Hiking the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
The Luaʻalaea Falls Trail on Oʻahu is a little-known side trail off the popular Mānoa Falls Trail that leads to a beautiful, towering 200-ft. (60 m) waterfall deep in the ridges that line the back of Mānoa Valley!
I say 'little-known' because both locals and visitors alike love to hike the iconic Mānoa Falls Trail, but few are aware that there are six total waterfalls in the back of Mānoa Valley!
They are ʻAihualama, Mānoa, Kahuwaiʻiki, Luaʻalaea, Naniuapō, and Waiakeakua, in order from left to right, or north to south.
That said, the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail is what I would consider to be right in the middle in terms of difficulty to reach, with both Mānoa and ʻAihualama being the easiest and Kahuwaiʻiki the hardest.
For context, the real order, from least to most difficult, is ʻAihualama, Mānoa, Waiakeakua, Luaʻalaea, Naniuapō, and Kahuwaiʻiki.
This is certainly just one person’s opinion, but as for Luaʻalaʻea Falls specifically, the most challenging part is simply following the correct trail, as there are an abundance of interconnecting trails within Mānoa Valley that can be confusing if it’s your first time exploring the valley.
Luaʻalaea Falls Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail is located at the Mānoa Falls Trailhead at the very end of Mānoa Road in a small parking lot just prior to the trailhead.
Before arriving, be aware that there is a small fee to park, and know that parking is illegal along the side of the short road prior to the paid parking area.
Google Maps Directions: Luaʻalaea Falls Trailhead
Hiking the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail
The Luaʻalaea Falls Trail begins on the Mānoa Falls Trail.
Walking to the Trailhead
To get to the start of the Mānoa Falls Trail, hikers must walk about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) up the road toward the Lyon Arboretum and the ʻAihualama Falls Trail.
To skip ahead to the Mānoa Falls Trailhead, click here.
At this first split in the road, go right to continue up to the Mānoa Falls Trailhead.
What is the Lyon Arboretum & ʻAihualama Falls?
Just steps before the Mānoa Falls Trailhead, Mānoa Road passes the entrance to Lyon Arboretum on the left-hand side.
That said, the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is a jointly managed arboretum by both the State of Hawaiʻi and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, located just minutes down the road from the Mānoa Falls Trail.
The arboretum itself is a beautiful collection of tropical plants from around the world, but what makes it so special in Hawaiʻi is that it is one of the most important places when it comes to growing and propagating some of Hawaiʻi’s rarest and endemic plant species—many of which would otherwise be extinct if it wasn’t for Lyon Arboretum and a few others scattered throughout the islands.
All of this is to say, visitors are welcome at Lyon Arboretum, and advanced reservations are no longer required.
To learn more about visiting Lyon Arboretum and the trail to ʻAihualama Falls, I recommend reading all the details in my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: ʻAihualama Falls Trail (Lyon Arboretum)
Mānoa Falls Trailhead
This is where the Mānoa Falls Trail begins at the very end of Mānoa Road.
That said, the 2.0-mile (3.2 km) roundtrip distance posted above begins here, not at the parking area down the road.
To skip ahead to the start of the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail, click here.
Once past the trailhead, the Mānoa Falls Trail begins on a fairly flat path that continues for most of the hike to the Luaʻalaea Falls junction, about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) away.
Hau is one of the very few native Hawaiian plants on the Mānoa Falls Trail, and it’s one of seven Hibiscus species that are native to Hawaiʻi!
This unique container bridge is a 'more recent' replacement of an old, deteriorating bridge, following a multi-year project that began in 2019 to essentially reconstruct the hike to Mānoa Falls, giving us the trail we have today.
I write all this because, prior to the 2021 reopening of the Mānoa Falls Trail, the hike was significantly more challenging to traverse, as it was muddier, more slippery, and more eroded.
However, following the reconstruction, the Mānoa Falls Trail became much easier to hike, as the State of Hawaiʻi took a once very muddy and heavily-trafficked trail and transformed nearly every muddy and eroded section into a hardened, more stable surface to walk on.
Apart from Mānoa Falls itself, this wide-open stretch is one of the most photographed sections of the entire trail!
Luaʻalaea Falls-Mānoa Falls Junction
At about 0.25 miles (0.4 km) into the hike, the Mānoa Falls Trail reaches this small bridge, which is where the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail begins on the far side.
That said, go right on the trail immediately following this bridge to leave the popular Mānoa Falls Trail behind and begin hiking across some of the more remote parts of Mānoa Valley toward Luaʻalaea Falls.
Read My Separate Post: Mānoa Falls Trail
Waihī Stream
The Luaʻalaea Falls Trail will cross the Waihī Stream almost immediately after leaving the Mānoa Falls Trail.
Eventually, the trail will follow a flat muddy path resembling what could have been an old road.
When the flat muddy stretch comes to an end, the trail will turn left up the hill.
Luaʻalaela Ridge Junction
The photo below is the Luaʻalaea Ridge junction.
Turn right for the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail. Luaʻalaea Ridge is a hike for another day, and it’s one that I don’t recommend. There are much better nearby trails to reach the Koʻolau Summit, such as Mānoa Middle.
Luaʻalaea-Naniuapo Junction
Shortly after the Luaʻalaea Ridge junction, the trail will come to another split for Luaʻalaea and Naniuapo Falls.
Turn left to continue hiking toward Luaʻalaea Falls.
After the Naniuapo junction, the hike to Luaʻalaea Falls should be much more straight forward.
The trail is decently trafficked compared to other Mānoa waterfalls, and it’s nothing more than following the Luaʻalaea Stream as you hike.
Toward the end of the hike, the trail will be less and less frequent as the walls of the gulch close in, eventually disappearing altogether.
Lower Luaʻalaea Falls
Just prior to Luaʻalaea Falls is the Lower Falls, which can be hiked around on the left side.
Luaʻalaea Falls
Luaʻalaea Falls will be located just past the Lower Falls, and more than likely, you will have the entire waterfall to yourself.
Not many people venture away from the popular Mānoa Falls Trail.
Native Plants on the Luaʻalaea Falls Trail
In terms of Hawaiʻi hiking, Mānoa and Luaʻalaea Falls are relatively low-elevation trails, meaning that they are dominated by non-native, invasive plants, like Shoe button and other weeds.
However, there are a few native species to look out for, such as Māmaki, ʻĒkaha, and Hau, to name just a few.
If you are curious about trying the native Hawaiian Māmaki tea, I kindly ask that you don’t harvest Māmaki from our native forests but, instead, buy from one of the local reputable vendors, such as those listed below.
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
