ʻAkaka Falls (Hilo, Hāmākua Coast)

ʻAkaka Falls drops 442 feet in one unbroken fall, and the walk to see it is a paved 0.4-mile loop that takes about half an hour. Most Big Island waterfalls this tall need a real hike to reach. Here the trail is short and paved, through wild orchids and bamboo, though steps in places rule out wheelchairs and strollers.

If you are routing a Hāmākua Coast drive 11 miles north of Hilo, the stop earns the detour. The park runs 8:30am to 5pm and the sun leaves the falls around 11am, so the first two and a half hours are the ones to plan for. Entry is $5 per person, parking $10 per car, card only.

Seeing ʻAkaka Falls: the loop trail

The trailhead sits directly off the parking lot, so the walk starts the moment you leave the car. The loop is paved the whole way and climbs about 100 feet, with steps at several points. The falls come into view from several places along the rim of the gorge rather than from one final overlook.

The view from the parking lot: ʻAkaka Falls in the distance, with the loop trail’s return bridge at lower left. The whole circuit is 0.4 miles.

The path winds through dense rainforest. Bamboo groves and draping ferns crowd the route, so take the way in slowly rather than rushing ahead to the main overlook. The paving stays damp under that canopy and the steps get slick, so this is not the stop for flip-flops.

At the first junction you can turn left, to the south, and go straight to the ʻAkaka Falls viewpoint if you’d rather skip the full circuit. The trail runs high on the western shoulder of the deep gorge that the falls drop into, which is why the viewpoints look across at ʻAkaka rather than up from its base.

Expect company on the trail. ʻAkaka is one of the busiest stops on this side of the island. It also makes our list of 6 favorite Big Island Waterfalls.

Walking towards the ʻAkaka Falls lookout point. Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Heather Goodman

The state park website carries current trail status. Google Street View shows the path if you want to see it before you drive up, and the video below walks the approach:

Kahuna Falls: the harder-to-see second drop

Kahuna Falls drops about 400 feet, nearly matching ʻAkaka, but you barely get to see it. A screen of trees on the cliff face in front of the falls blocks most of the drop from the single small overlook.

That overlook sits about 800 ft beyond the ʻAkaka Falls viewpoint. After heavy rain the falls run full enough to show through the trees, so a wet stretch of weather is your best chance at a clear look.

Kahuna Falls from the park overlook. Trees on the cliff face hide most of the 400 ft drop.

Getting there: directions and park hours

ʻAkaka Falls State Park is about 11 miles north of Hilo at the end of ʻAkaka Falls Road (Highway 220), 3.6 miles southwest of Honomū. The park covers 65.4 acres.

The park is open daily from 8:30am to 5:00pm.

When to go for sun and smaller crowds

Mornings before 11am give you the best light, with the sun angling into the gorge and onto the falls, and the smallest crowds. Later in the day still works. ʻAkaka has water year round, so you’ll see the falls in any weather, and the park stays open until 5pm.

Fees, parking, and paying at the lot

The entrance fee is $5.00 per person for non-residents. Children 3 and under are free, and Hawaiʻi residents enter free with a state ID or driver’s license (source, last checked July 2026).

The parking fee is $10 per vehicle for non-residents, and is also waived for residents who can show a state ID or driver’s license. Entrance is charged per head, parking per car. Four non-residents in one car pay $30, not the $15 a flat per-car charge would suggest.

How to pay: card only, no cash. An attendant works the lot and can help with the machine, so paying on arrival is fine. The state still asks visitors to pay ahead, because cell reception at the park is limited. You can prepay entrance and parking through the ParkMobile website (zone #808030 at Honomu, HI).

The fee sign at the ʻAkaka Falls lot: $5 entrance and $10 parking, with an attendant on hand to help with the machine. Cards only, so bring one.

Can you zipline at ʻAkaka Falls? (No)

You can’t zipline at ʻAkaka Falls. The waterfall sits inside a state park, and the state doesn’t permit commercial operations of that kind there.

The nearest course belongs to Hawaii Zipline Tours, formerly Skyline Eco Adventures, on the Kolekole stream between the park and the ocean. Seven lines build in length and height, and the last runs half a mile above a 450-foot ravine and across Kolekole Falls, which drops 250 feet. That puts it a little over half the height of ʻAkaka. Full details are in our write-up of the Kolekole waterfall zipline.

Read more in our guide to all zipline tours on the Big Island.