Rainbow Falls, Waterfall in Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Wailuku River State Park on Hawaii that drops 80 feet (24 meters) over a dark basalt ledge into a deep pool below. Tropical vegetation frames the broad curtain of falling water and the basin beneath.

In Hawaiian mythology, the natural lava cave behind the waterfall served as the home of the goddess Hina. Her son, the demigod Maui, appears in many stories throughout Polynesian culture.

The Hawaiian name is Waiānuenue, written with kahakō and meaning "rainbow water". The falls pour over a natural lava cave that tradition names as the home of the goddess Hina. Rainbows appear in the mist on sunny mornings, most reliably around 10 am.

Rainbow Falls is reached via Wailuku River State Park on Waiānuenue Avenue in Hilo, and the falls are best seen from the park's viewing platform. A walkway continues to the top of the falls, passing a massive ancient banyan tree. The falls flow over a natural lava cave, so the rock face behind the water stays wet and dark.

The waterfall changes its appearance depending on rainfall and season, from a thin trickle during dry periods to a roaring torrent after heavy rain. On some days so much water flows over the edge that it completely covers the rock face.