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.
An endemic Hawaiian goby fish climbs the 135-meter rock face using a suction disk on its body to reach breeding grounds. This migration is among the most remarkable feats of any freshwater fish worldwide.
Location: Hawaii County
Website: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/akaka-falls-state-park
GPS coordinates: 19.85417,-155.15250
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:30
Waterfalls have a way of drawing people in. The sound of falling water, the mist that rises from the base, the way light catches the spray. Some of the most striking examples sit in places that remain relatively quiet, where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. These destinations reward travelers who make the effort, offering moments of solitude that are increasingly rare around natural landmarks. This collection includes places like the limestone terraces of Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, where a chain of interconnected pools spills from one to the next through forest shade. Or the red sandstone walls of Coyote Gulch in Utah, where water carved out hidden alcoves and pools over countless seasons. In India, Nohkalikai Falls drops from a forested plateau into a green pool far below. China's Huangguoshu Waterfall has a cave tucked behind the curtain of water itself. At the Vietnam-China border, Ban Gioc-Detian spreads wide across the landscape, while Angel Falls in Venezuela tumbles nearly a thousand meters from a flat topped mountain. Norway's Geirangerfjord hosts the Seven Sisters, a cluster of parallel streams that flow straight into the fjord. Iceland's Dettifoss sends an immense volume of glacial water over black volcanic rock. South Africa's Tugela Falls descends in stages from the dramatic cliff face of the Drakensberg range. And in the Philippines, Kawasan Falls creates a series of turquoise pools beneath a canopy of tropical growth. Each place has its own character, shaped by the rock, the climate, and the surrounding terrain.
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