Lulumahu Falls is a great hike to do if you want a quick escape to nature or if you are entertaining visitors from out of town. It’s short (~2 miles round trip, took ~1 hour total to hike at a very leisurely pace), easy (relatively flat, not much incline), and the 50 ft. waterfall at the end is a nice reward. It’s a little smaller than some other waterfalls on O’ahu (Manoa Falls, Ka’au Crater) but still awesome. I didn’t go under the falls, but if you wanted to cool off, there were a lot of other people waiting their turn to get soaked. Once you’re done getting the perfect instagram pic, you can retrace your steps and hike back the way you came in.
From the parking lot, start off by walking past a bamboo forest, then climb up a small grassy hill to a gravel pathway with absolutely gorgeous views of the Ko’olau mountains to the left. Go past the reservoir and a graffiti wall and you’ll reach a small set of stairs, which marks the beginning of the hike.
Ko’olau Mountains to the left
Graffiti Wall
The muddy dirt path and rocks you need to climb over are not that clearly marked, but if you follow the creek you’ll reach the falls! I read some Yelp review comments that said the left side of the creek was easier to hike up than the right, which is more slippery. There are parts of the hike where you have to cross the creek, but there were always rocks to step on and the water was very shallow. I went on a sunny day, but it was still fairly muddy and the rocks and some tree roots were pretty slippery so take your time. Some other hikers brought their dogs and their kids so in general it’s pretty safe. I would recommend having a small backpack to carry your belongings in as I used both my hands to help steady myself on the slippery parts of the hike and to climb up the rocks. It’s fairly well shaded and jungle-y as is typical of hikes in this part of the island.
Crossing the creek
Made it to the falls!
Difficulty: easy, but can be slippery at times when crossing the creek and climbing up the rocks
Location: Nu’uanu, O’ahu (4459 Pali Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96817)
Parking: it’s the first small dirt parking lot (on the right) if you’re coming from town up the Pali Hwy. Don’t leave anything valuable in your car.
Total distance: ~2 miles
***
I am grateful for:
