Waterfalls of Hawaii - Waimoku Falls; Maui, Hana Rd, Kipahulu

Waimoku Falls is easily the best waterfall we saw on Maui. It is a towering 400 ft. high waterfall, and the trail leads right up to the base of the falls. It is a very refreshing experience, especially if there is no one else at the falls (not likely though, unless you are an early bird).

It is about a 1.6 mile hike on the Pipiwai Trail from the parking area at Haleakala National Park up to Waimoku Falls. The trail is commonly indicated as being a full 2 miles to the waterfall, but my GPS told me it was only 1.6 miles. The trail begins across the Hana Hwy from the parking area, and passes the lookout point for Makahiku Falls. At about 0.9 miles, the trail crosses on a couple bridges over Palikea Stream and Pipiwai Stream. Then it continues through the very interesting bamboo forest, which is a bit creepy if it is dark. Finally, at the 1.6 mile point you will reach the towering waterfall. You will need to cross a couple streams, which you should be able to rock hop across. A warning sign indicates you should not proceed too close to Waimoku Falls, for fear of falling rocks, a common occurrence here. You will need a very wide angle lens to get the entire waterfall in your photo. At 400 ft. high, it is a very tall waterfall, and you are up very close to it. This makes Waimoku Falls an unforgettable experience, definitely one of the highlights for myself on Maui.

On an interesting note, when I started my hike up to Waimoku Falls in the early morning, it was a rather sunny day with no clouds in the sky. I got up to the falls and started taking my photos. Then the clouds rolled in, all of a sudden, and it started to downpour. I was totally unprepared, without a jacket or anything. I shoved my camera equipment back in the bag and retreated into the forest and under trees to wait out the rain. Then I realized I had left my GPS back at the falls in my haste. So I waited about 20 minutes or so, then went back to Waimoku Falls. By that time the rain had stopped, so I took a few more pictures before going back down the trail.

The Haleakala National Park and 'Ohe'o Gulch is obviously an extremely popular tourist area. There will be a lot of other people on the trail. However, if you are able to get here first thing in the morning, there will not be anyone else around, and the trail up to Waimoku Falls is very pleasant and rewarding.

7 Miles SSW Hana HI (Elev. 600 ft)

This Afternoon
Showers likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. North northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Scattered showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Breezy, with a north northeast wind 12 to 17 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Isolated showers before noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. North northwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday Night
Scattered showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. North northeast wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. East wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. East southeast wind 7 to 11 mph becoming west southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday
Occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 78. Breezy, with a southwest wind 11 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday Night
Occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 68. Breezy, with a southwest wind 16 to 21 mph decreasing to 9 to 14 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday
Occasional showers. High near 77. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night
Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Calm wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday
Isolated showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night
Isolated showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Northeast wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday
Isolated showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. East northeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.