Hiking the Likeke Falls Trail on Oʻahu
Distance: 0.9 miles / 1.4 km
The Likeke Falls Trail on the east side of Oʻahu is the best kid-friendly waterfall hike on the island, and I say this for a few reasons.
First, the Likeke Falls Trail is a very short hike at only 0.45 miles (0.7 km) each way. Other easy, comparable waterfall hikes, like Lulumahu and Mānoa Falls, are near double the distance.
The second reason is that Likeke Falls is as good of a guarantee as it gets, meaning the falls will be flowing year-round, as it is spring-fed, not rain-fed.
Finally, Likeke Falls has very minimal elevation to gain, which cannot be said about the much more popular and uphill Mānoa Falls Trail.
Likeke Falls Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Likeke Falls Trail is located either at or near the Koʻolau Golf Club.
On some days, the golf club has signs saying that parking is no longer allowed near the trailhead, and on other days, you can pay to park in the big parking lot next to the trailhead.
I suspect that it has to do with events on the golf course, but in either case, I always park for free on the side of Kīnāʻole Road just before entering the golf course.
That being said, be careful about parking in these spots on the side of the road because it is typically very muddy, and I’ve had to use 4WD to get out when it’s raining.
Google Maps Directions: Koʻolau Golf Club / Kīnāʻole Road
Hiking the Likeke Falls Trail
Before hiking, be aware that whether it has been raining or not, the Likeke Falls Trail can be one of the muddiest hikes on the island!
Additionally, the distance mentioned above is not the distance from wherever you may have parked. It’s only the roundtrip distance from the trailhead to the waterfall.
The Likeke Falls Trail begins up a service road for a water tank located shortly ahead.
When you get to the water tank, turn left on the trail heading uphill.
This section before the next turn can be one of the muddiest stretches on the entire hike.
Likeke Falls-Old Pali Road Junction
At about 0.3 miles (0.5 km), turn right at the split to continue toward Likeke Falls.
The trail going straight is the connection with the Old Pali Highway.
Not long after making the right turn, the sound of the waterfall will start to get louder and louder until you reach the stream just prior to the falls.
Likeke Falls
Although the pool at the base isn’t very deep, Likeke Falls can be a great place to cool off on a hot day.
Furthermore, this photo may not look like much water, but it can look significantly different/ heavier after recent rain.
My Print - Likeke Falls
Native Plants on the Likeke Falls Trail
Likeke Falls is low-elevation trail for Hawaiʻi, meaning that it’s predominantly non-native/ invasive plants along the entire hike.
However, the one native that always does well among other invasive plants is Hau.
If you’re interested in learning more about Hau and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
