Waterfalls of Hawaii - Waipoo Falls; Kauai, Waimea Canyon

Waipo'o Falls is a fantastic waterfall on Kokee Stream dropping 800 ft. in two tiers. It is located in the heart of the Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

The first viewpoint of Waipo'o Falls is located at the signed Waimea Canyon Overlook just past mile marker 10. At this popular turnout, you will find outstanding views of Waimea Canyon and Waipo'o Falls. But you are a long distance away from the falls, so you will need a long lens for your camera as well. There is a second (and much better) viewpoint a couple miles up the road at the unsigned Pu'u Ka Pele Lookout, a roadside turnout just before mile marker 13. Although still quite a distance away from the waterfall, it feels much closer.

The Canyon Trail is a moderately strenuous hike located between mile markers 14 and 15 on Hwy 550. This trail takes you to the top of Waipo'o Falls. It is considered one of the outstanding hikes on all of Kauai. However, if you are expecting to see a close-up view of Waipo'o Falls, do not do it. You will get great views of the Waimea Canyon from this hike, and you will get to some swimming pools at the top of the waterfall, but there are no actual views of the waterfall itself on this hike.

The flow of Waipo'o Falls depends a lot on the amount of recent rain. During the summer months, there will not be much flow at all and it may even be dry. But if you are fortunate enough to see it in the winter, or after a lot of rain, it is really quite impressive.

10 Miles NNE Kekaha HI (Elev. 1749 ft)

Today
Scattered showers after noon. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming south southeast 13 to 18 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Cloudy, with a low around 60. South southeast wind 8 to 13 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Showers likely, mainly after noon. Widespread haze. Cloudy, with a high near 74. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming south southeast 11 to 16 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday
Showers likely, mainly after noon. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Wednesday Night
Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Cloudy, with a low around 59. South southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday
Showers likely. Widespread haze. Cloudy, with a high near 73. West southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night
Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a low around 57. West wind around 8 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Friday
Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 72. North northeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 55. Northeast wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Breezy, with an east northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday
Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Breezy, with an east northeast wind 11 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.