Rainbow Falls — Attraction in Hawaii

Very pretty waterfall with a simple 10-15 min hike up some stairs. Huge banyan tree up at the top. Highly recommend reading the sign at the falls regarding the mythology behind the falls.

Quick synopsis: Hina, the mother of Maui, lived in the cave behind the falls. She'd had a longstanding quarrel with a giant lizard, Mo'o Kuna. She was never worried as she knew she had Maui to protect her. One day the lizard threw giant rocks at the bottom of the falls, causing the water to build up and flood the cave. Hina called for Maui who was staying at Haleakala. Maui heard her calling to him in his dreams and took his canoe over to find the cave flooding. He destroyed the rocks which caused the water to drain from the cave. He then asked the goddess Pele to help him go after the lizard who was hiding in the water. He chased the lizard to the boiling pots waterfall where Pele had tossed lava into the water, causing the lizard to leap out and revealing his location (also giving the name boiling pots for the steaminess). Maui attacked him and won. Now the body of the lizard can be seen at the bottom of the gorge as a giant rock, symbolizing the water that he had attempted to flood with Hina with but instead had become...

Our family of five from Texas and Oklahoma visited Oahu and the Big Island for Spring Break! The waterfall and area is Amazing!! I love waterfalls and this one did not disappoint. You do not have to hike to this one, right at the parking! It was very cloudy the day we visited so no rainbow.. The only negative I have is there was a lady while we were there that was climbing all over the rocks right by the water so we could not get good pictures for a while. She was on the rocks for quite some time… People were yelling at her to get back and I noticed some people were downright mad that she was out there! I do not blame them! Then on our way home from our trip, I read about a man that fell and had to be rescued by helicopter and is seriously injured and this accident happened 2 days after we had visited!! Not sure why people try this stuff, they are only going to ruin it for future guests as they will not be able to visit at all if they block the falls from everyone! Would definitely recommend this waterfall...

Simply breathtaking!

The public trails are small, mainly focused on the view of the falls. Parking might be limited. There is a public restroom with wheelchair access.

The area is one of a kind. If your visiting Hilo, Hi., this is a must-see!

Several trails are available near Rainbow falls. If you visit and find the need to discover more areas to visit, open Google maps and search for waterfalls. You will discover a few in the area with public access.

For those of you seeking to swim, there is not much available regarding public access. However, locals know trails. Go talk to a local to get advice but be warned, your taking risks. Make sure to ask about those risks to be aware before you take a back trail off public access. Some risks include narrow and uneven trails, slippery, flash flooding, and potential drowning due to current under toes. Be smart...