A Ziplining + Waterfalls experience by Kohala Zipline. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: Five ziplines, two sky bridges, and Hawaiʻi's only tree-mounted spiral staircase, then a guided walk to a private waterfall pool you swim in. Nine guests maximum, lunch included.
The pool at the end of the walk runs 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Image credit: Kohala Zipline 
Top speeds on the longer lines reach 45 MPH. Image credit: Kohala Zipline The course runs through Hapahapai Gulch on a private nature reserve. Image credit: Kohala Zipline One line and one sky bridge reach the waterfall, the newest part of the rebuilt course. Image credit: Kohala Zipline Every guest has to be able to swim to take part. Image credit: Kohala Zipline Riders brake with a gloved hand, so you set your own speed on every line. Image credit: Kohala Zipline The waterfall at the end of the guided walk. Image credit: Kohala Zipline Towels are provided, and the swim comes after the guided walk. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail The pool is fed by a mountain stream, which is why it stays cool. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail The sky bridge runs level with the top of the falls. Image credit: Kohala Zipline The walk to the falls is about a mile round trip, over uneven ground. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail Lunch is a deli-style spread eaten outdoors on the mountain. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail The pool sits on private land the operator says no other company can access. Image credit: Kohala Zipline
6 Tour Highlights:
- Hawaiʻi's only tree-mounted spiral staircase, climbed as part of the zipline route rather than viewed from a platform
- A sky bridge traverse and a zip to a cliffside platform, both alongside a waterfall in Hapahapai Gulch
- A swim under a private waterfall in a stream-fed pool running 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Five ziplines on a rebuilt course with speeds to 45 MPH, and you control your own speed and body position
- Exclusive access to this section of Kohala, with a group cap of 9 guests
- A portion of every ticket goes to ʻIole, the North Kohala nonprofit that owns the 2,400 acres the course sits on and is replanting them with native and endemic species
Important: Minimum age is 8. Weight limits are 70 to 270 lbs and strictly enforced: every guest is weighed at check-in, and there is no refund for anyone outside the limit. You must be able to walk over uneven terrain and you must be able to swim. This tour is not suitable for pregnant guests, or for anyone with back or neck problems, recent surgery, or an extreme fear of heights. Dress code is closed-toe shoes and pants, capris or knee-length shorts: no tank tops, tube tops or short shorts, because no bare skin may sit against the harness. Bring a swimsuit and wear it under your clothes for the waterfall swim. Hawaiʻi law requires a child safety or booster seat for children under age 10 who are under 4 feet 9 inches; Kohala Zipline provides booster seats on request, so note it when you book.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult |
|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $295 |
Price note: This rate rises to $345 per person in October 2026.
Tour Provider: Kohala Zipline
Activity: Ziplining + Waterfalls
Tour start time: 8 am
Duration: 8-9 hours
Location: North Kohala
Pick-up available? Yes. Pickup from Hawaii Forest & Trail headquarters in Kona, Waikoloa Queens' Marketplace, The Shops at Mauna Lani, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, and Kona Village. Arrive 10 minutes before your pickup time.
Included: Deli-style lunch eaten outdoors on the mountain, with snacks and chilled drinks throughout the day (gluten-free lunch on request). All zipline safety gear, off-road four-wheel-drive transport through the private reserve, trekking poles, towels, day packs, rain jackets, bug repellent, reef-safe sunscreen, and booster seats on request. Available for purchase separately: a zipline photo package and GoPro rental.
Cancellations: Guests will receive a full refund with at least 24 hours' notice of cancellation. Cancellations inside 24 hours and no-shows are charged the full amount.
Read more: about ziplining in our Big Island ziplining guide.
Read more about this tour
You climb Hawaiʻi’s only tree-mounted spiral staircase between two ziplines in Hapahapai Gulch, on private land Kohala Zipline says no other company can access.
The day starts with a Kona-side pickup or check-in at the Kohala Zipline base in Hawi, then an off-road drive through private land. From the Hawi base it is about 10 to 15 minutes up an old sugarcane access road in a four-wheel-drive van. Pickup points are Hawaii Forest & Trail headquarters in Kona, Waikoloa Queens’ Marketplace, The Shops at Mauna Lani, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Kona Village. Driving yourself takes about 50 minutes from Waikoloa Beach Resort. From Kailua-Kona it is about an hour and 15 minutes, and the base sits just past Hawi between mile markers 22 and 23. Rain jackets are provided.
The zipline course was rebuilt and reopened as Phase 1: five ziplines, two sky bridges, a zip out to a cliffside platform, and a sky bridge traverse alongside a waterfall. The spiral staircase you climb between lines runs 35 to 40 feet by the operator’s estimate. If you rode the old course, this is a different route. Top speeds reach 45 MPH, and you control your own speed and body position on every line. About 2 hours of the day is spent on the course.
A mile of walking, then a 60-degree pool
Lunch comes after the course: a picnic-style deli spread eaten outdoors on the mountain, with snacks and chilled drinks through the day. Gluten-free lunch is available if you ask when booking. Then a guide walks you through the nature reserve past waterfalls inside it. The walk is about 1 mile total over 1.5 to 2 hours, with two short climbs of roughly 90 feet and 50 feet. Trekking poles are handed out, and we’d use them: this is uneven ground, not a paved path.
The walk ends at a private waterfall pool, and the water runs 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Every guest has to be able to swim. Wear a swimsuit under your clothes, and they hand out towels at the pool.
For one day you get about 2 hours on the course, a 1-mile walk, lunch and a swim, with the Hawi drive built in once instead of twice. Weigh that ratio before you book: the ziplining is the shortest part of it.
The weigh-in, and a nine-guest cap
Groups cap at 9 guests, and the day runs 8-9 hours round trip from a Kona-area pickup at $295 for ages 8 and up, with no separate youth rate. That rate rises to $345 in October 2026, so the same day costs $50 more per person after the change. Every guest is weighed at check-in against a 70 to 270 lb limit that’s strictly enforced, and there’s no refund if you fall outside it. Kohala Zipline provides booster seats for kids the state seat law covers, but only on request, so flag it when you book.
Booking the combo, or just the zip
The zip half is also sold on its own. If the swim and the 1-mile walk are the parts you’d skip, book the Kohala Canopy Adventure instead and keep your afternoon. The combo is the better value of the two if you’re going to be on that side of the island anyway, because the drive to Hawi eats a large part of the day either way.
Beyond the ticket, the only out-of-pocket items are a zipline photo package and a GoPro rental at $40 plus tax, both optional, plus whatever you decide on gratuity. Cancellation is a full refund with at least 24 hours’ notice; inside 24 hours or a no-show is charged in full.
About Kohala Zipline
Kohala Zipline’s guides are certified by the Association for Challenge Course Technology and complete more than 60 hours of practical training. The company was founded in 2011 by the team behind Hawaii Forest & Trail, one of the longest-running guided operators on the Big Island, and it runs American-made steel with Petzl, Dimos and French Creek climbing hardware. A portion of every ticket goes to ʻIole, the North Kohala nonprofit that owns the 2,400 acres the course sits on and is replanting them with native and endemic species. We list them because one outfit runs both halves of this day.
Affiliate Disclaimer
Booking through this page costs you nothing extra and is made directly with Kohala Zipline. We earn a commission from the operator, not from you, and it is what pays for the research that keeps lovebigisland.com free and free of paid placement. We only list operators we would send a friend to. Details on our affiliate links are here.