Oahu, Hawaii: Manoa Waterfall

As part of our Go Oahu Card we had the choice to hike through Manoa Valley to the 150-foot Manoa Waterfall.  This was offered through a tour that picked us up at our hotel, drove us to the start of the hiking area, picked us back up after 3 hours, and then took us back to our hotels.  Here is our experience:

The driver was super friendly and told us a lot about the local places we might want to visit.  He did tell us that we could only get close to the hiking entrance via his tour company but I found that to not be true.  There is a store (with restrooms, souvenirs, ice cream, and snacks) and lots of parking just a few feet from the entrance.  How to get there on your own (via car)?  I found this address that will hopefully help:  Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve  2135 Makiki Heights Dr, Honolulu, HI 96822.  At the time of writing this post - the tour company is no longer part of the Go Card...

There is a tropical garden.  We did not have time to check this out.

The entrance to the hike area.
We had to pay a $3 fee (per person) to enter.
I'm not sure how this works if you go there on your own (without a tour guide).
Honestly, I don't know if the fee was real or if we just paid our driver some extra money he claimed was a fee....

BEAUTIFUL!!!
Manoa Falls has been a location for many movies, as well as the TV show "Lost."

Hard to see but our first siting of the falls.

The trail:

Pretty ways at first.

An example of how the trail can get tricky.

A view on the way back - sample of how they are trying to prevent erosion and create a safe trail.

Another view on the way down - this part was really muddy!

Lot of beautiful sites along the way!

The falls!  The amount of flowing water changes during the year depending on rain fall.
It was pretty but the water wasn't abundant that day.

The pool at the bottom.

Lots of bamboo!

I just LOVED the views!!!!

Notes:

• Bring water for the hike.
• The trail starts out very easy but it gets rough in a few spots where there is erosion.  We could see areas where they were trying to make the trail more desirable/accessible but it looked like this was probably a constant and ongoing process.  It was also very muddy and slippery in areas.  One section had tall rocks where we had to pull our kiddos up.  Overall, it wasn't bad but be prepared to get a little muddy.  I would highly recommend not wearing sandals!
• The tour claimed that it was a 30 minute hike each way but I'm sure it took a bit longer.  
• You may need bug spray.
• You can't get to waterfall unless you cross over the fenced area.  Fences are there to make you aware that there could be falling rocks.  If you enter - it is at your own risk.  Plenty of people took a dip in the water.

This is the only waterfall we hiked to on this trip but I would love to hear about any you have visited!

To see more, visit my post on Oahu.