Akaka Falls

Kolekole Stream drops about a hundred and thirty-five metres in a single free fall into a gorge, and Kahuna Falls, around thirty metres, is on the same loop. The trail is a paved circuit of about a kilometre through dense vegetation with stairs, and the planting is worth noting: much of what grows along it is introduced - bamboo, ginger, orchids, banyan - rather than native forest, which is typical of accessible lowland Hawaii and something the park does not disguise. Flow is heavy and reliable because the Hamakua coast catches the trade wind rain, though after storms the water runs brown with sediment. The gorge is fenced and there is no legal access to the base or the pool.

What you actually see

• A free fall of about 135 metres - into a fern-walled gorge.
• Kahuna Falls - around thirty metres, on the same loop.
• A paved kilometre circuit - with stairs through dense growth.
• Largely introduced vegetation - bamboo, ginger and banyan.

When to go

Year round; flow is reliable on this coast. An hour.

Honest expectations

The loop is short - this is a stop, not an outing. Non-residents pay parking and entry. Rain is frequent and the trail is slippery. There is no access to the base of the falls.

Nearby

Honomu is below; Hilo is south.