Kalauao Trail

Did this hike today and I must say the waterfall was gorgeous! We went after a fairly heavy rainfall last night and pretty frequent rains throughout the week, because I have seen some picture of the dry water chute and we really didn’t want to come across that scene. So from the beginning, you start out in Keaiwa State park in Aiea and begin the Aiea loop trail. After approx 5 minutes we came to the first lookout on the right and continued on the trail until the trail made a ‘reverse S’ and the first junction to start this trail was on the left. From here there were obvious ribbons and we went through eucalyptus trees and strawberry guava for approx 20 minutes until we came to a large mango tree (unfortunately the mango were not yet ripe) on the right with pink ribbons tied to it. This leads you to a trail basically going straight down a hill with roots that can be used for assistance. Due to this section, I would not recommend kids on this hike because it was quite muddy which can easily lead to a fall. After about 20 minutes going down the hill we were encountered by a plethora of Mountain Apple trees (don’t worry about finding the perfect Apple just yet, there were thousands up and down the entire trail!) Then you encounter the stream, going upstream (right) you do several, I believe I counted 6 stream crossings before you reach the falls (approx 20 minutes.) DOnt worry so much about finding the correct stream crossing paths because as long as you stay close to the stream you won’t get lost at this point. Atlast! You reach the beautiful waterfall! Due to the recent rains we did jump off the waterfall but it was actually fairly shallow. One person back at the falls jumped from the highest point– which I definitely do NOT recommend! We also saw several lilikoi along the trail. We decided to do this trail as a loop so we climbed up the falls and continued to follow the stream doing about 5 stream crossings again. You’ll come to a Y in the trail and you want to stay to the right hand side. Then, approx 20 mins after leaving the waterfall you will take a discreet right hand turn on the trail, which was also marked with pink markers to go up the hill. This way seemed a lot more dangerous because it was muddier and you were scaling up a steep hill with limited things to grab onto, as opposed to the original trail down to the falls. Once you finally make it up the steep hill you realize you have to climb the ridge all the way around because you are on the complete opposite side of where you started. So the loop makes the hike back approximately twice as long, but it was a nice change of scenery.
tips: bring mosquito repellent
Go after it rains, you don’t want to see a dry chute!

Well, girlfriend and I missed the left to go to the falls and wound up doing Aiea Loop Trail… I hiked it barefoot and with a backpack that had a gallon of water in it… trail was pretty muddy. She had on Nike’s and I think we both did pretty well… after reading about the falls being dried up I’m glad we missed the turn.
We found ourselves with a birds eye view of the H3 right before the entrance to the Harano tunnel. Additionally, we had several breathtaking view points along the way. We detoured off on a few stray paths which led to more beautiful views of the Koolau valleys which would be unviewable by any other method except helicopter.
Not an easy hike, not a short one either… About 4 and a half hours round trip…

The waterfall and stream were dried up when I went. I took the option where I went past the waterfall, took the path that goes parallel to the stream, eventually turned right (keep a close lookout for this turn; I initially missed it and was lost for a while), and headed up a steep long uphill to get back to the Aiea Loop trail. If you do this option, a bit of warning: there are pig carcasses next to the stream that smell bad and are creepy, especially if you get lost like I did. The views are very nice on the way back up to Aiea Loop trail, but I’d recommend just turning back the way you came after getting to the waterfall.

Thanks to watching a YouTube video by Not so good hikers, I was able to find the Kalauao Trail path along the Aiea Loop Trail.
The beginning of the trail wasn’t so bad until you take a 2^nd right going down a very steep path and pass the marked ‘wrong way’ rock. Luckily, there are blue and pink markers that help guide you along the trail. We went with a couple of other people & our Bullterrier. They slipped & fell a few times and almost came close to twisting there ankles. Our dog was also struggling afew times too.
The trail was very muddy & slippery. I thought it was dangerous as we came close to slipping on many of the rocks in & around the stream.
Luckily, there was a rope, tree branches & rocks to help grab onto going down/​up the trail.
We were sad to reach the end of the trail & there was no waterfall!
Going back up was much faster than going down but a bit of climbing is involved. We were now covered in mud & wet from the rain.
It took us a little under 2 hours to do the entire trail. IMO I wouldn’t bring my daughter or dog here on this trail again.
Overall a good trail to do on a DRY day. I liked that the trail was shaded & well maintained.
I recommend bringing a change of clothes, slippers/​extra shoes, towel, hand sanitizer & water.

I’m only giving this three stars because it’s a bit anti climatic to get to the end and only find a dry fall and small stagnant pool. I would rate this an intermediate hike because I did it with a 3 ½ year old. He walked to the trail head and all the way down the hill (save for the last 25 feet or so), but needed to go in the pack for the entire rest of the hike. At 15 weeks pregnant, I tell ya, I was dying packing him back up that hill. Kill me now! I should add, my little one did koko head stairs and a slew of other hikes solo, so he’s good with strenuous hikes, but this one was just too much. Only good thing about the falls being dry was it made crossing the stream a cinch.

We just returned from this trail. It was really good and we enjoyed it a lot. The terrain varied depending on where you are at in the trail. (see below). We brought our 20lb terrier and he did great; he loves hiking. This trail is not that popular, which was nice for a change because there were less people around.
It starts off at the starting point of the Aiea Loop Trail in the Keaiwa Heiau State Park. Walk roughly 10 – 15 minutes (.5 miles) in and you should see a trail off to your left. At this point, you should have just past the electrical wires/​poles on your right side which also a quick look out point that will be a good land mark.
Once you turn left into the Kalauao trail, it will start getting bushy with guava plants. The Hawaii Trail and Mountain Club was out today and they helped clear it up a bit. Thanks for maintaining the trail! One of the members of this group said that this is the back entrance and that there is another entrance somewhere half way up the Aiea Loop Trail.
1^st section: This 1^st section (of 3) is the easiest. It’s relatively flat with some sloping downhill. It lasts for about 30 minutes. This part of the Kalauao trail will actually lead you all the way to Aiea Lani Estates community. (Gray colored townhomes). It would be shorter distance to park in this neighborhood, but I’m not sure if there is public parking; there’s definitely no public restrooms or water fountains like the Keaiwa Heiau State Park can provide. If you miss the turn to enter section 2, then you will end up in Aiea Lani Estates.
2^nd section: At the end of the first section is a large tree on the right side of the trail. It was marked with pink ribbons. Turn right (145 degrees) and follow this part (2^nd) part all the way down the hillside. It’s rugged, rocky, rooty and a little slippery. It’s a steep descent and I would say it’s more difficult than cardiac hill at the Mañana Trail. Luckily, for us, it wasn’t that wet or muddy, but it definitely has the potential to be wet and nasty if it just rained. This 2^nd portion will take you around 30 minutes too.
3^rd section: Upon getting to the creak bed, continue to follow the pink ribbons. They were placed along the entire trail, so it was easy to see where to cross the creak, which you will need to cross about 4 – 5 times. At the end of this trail is a nice waterfall and tiny pond. It was refreshing to cool off and wade around a bit.
OVERALL: This was a good hike; it took us 4.5 hours total from the Aiea Loop parking lot back to the parking lot. But we took around 45 minutes for periodic breaks. We’re slower than average though, so I would expect fit people to do it in 2.5 hours.
I don’t know the distance, but others estimated it to be 4 miles.

That hike was so dope. Takes a little skill to find it but after that it’s pretty easy. Listen to the review before me and trust your instinct. It’s about 5.9 miles from the parking to the fall and back. Nice cold fall. Really quiet and green too. Enjoy.

I was so stoked to find this trail! I hike the Aiea Loop a lot and it was getting boring. This is just as long as the Aiea Loop and took about the same amount of time. I loved that most of the hike is along a river. The waterfall at the end is gorgeous and the fact that there were no people there was even more awesome. If you happened to find this trail please don’t litter!!! Even though this is a less visited trail we still found trash! Very disappointing! Mahalo!

Great trail. I’m conflicted about posting this. There wasn’t a soul on this trail. Had a waterfall to ourselves and I want to keep it that way. Trail is well-​marked. If you can’t find it, well, maybe it isn’t for you. To do the loop you need more than a bottle of water and some sandals. You WILL get dirty. My dog did it. He had a harness/​backpack which he needed to get a boost sometimes. Long, but not too long. Not TOO taxing. For those of you who would have trouble hiking for 4 hours going down and up over a 1000 ft, just stay on the Aiea loop.
Oh, about the Aiea loop, I have a dog. He is well-​behaved and trained. However even HE cannot pick up after himself. It takes a well-​trained owner to keep this trail people and dog friendly.

I’ve grown up on great adventure movies throughout my life: Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, The Goonies, Adventures in Babysitting (shut up, I like that one) just to name a few. I suppose my appeal to this genre is greater than any other because it gives you that simultaneous feeling of danger and excitement throughout the story. It’s a feeling so unique you wish you could be the character yourself…
…and perhaps that’s why I’ve taken a very keen interest into hiking recently. Depending on the trail you decide to trek on, the journey could be an adventure in itself.
Kalauao Trail is such a trail that has it all. You’ll be climbing up and down tree roots hanging vicariously off a steep trail, crossing back and forth through a rushing stream getting more than knee-​deep at some spots, getting mud in places where the sun doesn’t shine… all in the pursuit of having a great adventure. You could even role play if you wanted to and pretend a Velociraptor could jump out at you at any second, as the trail could certainly set the scene for such an encounter.
You even have a nice payoff in the end as we were able to catch a pretty awesome waterfall. Granted, prior to the hike it was raining pretty much everyday for a week, so that definitely added to the spectacular-​ness of it all.
Granted, every adventure must have some element of danger, and this one has it. The terrain for the most part is slippery rock and mud, so it’s pretty important to watch your step the whole way. Climbing up and down the steep terrain can also prove challenging, as you have to find that nice, secure branch to pull yourself up on. This trail could definitely benefit from some more roped sections, but you’re on your own for the most part.
Still, a very fun hike and way glad I did it. It’s not the most difficult hike in the world, but offers a nice challenge for those who are looking for one. If you’re doing the Aiea Loop Trail, think of this trail for as an alternative as it branches right off it. The trailhead can be a bit tricky to locate, so make sure to check out the pics already posted.

Looking for a short 4 mile hike with a beautiful waterfall at the end? Look no further, Kalauao Trail is part of the popular Aiea Loop trail and takes only about 2.5−3 hours.
Park your car near the start of the trail and walk about .5 miles till you see a trail on the left covered on both sides by strawberry guava trees. Keep walking till you see pink ribbons hanging from the trees above you. You’ll want to turn right here.
(Thanks Dan) You should see this orange ribbon on your left
You’ll soon be descending down the hill from hell.
Now on to the hill from hell. It’s not THAT bad, but it was muddy and there were roots sprouting up in every direction so be careful and go slow. It’ll take you about 30 minutes to get down.
There was only one section that had ropes.

After what will seem like eternity, you will finally reach the stream. www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=dHtpVbsHrYu1eAWVRarNfg&userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1­mNChJYJww Sorry folks, its going to take another 30 minutes till you get to your final destination but believe me its so worth it. You’ll cross about 8 switchbacks all of which are clearly marked by ribbons. You are going to have to wade through the water so either wear vibrams or wear sneakers you don’t mind getting wet.

When you are about over walking through water and over rocks and getting eaten by mosquitoes you will finally be rewarded by this beautiful waterfall.
Lucky for us it had been raining for the past week so the waterfall was at full force.
This is a nice alternative to Aiea Loop if you are looking for something a little more advanced. Definitely do it in the winter months when you can see the waterfall and make sure to wear bug repellent!