Manoa Falls

Very muddy. They are working on it so make sure to check the open schedule. We went on a Friday, got there around 8am. Glad we started then as it was pretty busy when we were coming back down. There are some beautiful views around along the hike. Honestly I don't think it matters what shoes you wear, they will be so caked in mud that you'll have no grips anyways. I would actually not recommend heavy hiking boots as you'll likely lose them in the mud. There is a steep section that is tough with wet muddy conditioned. We didn't have a stick when walking up but were sure glad to have one for the way down. It's a small area near the falls but it's pretty. It is a very busy hike though, if you're looking for a quiet hike this is not it. But it was quick. Luckily the bugs weren't too bad when we went but I can imagine they can get terrible. Took us about an hour with the muddy conditions. In dry conditions this would be an easy peasy walk.

Manoa Falls, Kolowalu, and Pua Pua trails --- all in Manoa, on Oahu are CLOSED!!. You will will be given a huge monetary fine for entering. Also, if you need to be rescued the City & County of Honolulu will send you the bill for the rescue. In Fall & Winter months Manoa has a lot of rain so these trails are extremely dangerous to hike because they are muddy & full of mosquitoes. BEWARE: there are homeless people living along the trails. Posted: January 21, 2021

We were told that this was an easy walk. Unfortunately it was extremely muddy, slippery and a hard climb. Here are some good pieces of advice. Get there before 8 am because the crowds are really heavy. Wear good hiking boots, clothes that can get muddy and lather up with a really good mosquito repellent with "Deet". Even so they bit me right thru my heavy socks so cover everything with repellent. Carry lots of water and a snack. This is only less than 2 miles round trip but once you get to the top it's nice to just sit and watch the falls. Some people went in swimming. The restaurant "Tree Top" at the Trail Head was closed when we were there so call in advance to insure they are open including the Trail. They are working on the trail so until further notice the trail is only open Friday, Sat. & Sunday. Go when you know there has been no rain for at least a week, if that is ever possible, or go fully prepared to be in a real slippery muddy mess when you are done. Worth the trip though.

Manoa Falls trail is about 8.5 miles from Waikiki and if you take Uber it would cost around $30 one way. A very nice hike with only about an 800' gain in elevation when going to the falls. For those that say the hike does not offer much to see along the way I disagree. There are scenic areas with trees hundreds of feet high in vast open areas. It looks like a scene out of Jurassic Park. We hiked this yesterday (27 Sept '21) and it was great. They have parking which is $7 regular, $5 for military. But you can park below and walk to the falls without having to pay a fee (its free).

Very nice scenery, great pictures and videos can be had on this hike. A couple of areas along the way were areas where people could rest. The path had rocks but wife thought they should have been smaller in size to make it easier to walk and I agree. I would suggest tennis or better hiking shoes. Saw a number of people with slippers/flip flops that almost fell because of some muddy spots and a couple that twisted their ankles because of the rocks . Most of the trail had shade from the trees, bamboo, etc. but I would recommend putting on sunscreen because the UV in Hawaii can be extreme. Also suggest talking water or an electrolyte drink along the way. The humidity is high, 60-80% depending on the time of year, and some people were sweating excessively so its a good idea to hydrate before, during and after the hike.

At the top are the falls, 150' high and it was pretty cool. Got some great pics. Some people went into the pool at the base but that is not recommended. We hung out for about 40 minutes enjoying the cool mist, took some more pics and headed back down. Took more pics and videos on the way down and took our time. We went on a Monday at 11:30 - there were a bunch of people but not too crowded. I would rate the hike as easy to novice and is worth the trip if you have time.

Absolutely worth seeing. The only fee was $7 to park. The parking lot is small so be prepared to wait for a space. The scenery is amazing. The trail can be treacherous because it is rocks all the way up. Because you are in a rainforest, it is muddy and very humid. You will definitely sweat but the views are worth it. We made it to the falls and it was flowing pretty good. Even if the falls are not flowing, the other scenery is worth the $7. Beware that there are very limited services. There are restrooms in a very dilapidated building and limited drink options at a pineapple stand near the entrance. All in all, this is probably the least expensive thing you will do in Hawaii.

I found this hike online while searching for relatively short hikes that are not too tough and have good views. We arrived around 7am and there was someone manning the parking lot. It is $7 to park. There were not many people there when we arrived and therefore the trail was empty which was nice compared to something like diamond head in which there was a lot of other people. This hike is very “jungle-y”. Therefore there is no need to do this as a sunrise hike because you cannot see much except for thick jungle. There are some really cool scenic moments as you hike up. As others mentioned in previous reviews it is rocky and muddy so be prepared to have your shoes a little muddy. Also there are certain points in the trail where you notice the bugs. I was smart and did my research to bring bug spray with me but I was not smart and forgot to put it on! Please remember to put on your bug spray before leaving your car or put it in your bag because I came away with a few bug bites. It took about 35 minutes to get to the end where the falls are. The falls are more grandeur in the fact that it is a tall and high waterfall as opposed to the flow, because as others have mentioned the flow is a trickle. However we still found the hike worth it for the scenery on the way up and the height of the waterfall. It also took us about 35 minutes on the way down and we took our time but we did not take breaks. There was only one steep section and the rest was doable. It had clearly rained the night before and it was extremely windy in the days that we were there so we noticed that there were some fallen trees blocking the path so I hope that was recent and not left for a while considering the $7 charge to park. Bring your water bottle with you as well as it is humid. Overall this hike is very easy to get to from Waikiki (it is only about a 20 minute drive) so it is a nice way to experience some more scenery with less crowds.

Manoa Falls, Kolowalu, and Pu'u Pia are not worth hiking. Better to hike other trails on Oahu. These trails have boulders, rocks falling & mudslides. Full of centipedes & mosquitoes. If you need to be rescued the City & County of Honolulu will give you the bill for the rescue! BEWARE: there are homeless people living along the trails who leave excretement & trash. The areas have many rental units and a high rate of burglaries. Vehicles are often broken into. Today's date: Oct. 25, 2021

Great falls, but in December it wasn’t much more than a trickle. Even with all the rain we got that week. It was wet on the way up, but not overly so as we were in sandals and didn’t get dirty by stepping carefully. I would recommend hiking shoes but depending on the day they are not really needed if you are careful. The shop at the bottom sells water shoes if you would rather buy those and use them on the way up.
The hike is challenging, but not overly so. Maximum grade is 23% so you might have to take your time if you are not great with grades. Be careful on the way down as it is easy to slip and fall. It would be nice to take water with you as it is a hot and strenuous workout.
It does get busy, so early morning would be best but if you don’t mind waiting at the top for your selfie, people are usually nice to get out of the way when they are done. Unfortunately many were ignoring the signs that say not to cross the barrier and were trying to swim in the water at the bottom of the falls. Please observe the signs.
There is a foot truck at the beginning of the hike that serves pineapple smoothies and shave ice that looked good, but the line was too long for us to take part.
The total hike is at least 3km (1.2 miles) round trip.
Enjoy!

The entrance is very enchanted with different trees - very tropical rain forest, the trail, be aware : is very muddy, will ruin your shoes ford sure unless you dress for it. Not easy hike, some path are narrow to fit people going both directions. Falls on top, it’s nice, but not worth the long, muddy hike. Some areas can be slippery too. I highly recommend you go there, stop at the beginning where you see trees and mountains in an enchanted circle,

I see that a lot of reviewers mention that this is an easy trail. That's certainly not the case, at least not in the humid winter. If it has rained recently as it had for us, the trail will be very muddy and slippery. You absolutely need sturdy hiking boots. Even tennis shoes will barely cut it. We saw lots of people slipping, especially on the way down. It was pretty crowded and there were no rail guards, so probably not recommended for people with overactive kids (it's a pretty long way down if you fall off the trail). The walk up takes about one hour, but you are then rewarded with an absolutely gorgeous waterfall.