Maunawili Falls

Awesome waterfall but very muddy trail. I took us about 2.5 hours as intermediate hikers to get through the muddy trails. No special gear, just running shoes an swim shorts. We started the trail at around 8.30am and had a good hour for ourselves at the waterfall before people started coming. Awesome views from the top of the ridge as well.

Love this hike despite it being very muddy!!!. I would call it a moderate hike and you definitely get a good cardio and leg work out!! Pet friendly and I did see kids on the trail, some as young as 2 or 3 and few baby slings/carriers!!

While some have said this was an easy hike, perhaps they are regular hikers. It was just over three hours for us out and back, with about 15 min stop at the waterfall. Good footwear may be the trick to getting you in/out safely. Prepare for wet & mud, and beautiful jungle.Sore today, but well worth the time spent. It was the only thing on this Minnesota Moms list and I loved it.Thanks to everyone for keeping it clean and taking trash back out.

Cool hike. Beware of a slippery, hard to get a footing hike if its been rainy. Plenty deep to cliff jump into the pond where the falls hit.

I couldnt believe this was free! Yes you heard me FREE! It is a good hike about 1 to 1.5 hours each way. We did it in sandals but totally worth it. Make sure you bring bug spray and a flash light in case youre like us and decide to start this trek at 3pm. LOL. Im glad we did. It was such an adventure.

Challenging hike, but worth it! Many tricky steps, a few river crossings, and steep stairs make this hike a bit challenging but not too bad if your a pretty able bodied person. The jungle views, the waterfall,and the refreshing swim make it all worth it!!

Nice hike, but it can be very muddy and the trail has lots of roots. The waterfall is nicely located in a fern grotto. The stream has lots of scenic mini-waterfalls.

The waterfall was excellent (great for cliff jumping!!!) but the hike was brutal. I think it was fairly rainy the days leading up to my arrival in Oahu, but the hike was exceedingly muddy. It was essentially a mile and a half of slipping between mud puddles and roots, so be warned you should bring shoes that can get dirty and you can easily hose off. I believe the total distance to the waterfall is around 2 miles, so I would recommend finding a nice walking stick to help navigate past the large part that is mud. The waterfall itself is fantastic. The middle is very deep, and there are 3 spots you can jump off of. The middle ledge where the waterfall flows is the lowest, about 10-15 feet depending where you jump. The right side has a boulder coming out of the cliff about 30 feet up you can climb to (be warned it is dangerous) and there is a rope that you can use to help get up. The left side is the highest at around 40 feet, make sure you jump out and to the left (torwards the waterfall) to make sure you hit the deeper part of the water. Be sure to check the water for debris or rocks, especially if you attempt the higher jumps.

Nice hike but you must become one with the mud. Stay on the trail and dont increase the width of the trail. Follow the orange blazes which are few and far between. Dont leave your muddy shoes behind. All in all we had fun and would recommend

One of the best hikes we did the whole time in Hawaii. Highly recommend. Its not very difficult, but come prepared. Wear water shoes! Or at least shoes you do not care for very much. Start early to beat the rush and experience the waterfalls with little to no people. We started a little past 6am and it was perfect. It rained before we went which made it a bit muddy, but I have done this hike twice and I would say to always expect mud. The waterfall at the end is amazing and you can jump into it and swim, so wear swimming attire. If you climb up the first waterfall and go just a little bit further back there is another waterfall that is pretty cool as well.

Love, Love Love. Relatively easy hike. You will cross the stream a couple times, trail can be muddy. There are two tiers if you climb up the first falls. Can jump I to the first pool with no problems. Upper pool was about 8 feet deep when we jumped in and we barely hit bottom.

Great hike to a very nice waterfall. Too many locals come here so it’s hard to take pictures here.

Maunawili Falls is one of the best hikes in the area. The hike is invigorating. Youre greeted by a beautiful, refreshing water fall in the end! Another must do here!

Is beautiful ones you make it up there for sure.

Fun hike, not for beginners. The trail is nice, just happened to be very very muddy. Pack extra clothes. Its totally worth it.

The hike is moderate difficulty but it can get pretty muddy. If it has rained in the last week, chances are the trail will be pretty muddy. Still doable even if it is muddy, may just increase the amount of time it takes to get to the falls. The water at the Falls is nice and cold, refreshing after a long hike. Jump from the rocks into the water if youre up to it. There are three places you can jump in from.

We went on a day not raining and it was still muddy! Be prepared to get dirty. Keep mouth closed and dont, I repeat, dont drink the water from any part of the stream. Despite all the signs saying stating it, someone asked us on the trail if they could drink the water. LEPTOSPIROSIS is likely, basically animal pee, and human pee too if youre downstream from the gang up above. Hilly.

Pack lots of water, and snacks. Its roughly 45-90 minutes through the heavy cover and mud, of youre not at least moderately experienced in hiking, or arent used to heavy humidity and muddy terrain, your gonna have a rough time. But the end is worth it.

Awesome hike. If you go early, youll have the falls to yourself. Extremely muddy. Definitely wear footwear you dont mind getting dirty and wet; there are some stream crossings. The hike is completely under shade so you wont get beaten down by the sun. Its not a difficult hike, but is slippery in places. I will be doing this one again for sure

Awesome walk and waterfall, theres a spot to cliff jump on the side which made it all worth it

Long treacherous walk. Bring bug spray, comfortable shoes and water. Worth the trip...

Be ready to get muddy on your way up. Best to wear good foot wear for hiking and mud. But once you get there its plenty fun.

If youre looking for an experience in Oahu that makes you feel like youve just stepped into another world, this is it! Feels and sounds like a rain forest. Simply breathtaking. I would call it an intermediate hike. It gets somewhat difficult with the tree roots, especially if its raining because things get slippery. I wouldnt take a young child unless they were in.a backpack

Great views nice quick hike

Straight up tropical jungle hike, with a few cliffs to leap off of at the top! Shh! We went off the path and stumbled across an abandoned bee farm from like some speilgberg movie, spooky fun!

Beautiful hike with a bucket list ending to It! The hike was a little challenging at times due to mud, river crossings and steep slopes, but we met several people who made it with children in tow, and several senior citizens made it through. I would call it intermediate - moderate instead of begginers like some websites did. The falls and swimming hole made the 2 mile hike absolutely worth it!!

Great greenery and burbling Creek. Hike was a challenge if you dont want to get muddy. Love the waterfall at the end.

Very tough hike with the mud but totally worth it. Expect to spend much longer getting to it than you would normally plan for. Great swim at the falls.

Nice falls. The trail is over-used and punched out. Do not try this route unless its dry.

The trail was a little muddy along the way you probably want to bring some shoes that you dont mind getting dirty. the waterfall itself was a beautiful area definitely worth the trip, I recommend visiting if you have the chance. Oh, round trip it took about 3 hours.

Great short hike into the woods to a very cool waterfall and pool you can swim in or jump into off the cliff. Pool is about 12 feet deep so I dont recommend inexperienced cliff divers trying to go head first. Feet first is fine, sandy bottom.

Really nice hike. Easily doable. Do it early before the crowds show up. Actual cliff jumping from 6-30 feet.

The hike trail is challenging due to the muddy trail and gradient along the route. You will need to cross the river a couple of times. Bring proper hiking shoes.I dont get any leeches or mozzie bites but there are mosquitos.

I think this was a very nice hike. It can get very muddy at times so dont go if its been raining for a few days. Its not worth it then.Dry? Then go!Youll see some nice rivers some of them you have to cross and the scenery changes a lot.You get to a cool waterfall at the end. Be aware that a lot of people do this hike to bathe in the waterfall. It can get crowdy at times which is kind of annoying.Enjoyful trip any way.

Super muddy and my friend got leptospirosis from swimming in the Falls so youre going to go make sure you do not have any Cuts or scrapes and you dont get in the water, but it is a beautiful hike. Usually takes me about 2 and 1/2 hours to do the whole thing.

This is a tough hike. Its very slippery but the views are beautiful

Great place, can be a little rough when it’s been raining. Definitely worth it though. Highly recommend

Muddy trail, slippery rocks. The waterfall at the end is worth it.

Muddy but cool hike.

A greasy but scenic hike leads to a gorgeously secluded waterfall. The falls are a busy attraction so hit the trail early for about a 45 minute walk each way to beat the crowd of local teenagers. Trail was very clean so be sure to hike responsibly and carry all of your trash out.

Beautiful place and great hike! Be prepared to get muddy!!!! Well worth the hike it’s 1.79 miles both ways.

This is a real hike. Wear some shoes with grip and be ready to get wet crossing the stream.

Ive been going to the Falls for 40 yrs.now it is timeless and still beautiful. Try hiking pass the Falls veer to the right stream continue for a 1/2 mile enjoy secluded paradise. Dont leave any rubbish behind its bad luck !!

The hike up to the falls was tough but was worth the climb!

Awesome intense hike. Go to the first sign you see. That is the waterfall path. If you continue on the road you will get to someone house. The waterfall is worth the trip, but expect to get really wet and muddy going to the waterfall.

Very beautiful hike that will take you to the heart of the Hawaiian jungle. But be prepared, the trail is not well maintained, its also very muddy and you will have to cross streams several times. Make sure to wear appropriate shoes.

Fun hike in a beautiful area but can be a bit muddy and treacherous. Bring some shoes that can handle rough terrain, an awkward trail with lots of roots to navigate. Mosquito repellent is a must! They will eat you alive! Be careful where you park, you will get ticketed if you park at most corners and within 25 feet or so of the corners. There are signs posted so look for them. Bring extra water if you want to clean up after the hike at your car. You may be really muddy, depending on the weather. I have seen many who leave their muddy shoes rather than take them. We do bring our dog but this area is known for Lepto so its a risk. Happy trails!

My favorite hike of all time. Beautiful waterfalls and some thrilling scenery. Sometimes crowded on the weekends. Trail is usually muddy. Wear some water shoes/sandals that stay on your feet. Otherwise they may come off in the mud and/or cause you problems while trying to stay upright. Ive probably hiked this trail 20 times over the years. Always different, but always great! Can be a bit of a workout to make it all the way, but take your time ... and enjoy the scenery. Take a gallon jug of water to wash your legs and feet off after the hike and dont forget to bring a plastic bag for your muddy shoes ... and some replacement shoes/slippers to wear in your car. :)

This hike is beautiful. Wear sturdy shoes, be prepared to get muddy, and dont forget your swimsuit and GoPro.

Great jump into the water

Beautiful place to visit!

Difficult, muddy hike but so worth it at the end

Favorite part of the trip so far! Bring bug spray and wear water shoes. Chacos for the win!

Be prepared for mud here! Make sure your shoes are comfortable and secure before setting out or else you risk blisters and even losing your shoes in the mud! Believe me, I speak from experience! It was an interesting hike, but worth the effort to get to the falls and jump off the rocks into the very cold water!

Awesome muddy wet trail to brave, its a longer hike about 2 miles but worth it in the end.

One of my favorite hikes. Waterfall at the end . Not too strenuous but some stairs that will keep the blood flowing.

Sometimes we have so much fun splashing around in the river, we dont even make it up the mountain to the falls! My dogs, kids and I LOVE this hike! Be prepared to get muddy! This is a well traveled trail along a river in in a rain forest, after all.

Great hike but it can get packed.

Honestly one of the best experiences Ive ever had traveling.

Muddy, but awesome hike! 2 great high places to jump into pool.

Great spot to hike and swim at the waterfall.

Fun hike for beginners with a great water fall that you can hop off of

Relatively easy hike. Gets really slippery when wet and rainy but still worth it. The waterfall is beautiful and fun to swim in.

Probably one of my favorite hikes!

I really enjoyed the waterfall. The hike was challenging but jumping from the waterfall was totally worth it

While it was a fun experience the first time, I probably wont be returning. The mud is absolutely horrible, almost unwalkable, and the trail maintenance is nonexistent.Update: I would like to say that the trail maintenance is all done voluntarily, and also while it was muddy, it was still a fun hike and well worth the effort, you just have to be okay with foot thick mud and falling over in it sometimes. You do need to go into this hike with an open mind and a love for nature. Changed from a 3 star to a 4 star for families, if it was just young kids on here looking for a fun muddy hike, if give it 5 stars.

When youre in Hawaii, youre not enjoying it unless youre taking advantage of everything around you. This is a great hike and its a jump you have to take.

An absolutely gorgeous hiking trail which leads to a beautiful waterfall and swimming spot. The hike is really easy as well.

Nice hike, very muddy and slippery so have the appropriate shoes. Beautiful scenery, pictures do not do justice! For the most part the trail is shaded the whole hike. Lots of fun and not a difficult hike other than the mud and slippery trail, I slipped and fell 2 times and was slipping and sliding a lot. I dont know if its always muddy but it was when we went. Also dont forget to bring bug spray!

45min of walking in clay mud and tripping over roots....as in the trail is already at a 30° angle then add the WHOLE ground is covered in BIG slippery roots and you get a once in my life and never again hike. The falls are kinda small and the water is always cold. Seriously guys i know the pics look pretty but its seriously not worth it.

A fun hike. Its definitely longer than what we expected. But so worth it. The waterfall at the end is a great reward. Its gets surprisingly muddy during rain season or wet weather. Dont expect to get out of there with clean and/or dry shoes. Id suggest bringing water shoes because you will have to walk through the river to get to the end.

Great hike! BRING WATER SHOES. Ive hiked a lot in hawaii and see many people hike down a trail with cotton socks and nice sneakers or hikers on. Wear water shoes, you can get them as dirty as can be, walk through water passways, and it wont even matter. Also if you get really muddy, when your almost back at the paved road section nearing the entrance to the trail where there is a sign that says waterfall. just up the road, there is a river there with a section where you can climb down and rinse off for 1 last time and stay clean before you get in your car. Highly recommend you get all the mud off right at the end.

Amazing jungle trail! Diverse microclimates throughout the hike, with a wonderful reward at the end! Jump off a tall cliff, go swimming or just take in the beauty. You cant miss!

Good jumps muddy hike

Hard hike but super fun at the falls. Wear shoes that can get SUPER muddy.

Beautiful hike! Not to dangerous or crazy either. And the falls are a beautiful pay off at the end.

Great muddy, fun hike through beaut6rain forest.

Was a little treacherous to get here as it was pretty muddy and slippery when we went, but man was it worth the journey. Absolutely beautiful falls and secluded area where you can swim, and if youre adventurous enough, even jump from the falls. Do so at your own risk of course.Wear water shoes for the hike. You will get wet along the way and they are easier to wash off than sneakers. Youll lose flip flops in the water/mud, and they dont have enough traction.

3.0 miles round trip to the waterfall. Moderate difficulty. Can be muddy in some spots, some streams to cross.

Fun hike, usually very muddy. Our 4yr old hiked all the way there, with help over bigger obstacles and rocks and such. You will cross the creek a few times, so just plan on getting your shoes wet unless you are very nimble on your feet. The rocks can be slippery though. Awesome pool at the base of the waterfall to swim in to cool off. You can climb up and jump off the rocks as well, but the pool is plenty deep, so now worries of hitting the bottom. Another smaller falls just above if you swim through the pool and climb up.

One of my best places in Hawaii. Blend with nature of rainforest .

Tough hike, but worth the falls. Bring wet shoes to hike in.

Beautiful hike! Moderate level hike mostly because of the elevation gain towards the end and the exposed roots which make it easy to trip. Definitely not for someone with knee problems or who gets short of breath easy (the stairs even hurt my knees towards the end!) But the waterfall is beautiful and though the water is a bit colder its very refreshing after a long sweaty hike. If you go when it rains theres the added challenge of slipping, but honestly it just made it more fun! Like playing hopscotch trying to jump from root to root to keep your shoes from getting super muddy. But there are a lot of branches and handholds along the more muddy areas so it helps with the slippery footing. Took maybe 2/2.5 hours but we stayed and played in the water so that added a lot of time.

Beautiful hiking. Beautiful and refreshing waterfall.

The distance of the hike was not that bad, but the mud made it seem extremly long and made almost every step extemely difficult. We had 2 young grandparents with us that were absolutely miserable because of the constant slipping on the mud. I dont think any of us didnt slip to the ground at least once. The waterfall at the end is relatively small. If you enjoy swimming and jumping of cliffs (10-35 ft.), this is a decent spot. If you are hiking for the scenary only, there are easier hikes to bigger waterfalls (Manoa Falls). Also, take mosquito repellant! I think we all left with a few dozen mosquito bites. You will be covered in mud with no where to clean up when you get back to your car.

I come from the UK so Im used to muddy walks Id like to think. Im also a rock climber so a walk in the forest shouldnt challenge me too much.But I was wrong.This is the worst hike Ive been on in my life. It is certainly challenging. But not in the right way. Throughout the hike you see people falling over into mud puddles, sliding down mud slides, with their shoes, trousers, hands and face covered in mud. Hanging onto the tree branches to avoid falling over when their feet have lost the grip. Weve also seen deserted footware on the way. The only reason youre not seeing these photos posted here is that nobody had time to take any photos while fighting the mud, or that they fell over and lost their camera try to do so.Did I have a good time? No. Am I glad I did it? No.Oh, did I mention theres a risk of contacting leptospirosis? Theres a massive health warning sigh at the entry that everybody ignores.This is a classic example of what probably used to be a nice hike turning into something awful because of traffic and path erosion making the trail more muddy.All the people leaving 5* reviews here are sadists trying to lure you into this horrid hike. Dont believe them! Believe me!Or, maybe you love losing your shoes in mud, enjoy falling over, or simply dont mind some casual leptospirosis. In that case, knock yourself out!

Its a decent hike with a disappointing waterfall. Especially when there are people always on the waterfall. I wouldnt recommend the hike too much.

One of my favorite hikes...love the falls and the workout getting there.

Its a beautiful hike but be careful.its very muddy and slippery.

It is a semi-difficult hike to a medium sized water fall, where you can swim up to it and climb up and jump into the pond if you want. The reason I call it semi-difficult is that the trail is not that clearly marked, it crosses the riverbed multiple times and there are many points where you will likely get your shoes wet. So you have to make the difficult decision, do I want wet hiking boots or not so sturdy water shoes that make it difficult to hike the rest of the trail.

Too many haoles

Too hard for those with children. Steep and warn, turned back early bc the 2 yr old. We did the Monoa hike, thought it would be similar, it was not. Sad we couldnt make it. Will have to try again when she is older I guess

Hard hike but rewarding

Another gorgeous hike! Dont wear sandals

Amazing hike!! Waterfall and river and Mac nuts!

Great hike very muddy and lots of bugs. Hiking shoes, bug spray and swimsuit a must.

The waterfall, Amazing!! The trail, so easy! So worth it!

Muddy hiking!

It was really not worth the trek. Its a rather small waterfall after a long, medium difficulty trail.

Breathtaking