Akaka Falls State Park, State park and waterfall in Hamakua Coast, Hawaii, US.
Akaka Falls is a waterfall in Hawaii County that drops 135 meters (442 feet) into a gorge covered with tropical vegetation. Native Hawaiian plants line the cliff edge and grow along the rocky walls of the gorge.
The state park was established to protect the waterfall and surrounding vegetation. The site preserves plant species that have grown in this region of Hawaiian rainforest for centuries.
The waterfall takes its name from Chief Akaka-o-ka-niau-oio-i-ka-wao, descended from ancient Hawaiian rulers. In the park stands Pohaku a Pele, a stone that according to Hawaiian tradition brings rain when touched with lehua branches.
A paved loop trail about 640 meters long with stairs leads to the waterfall. Visitors need a credit card for entry and parking.
The ʻoʻopu ʻalamoʻo, an endemic Hawaiian goby, spawns in the stream above the falls but matures in the sea. A suction disk on its belly lets it cling to the wet rock beside the waterfall and climb back up to breed. The ʻōpaekalaʻole shrimp has likewise evolved to climb ʻAkaka Falls and live in Kolekole Stream.
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