Updated July 2026
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls (Waiānuenue) is an 80-foot plunge of the Wailuku River over a lava cave in Wailuku River State Park, viewable from a paved roadside overlook a few minutes from a parking lot in Hilo.
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 State Parks for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Rainbow Falls drops about 80 feet. That makes it the 265th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 62% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Rainbow Falls Overlook (paved) reaches it about 0.1 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Hilo. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Hawaii Division of State Parks for closures and current conditions.
No best-season window is documented for Rainbow Falls. As a general rule, waterfall flow peaks with spring snowmelt and after sustained rain, and drops sharply in 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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