Ho'opi'i Falls Trailhead — Attraction in Kauai

There are some very beautiful falls down this path but be forewarned flip flops are for the g-dd-amn beach only! I cannot, for the life of me, understand why so many tourists choose to hike without proper footgear!? That said, bring solid shoes and your trekking poles or find a sturdy walking stick at the trailhead because, though short, this is not a particularly easy hike. It is a muddy, slippery affair however, your perseverance will be rewarded!

The trailhead starts near the homes of some rather disagreeable locals who apparently think that they own a LOT more property than they actually do. They put up signs saying "local resident parking only" and reflective driveway markers to block visitors access. There was even a sign at the trailhead that said, "Be quiet. You are in range" with a bullseye on it. A-hole-like, un-Hawaiian-like behavior aside, you can feel free to ignore any warnings on the trail side of the road. If there are reflective markers there, simply (and respectfully) move them aside.

The trek down the trail is very slippery because, let's face it, this amazing island gets a lot of rain. It is a moderate gradient on the descent to the falls that will see even seasoned hikers with mud in spots that are...unexpected. There are multiple trails that intersect but simply choosing the path that seems likely to take you downhill is a good bet for getting to most falls. If you are really unsure, take a break and wait for ~5 minutes and you are likely to see someone hiking up who will point you the right way.

The first set of falls is fairly easy to find. Following the trail down to the river gives you the option of continuing on the high route to bypass, or continuing down to the first, and smaller of the falls. It is still very pretty and, if you decide you don't want to face the longer version, still a nice place to enjoy the scenery. There were local kids doing impressive backflips into it while I was going past.

The larger and, IMO, much better option is to keep on going on the trail. It is the same degree of difficulty, but maybe twice the distance to the first falls. However, there is (as of Mar 2020) a rope swing and the falls there are bigger and far more picturesque. If you find yourself on top of the falls, go back to the last fork (

It was our first time going to the falls. We followed other suggestions about parking because you are in a neighborhood. Parking along the fence and not in front of people's houses is a necessary courtesy.

The trailhead begins in a few different places along the fence side of the road. All lead to the main trail which leads to the right (downhill) to get to the falls. I would not recommend slippers for this hike. There are no services here whatsoever so plan bathroom breaks accordingly and bring water to hydrate.

The nice thing was the trail and a portion of the swimming areas are heavily shaded. The trails themselves are easy to follow. Watch your step on tree roots. There are a couple slippery spots too, so once again, good water shoes at the least.

The first falls is a short hike and great for photos. The second falls and larger swimming area is about another 1/2 hour further down the trail. At the second falls area there are two trails to follow. The lower one takes you to the top of the falls and the high road (right turn after going under a larger fallen tree with large green vines on the ground) takes you down to the swimming hole. There's a rope swing there, but watch yourself because it was a little shallow. Water is cool, but feels really good after the hike.

Lots of families there with small kids, so the trail is very doable. Most times, if you find yourself in a predicament, back up and take a different route. The pathways lead mostly to the same place. Don't miss out on some of the little side trails to the river because you may find a secluded spot that fits your needs better.

Locals recommended only swimming when the water is mostly clear. If a heavy rain has fallen that day or the day before, the water might be murky. If it's murky, then you may open yourself up to parasites (not confirmed). Especially at the upper falls area apparently.

We had a great time and will probably go back again this week depending on the rainfall. Don't go if you have any current injuries. A lady had to stop midway because her arm was in a sling. You need to be able to grab and hd on to stuff when depending down to the falls and...

What a cool experience this was!!! Many of the reviews mention how the most difficult part of this hike was finding the trailhead, and that is true. When we got there, we were the 3rd car to park alongside the road. Apple Maps on my phone took us right to the area we needed to be, but after that there is no signage saying where to go! Fast forward to the end of our hike and the only thing marking the trailhead was a big orange cone. There are a few holes in the fence with well-traveled trails, you're just never totally sure if you are going the right way. As with a few of our Kauai adventures, more signage would have been helpful. (The locals that live in the area have PLENTY of signage noting No Parking or Private Property, etc.. I bet they put up with a lot!) Anyway, this was our first experience with mosquitoes after a few days on the island, so do what you can to spray yourself or whatever. As many reviews say, the trail is muddy and slippery in many areas, so proper shoe wear is very important. Flip flops will not cut it on this long trail. Again, none of the trails are marked...just follow the sound of the falls. The 1st falls are challenging to figure out how to get to, but follow the sound or if you're lucky, you'll see other hikers. Well worth getting down to....beautiful, strong falls into a deep, although rocky, pool. Other reviews recommend that you watch others as to where to jump, if you'd like. They were a lot of people in the pool as well as downstream of this area. One thing my wife read was that it is suggested that you NOT swim in this stream due to older homes upstream that have never had modern septic systems. After you're done here, you'll want to make the extra effort to go farther downstream as there are another set of taller falls. Again, follow the sound of the falls to find them. They are a little tricky, again, to figure out how to get to, and the trail is still muddy and slippery in many places. I would imagine these lower falls are much more spectacular when there has been a lot of rainfall and the river is wider/fuller. Quite a workout, physically and mentally, but well worth the lingering mosquito...