_12262006 - Aerial view of Wai'alae Falls
Aerial view of Wai’alae Falls

I think there’s a way to do a long backpacking trek to get closer to the falls, but we had neither the time nor the will to partake in that so we can’t say anything more about that option.

Now even though we were able to see this waterfall from a chopper, it really depends on the helicopter pilot and the route he chooses that will determine how much of the falls you’d get to see (if at all).

Therefore, the photos provided on this page show you what’s possible.

And it was only through the helicopter tour that we were able to tell that it plunged in several distinct leaps.

Waimea_086_12272006 - Very distant view of Wai'alae Falls from the Iliau Nature Loop Trail. I think this is as good as it gets if you're not on a helicopter flight that takes you closer to it
Very distant view of Wai’alae Falls from the Iliau Nature Loop Trail. I think this is as good as it gets if you’re not on a helicopter flight that takes you closer to it

The view we got from terra firma (just barely) was from the Iliau Nature Loop Trailhead (see directions below).

We didn’t go any further than a few paces from its neighboring roadside pullouts, but from this spot, we were able to see just a glimpse of the very top of the Waialae Falls.

As a result, I’m sure a telephoto lens would benefit tremendously in terms of getting a more satisfying photo of the Wai’alae Falls.

This was precisely what I was able to do on our second time coming to Kaua’i in November 2021 (which was nearly 15 years after our first visit in late December 2006).

Waialae_Falls_telephoto_002_11212021 - Using the telephoto lens to bring Waimea Falls closer to view from the Iliau Nature Loop Trailhead
Using the telephoto lens to bring Waimea Falls closer to view from the Iliau Nature Loop Trailhead

Unfortunately during that visit, we were fighting the onset of darkness as we didn’t get around to checking this place out until just after sunset.

Authorities

Waialae Falls resides in Waimea Canyon State Park. 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.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: waimea, waimea canyon, kauai, hawaii, usa, waterfall, waipo'o, waipoo, puu ka pele, na pali, alakai, kalalau, helicopter, iliau



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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.