Updated July 2026
ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls
ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls is a 151-foot waterfall in the Wailua area of Kauai's east side, seen from a roadside lookout about two miles up Kuamoʻo Road (Hwy 580). The overlook has picnic tables and restrooms; the falls flow year-round and there is no sanctioned trail to the base.
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 State of Hawaii (roadside lookout, Kuamoʻo Road / Hwy 580) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls drops about 151 feet. That makes it the 112th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 84% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
Access is documented as roadside. No trail distance is on record for ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls. The nearest town is Wailua / Kapaʻa. Confirm access and land status with State of Hawaii (roadside lookout, Kuamoʻo Road / Hwy 580) before setting out — some documented falls have no public route at all.
Year-round (flows year-round, not seasonal). 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
- ʻAkaka Falls · 442 ft
- Alelele Falls · 65 ft
- Hanakāpīʻai Falls · 300 ft
- Hanakoa Falls
- Hanawi Falls · 200 ft
- Hiʻilawe Falls · 1,450 ft
- Hoʻopiʻi Falls · 20 ft
- Kahiwa Falls · 2,165 ft
Sources
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