Kauai Waterfalls-Bike, Paddle, Hike, or Car

[junmy3]

We would like to see some waterfalls while we are in Kauai. What is the best way to see them? We saw excursions that go by bike, boat, or hiking. Is driving an option?

[spleen93]

You can drive to some of the waterfalls on Kauai. Opaekaa Falls off Wailua River is probably worth visiting.

 

Spleen

[debtman7]

Opaekaa Falls are good, easy to get to and nice to look at :)

 

The secret falls are not so secret. It's a nice view, but you'll share it with about 30 other people over an extremely muddy hike filled with hungry mosquitos.

 

Our favorite was on the kalalau trail, but that's quite the hike. It's roughly 8 miles round trip to the falls. For a less strenous hike, 4 miles roundtrip gets you to a nice little beach populated by stray cats and barefoot hippies. I don't mean that in a bad way, it's still lovely. There are no significant water falls on this section of the hike, but it's absolutely beatiful and well worth the hike. If you want to hike on to the falls, it's 2 miles from the beach and provides a wonderful, more secluded view.

 

Appropriate footwear is a must. The trail is mostly stone, with some fairly big step ups and downs. If you hit rain during the hike, which is a distinct possibility on the north side of the island, it becomes extremely slippery. You'll also want to pack some water shoes or something to cross rocky streams so you don't have to hike back in wet shoes and socks.