Hike to the Waterfalls at Kauai's Secret Beach

Cassidy Davis

Hike to the Waterfalls at Kauai's Secret Beach

01/03/18

Really cool spot! It’s more of an “adventurous walk” than a hike, but nonetheless really cool. Like the OP, we had to ask a local for directions. Here’s what he told us: if you’re coming from Princeville (aka South down Kuhio Hwy), turn left on Kalihiwai Rd and continue down for about half a mile (APPROX. ADDRESS: 2970 Kalihiwai Rd). Once you’re about half a mile in, you’ll see these blue signs on the right side of the road that say “Parking Reserved for Practitioners of Traditional and Customary Native Hawaiian Practices.” The man we talked to said it was fine to park there, however there’s only room for 3-4 cars, so keep that in mind. After you’ve parked your car, stay on the right side of the road and you’ll see a series of gates behind a yellow fire hydrant that’ll lead you to the trail and the falls. As OP said, there’s a stream you have to cross once you’re about 3/4 of the way there, so bring shoes you’re okay with getting wet. The falls are beautiful, about 15 ft tall, and the tide pools beneath it are pretty cool as well. Be careful though, if the surf is high that day don’t try and walk down to the tide pools - apparently three people have died in recent years after being swept away. Overall, I’d say the “hike” was less than a mile round-trip, but definitely worth it! Since it’s not really an all-day trip, I’d recommend checking out the nearby “Secret Beach” which you can access by driving to the end of Secret Beach Rd, which forks off to the right from the beginning of Kalihiwai Rd. From there, there’s a path you walk down which takes you down to the beach, which is pretty mellow and quiet. Hope this helps and enjoy!

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