Hiking the Mānoa Falls Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 1.7 miles / 2.7 km
Surrounded by a backdrop of tropical mountains deep in Mānoa Valley, the Mānoa Falls Trail is one of Oʻahu’s most popular day hikes near Waikīkī.
I not only say this because the beautiful 150-ft. (46 m) Mānoa Falls is one of the closest and most accessible hikes for those staying Waikīkī, but also, Mānoa Falls is a favorite among families because it’s easily Oʻahu’s best kid-friendly hike near Waikīkī.
That being said, I encourage you to learn more about fun adventures within a short drive of Waikīkī using the link below.
Read My Separate Post: Best Hikes Near Waikīkī
Mānoa Falls Guided Hiking Tour
If you don’t have transportation or would like to learn about the hike from a guide, I highly recommend booking one of the tours below. They are not only some of the cheapest options to see Mānoa Falls, but in addition, the second tour provides roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Waikīkī.
Furthermore, one of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
Mānoa Falls Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Mānoa Falls Trail is located 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 just prior to the paid parking area, as shown below.
Google Maps Directions: Mānoa Falls Trail
Hiking the Mānoa Falls Trail
From the parking lot, the Mānoa Falls Trail begins a short distance up the road that leads to Lyon Arboretum and the ʻAihualama Falls Trail.
Following the 2021 reopening of the Mānoa Falls Trail, the hike became a bit easier to navigate, as the reconstruction took a once very muddy and heavily-trafficked trail and transformed nearly every muddy and eroded section with a hardened, more stable surface to walk.
However, even with the reconstruction, the trail still presents its own challenges, as the Mānoa Falls hike is almost entirely uphill, from the trailhead to the waterfall at the end.
That being said, most visitors should be able to hike the less-than-one-mile Mānoa Falls Trail with relative ease, granted that you are in good shape for the hike.
When you come to the split in the photo below, go left to stay on the Mānoa Falls Trail, as the area to the right is more of a viewing/ relaxing area.
Mānoa Falls
After about 0.9 miles (1.4 km), the Mānoa Falls Trail ends at a viewing area near the base of Mānoa Falls.
In addition, the end of the trail also serves as the lower trailhead for the ʻAihualama Trail, which you can read more about in the section below.
Warning
It is illegal to proceed to the pool at the base of the falls, and hikers have been cited here before for hiking past the warning signs.
From personal experience, I’ve been told that individuals have been fined for disregarding instructions from an enforcement officer.
By this, I mean that despite being told not to proceed, they continued when they thought the officer had left, only to be caught when the officer reappeared.
What is the ʻAihualama Trail?
Just before Mānoa Falls, the trail passes by a junction for the ʻAihualama Trail.
Essentially, ʻAihualama is more or less a connector trail to the much larger network of trails located up on Tantalus.
For this reason, I suspect that it wouldn’t make sense for most Mānoa Falls hikers to hike the ʻAihualama Trail if you were interested in exploring the trails on Tantalus. I say this because it’s much more practical to drive to one of the many trailheads on Tantalus to start your hike, rather than ascend by way of Mānoa Falls.
In any case, the ʻAihualama Trail makes for a great workout to get to the beautiful Pauoa Flats Bench on Tantalus. To learn more about some of the other trails from the map in the photo below, I recommend reading through my separate article titled the Tantalus Loop Trail, as there are a variety of easier trailheads that you can begin at to reach the same viewpoint.
Read My Separate Post: ʻAihualama Trail / Tantalus Loop Trail
What is Lyon Arboretum & ʻAihualama Falls?
Yes, the ʻAihualama Trail, mentioned above, and ʻAihualama Falls are completely different adventures.
In short, Lyon Arboretum is both a beautiful tropical botanical garden, and a trail to ʻAihualama Falls.
To learn more about visiting Lyon Arboretum, the required reservations, 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
Native Plants on the Mānoa Falls Trail
It is unfortunate that the vast majority of plants that you will see along the Mānoa Falls Trail are non-native/ invasive species.
However, there are a few natives to look out for, such as Hau trees that line part of the trail, Māmaki, and if you look up some of the trees, you may even see the native ʻĒkaha ferns.
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.
All being said, if you’d like to know more about these and tons of other native plants from across the islands, including many others found within Lyon Arboretum, I encourage you to learn more using the link below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
