Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Lulumahu Falls is a roughly 50-foot waterfall reached by a muddy bamboo-and-jungle trail (about 1.8 mi round trip) near Nuʻuanu on Oahu's windward side. The trail lies in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve and requires an inexpensive state day-use permit obtained online.

Height
50 ft
Type
Cascade
Access
Short Hike
Trail
1.8 mi out-and-back
Elevation gain
Not documented
Best season
Year-round (muddy and best flow after rain; flash-flood risk)
Land manager
Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife - Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve (permit required)
Watercourse
Lulumahu Stream (Nuʻuanu drainage)

Before you go

Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife - Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve (permit required) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lulumahu Falls drops about 50 feet. That makes it the 412th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 42% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.

The Lulumahu Falls Trail reaches it about 1.8 miles (out-and-back), rated moderate. The nearest town is Honolulu (Nuʻuanu). That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife - Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve (permit required) for closures and current conditions.

Year-round (muddy and best flow after rain; flash-flood risk). Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.

More Hawaii waterfalls

Get trip conditions by email

Lake grades, water temperature, and seasonal conditions as the data updates. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.