Founder & certified Hawaii travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Big Island State Parks
North Hamakua Waterfalls
Akaka Falls State Park, along with the northeastern Hamakua Coast, is home to two gorgeous waterfalls and an abundance of lush tropical greenery to delight visitors.
The stroll to reach Akaka Falls is almost as beautiful as the falls itself. After taking a short set of stairs, turn left and follow the paved pathway through amazing greenery and small waterfalls flowing into babbling streams.
Non-Resident Fees
Akaka Falls State Park now has non-resident fees to visit, and visit time is typically limited to an hour to allow for new visitors. As of this writing, the non-resident fees to visit Akaka Falls include a $10/per vehicle parking fee and $5.00/per person fee. Children under three (3) are free.
Everywhere you look, you are surrounded by gorgeous plants including giant ti plants, birds of paradise, torch ginger, bamboo, and split leaf philodendron. You will hear the dull roar of the waterfall before you see it. Just as you round a corner, you'll catch a glimpse of Akaka Falls free falling 442 ft. Through a green-lined gorge. In our opinion, the best time to photograph the falls is early in the morning on a slightly cloudy day; the filtered sunlight allows the greenery to accentuate Akaka's misty waters.
Further up the path are signs leading to Kahuna Falls, a beautiful but slightly less awe-inspiring waterfall, as most of it is obscured by greenery. The trail eventually loops back to the parking lot, where there are full facilities. Altogether, the path is only 0.4 miles long.
Turn inland (mauka) between mile markers 14 and 13 onto Honomu Road. Bear right at the top of the hill onto the main street of Honomu town. Here you will find a delightful selection of art galleries and gift stores as well as several cafes. Take your first right onto Akaka Falls Road and continue for 3.75 miles until you reach the parking lot.
If you’d rather not worry about directions and have an expert guide show you Akaka Falls and more, we recommend the Heavenly Hamakua Tour run by our good friends at The Volcano Van- their local guides and intimate knowledge of the area will make your Akaka Falls stop even better.
