Pāpalaua Falls, Hawaii

Pāpalaua Falls, Hawaii at a glance

Location	Hawaii
Height	Not verified yet
Stream gauge	USGS 16400000
GPS	21.15943, -156.80484

What makes Pāpalaua Falls special

It is also one of the few falls we can link to a live USGS stream gauge, so you can check how much water is coming down before you leave home.

What brings people back to Pāpalaua Falls is how different it looks from one visit to the next. A wet spring week and a dry August afternoon can feel like two different places.

Geology and background

What makes Pāpalaua Falls special

On Molokai’s northern shore, in the Papalaua Valley, the Kawai Nui stream feeds Pāpalaua Falls. The stream runs 1,644 feet and cuts a steep fissure through the valley wall. The fall comes down in five drops, and the middle one, a 1,120-foot drop, can be seen from the sea, which is why the fall is popular with aerial and boat tours of the island. Those heights are the description’s figures: the fall’s height has not passed our source check, so we print them as the description counts them, not as verified heights.

The name carries its own weather. Pāpalaua comes from pāpala-ua, meaning rain fog, and the fall lives up to it: it flows all year round, and it runs strongest in the rainy months, November to March. The mist around the fissure is part of the fall, not a side effect.

The valley around it holds older history. The ground near the fall still holds traces of old taro terraces, built by Native Hawaiians and Chinese growers. And the fall is often misidentified as the nearby Kahiwa Falls, which is 0.7 miles away: two tall falls on the same shore, easy to confuse from the sea.

Source: Wikipedia

Geology and background

The fall is the work of the Kawai Nui stream cutting down through the valley. Over time the stream carved a steep fissure, and the water now drops through it in five stages, with the long middle drop doing most of the work. The fissure is the fall’s shape: a narrow cut in the valley wall, with the stream falling through it to the shore below.

Plan your visit

Getting there and parking

GPS: 21.1594294, -156.8048434 — Get directions

Use the coordinates, not the name, to navigate. Map apps often send waterfall searches to the wrong parking lot or the far side of the stream. Download an offline map before you lose signal. Note that the middle drop is seen from the sea: the fall is best known from boat and air tours, not from a trail.

Best time and crowds

A stream gauge is linked on this page: check the live flow before you go. The fall runs all year, and it is at its strongest in the rainy season, from November to March.

Safety

Stay on marked trails and behind railings. Wet, mossy rock near the brink is the most common cause of serious injury. Never climb the cascade or stand at the top edge, even when the flow looks gentle. In canyons, rain upstream can raise the water in minutes: leave if the water turns muddy or starts to rise.

What to bring

Shoes with real grip
A rain shell for the spray and the island showers
Water and a snack
An offline map or screenshot
A dry bag for your phone
A bag to pack out trash

Practical tips

Check the live gauge before you go: rainy-season flow is what makes this fall.
Do not confuse it with Kahiwa Falls, 0.7 miles away: the two are often mixed up.
Time the visit for the rainy season, November to March, for the strongest flow.
Screenshot the directions and these coordinates before you leave town.

Keep exploring

Waterfalls mark a change in the ground beneath a stream: a fault, a glacier-cut valley wall, or a band of hard rock the water cannot wear down as quickly as what lies below it.

Water flow and seasons

The stream that feeds Pāpalaua Falls is tracked by USGS gauge 16400000. A reading well above the seasonal median means a fuller fall, and usually a wetter, muddier trail.

Flow tends to peak in spring with snowmelt and seasonal rain, and again for a day or two after a big storm. By late summer smaller falls can drop to a thin ribbon.

See today’s flow on USGS →

The trail and the viewpoint

We do not have a trail length for Pāpalaua Falls yet. Some falls are a few steps from a parking area, others take a real hike, so check the park or a trail app before you set out.

Swimming is not listed. Treat the plunge pool as off-limits unless signs say otherwise: the water at the base is colder and stronger than it looks.

Facilities and amenities

We do not list a park for this fall, which often means a small trailhead or roadside pull-off with few or no facilities.

Plan as if there is no drinking water and no phone signal at the falls themselves. Use the restroom and fill your bottles before you start walking.

Fees, permits, and opening hours

No entry fee is listed. Parks may still charge for parking or day use, and federal lands often accept an annual pass instead.

Most falls are reachable from dawn to dusk. Gates, seasonal road closures and timed-entry permits are the usual surprises, so check the managing agency on the day.

How to get to Pāpalaua Falls

Pāpalaua Falls is in Hawaii. For the last stretch, navigate by coordinates (21.15943, -156.80484) rather than by name. Map apps often send waterfall searches to the wrong parking lot or the far side of the stream.

The final approach is usually the hardest part: narrow roads, small trailhead lots that fill early, and a walk that can be ten minutes or several hours. Download an offline map before you lose signal.

Our Hawaii waterfalls page maps every fall in the state, which helps when you are planning a route.

Get directions to Pāpalaua Falls →

Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Best time to visit

For the fullest flow, visit Pāpalaua Falls in spring or within a couple of days of heavy rain. For easier footing and warmer air, early summer is the compromise.

Light matters for photos: the base of a fall is often in shade by midday, and an overcast day evens out the bright water against dark rock.

Crowds and timing

Weekday mornings are the quietest. On summer weekends, popular falls can fill their parking by mid-morning, and the viewpoint becomes a queue.

Holiday weekends and the first warm days of spring are the busiest of all. If the lot is full, do not park on the road shoulder: it is the most common reason for tickets and towing at trailheads.

How long to spend there

Without a listed trail length, plan for half a day: enough time to find the trailhead, walk in, spend an hour at the water and walk out without rushing.

If there are other falls nearby, they are often on the same road or trail system. Two or three in a day is very doable.

Where to stay near Pāpalaua Falls

We do not recommend specific places to stay. The links below search for hotels and campgrounds around Pāpalaua Falls on Google Maps, so you can compare drive times from the trailhead.

Hotels nearby Campgrounds nearby Food nearby

Safety, rules, and responsible visiting

Stay on marked trails and behind railings. Wet, mossy rock near the brink is the most common cause of serious injury.
Never climb the cascade or stand at the top edge, even when the flow looks gentle.
Plunge pools hide cold water, strong currents and submerged logs. Only swim where it is allowed.
In canyons, rain upstream can raise the water in minutes. Leave if the water turns muddy or starts to rise.
Leave no trace: pack out trash, stay off fragile moss and plants, and keep drones grounded where they are banned.

What to bring

Shoes with real grip
A rain shell for the spray
Water and a snack
An offline map or screenshot
A dry bag for your phone
Cash for parking
A bag to pack out trash

Practical visitor tips

Screenshot the directions and these coordinates before you leave town.
Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet: spray reaches further than you expect.
Keep your phone in a zip bag near the base.
Pack out everything, including food scraps.
Tell someone where you are going if the trail is long or remote.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Pāpalaua Falls, Hawaii located?

Pāpalaua Falls is in Hawaii. Its GPS coordinates are 21.15943, -156.80484.

What kind of waterfall is Pāpalaua Falls, Hawaii?

Its form (plunge, cascade, horsetail and so on) is not listed yet.

How tall is Pāpalaua Falls?

Its height has not passed a source check yet, so we do not show a number or include it in tallest lists.

How much does it cost, and when is it open?

No fee is listed, though parking or day-use fees may apply. Most falls are open dawn to dusk; check the managing agency for seasonal closures.

Is Pāpalaua Falls good for families?

It depends on the trail, which we have not confirmed. Check the length and terrain first, and keep children well back from wet rock and the edge.

How do I know if it is flowing?

Check USGS gauge 16400000 for today’s streamflow, and the last three days of rain in the weather panel.

The bottom line

Pāpalaua Falls is worth a detour, especially after rain. Check the flow before you go, start early to beat the crowds, and stay well back from the edge.

Waterfalls nearby

One fall rarely fills a day. These are within about 40 miles.

Keep exploring

More waterfalls in Hawaii Every fall we list in the state, on one map.
Explore the waterfall map Filter by state, height, photo and live flow.
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Falls with live flow Check the stream gauge before you drive.
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