Waihe'e Falls

This is a relatively short but very rewarding hike.  It is very similar to Manoa Falls but way less busy.  It is in Kaneohe though, so it's further away from most hotels.  The trail is scenic and the waterfall at the end is tall and beautiful.  It's a great choice if you want to see an impressive waterfall.

Maunawili Falls Hike

This was one of my favorite hikes on the island.  It is about 3 miles round-trip through beautiful jungle, with an amazing waterfall and pool that you can jump into at the end.  This trail can get really muddy at times.  I actually thought it was fun when it was muddy.  You should bring towels with you to leave in the car for the ride home so you don't make a mess of the car.  There is not anywhere to wash off at the end.  If you can only do one hike, consider this one.  It is fun and rewarding, plus if you wear your swimming suit you can jump in the pool.

Kapena Falls

Kapena Falls is a fun spot to spend an afternoon.  To get there, park at the very bottom of the curvy drive at Nuuanu Memorial Park.  The trailhead is through the grass on the left side close to the storage shed thing.  You can call it a hike I guess, but it's so short and totally navigable in flip flops.  The short hike is very pretty and has sort of an Indiana Jones vibe.  We noticed this cage up against the rock wall when we were headed in, and on the way back out we finally figured out what it was for.  It protects some hieroglyphs on the rock wall.  Once you get to the falls, there is lots to do here.  There are several spots surrounding the falls that you can jump in, as well as a huge cliff that you can jump off past the far side of the falls.  There are also a couple rope swings on the opposite side of the pool, so there are activities for people at all levels of bravery.  I would recommend this if you want a short hike with a fun reward at the end.

The trail starts through the grass on the right side of this photo

See what I mean about Indiana Jones-ish?

Haven't seen one of these guys here before

The cage...

And what's inside

The huge cliff you can jump off

It made me dizzy just looking over the edge

Making sure the tree is strong enough

Likeke Falls Hike

Likeke Falls is a great hike with a beautiful waterfall at the end.  To get to the trail, park in the Ko'Olau Golf Club parking lot and head towards the back of the lot.  You will see a staircase down where the trail starts.  Once you get down there onto the old Pali road, head up the road and then take a right at the barbed wire fence that is really close by.  Then when you reach the stone road, take a right at the giant tree (someone has drawn an arrow on it.)  The falls are beautiful and probably look good year round because it rains a lot near the Pali.  This is a short, easier hike and is lots of fun.  I'd definitely recommend this one for your vacation.

Old Pali highway

Jackass Ginger Pool/Judd Trail

This is a very short hike that leads to a pool where there is a natural rock slide and a little cliff you can jump off of.  To get there, take the Pali and then turn right (if coming from the Waikiki direction) at Nuuanu Pali Drive and then park alongside the road when you see the Judd trail marker sign on the right.  After you start hiking, cross the stream right when you get to it and then take a right through the bamboo forest.  This is a great activity if you want a quick hike with something fun to do at the end of it. 

Bamboo Forest

The falls at the pool

Blake making sure it's deep enough that we won't die if we jump in

Getting ready to do the slide

How it looks in the pouring rain.  It rains often along the Pali.

Waimano Falls Hike

Waimano Falls is a somewhat longer and in some parts a harder hike than many that we have done.  A good description of how to get here and what paths to follow can be found here: http://www.haolejuice.com/waimano-falls.  This trail goes through lots of different scenery and you can even pick and eat strawberry guava on the way.  It has a portion of the hike called 'cardiac hill' that certainly earns its name, not just because it's steep, but because it is full of loose rocks and leaves and the only stable thing you have besides dirt are tree roots.  It's an interesting hike because you start it by hiking down into the ravine and then have to hike up to get out.  I prefer to do the hard part first.  The waterfall and pools at the end are lovely and it is a great place for cliff jumping.  There are some small spots to jump off of as well as super high ones.  If you are looking for a slightly more challenging hike that could take up a good portion of a day with some fun swimming at the end, this hike is for you.

Waimea Valley

Waimea Valley is a fun but somewhat overpriced spot.  You can see their website here: http://waimeavalley.net/  Waimea Valley is a large botanical garden that you can walk through up to the top where there is a waterfall and large pool that you can swim in.  Don't be fooled by the name, botanical gardens doesn't mean large beautiful gardens, it means collections of plants from different parts of the world.  The walk is pretty short, but there are lots of side paths you can take through the greenery.  Once you get up to the waterfall, they have life jackets you can borrow or various floaty toys you can pay for to rent.  We did have lots of fun there, but there are so many hikes to waterfalls on the island that are free, it seems silly to pay $10 (resident, or $15 everyone else) to do the same thing.  Also, it's hard to swim in freshwater when you're used to swimming in the ocean.  I borrowed one of the life jackets because I thought I would probably drown without one.  Haha.