Hoopii Falls, Kauai Trail Guide

Hoopii Falls (or Ho’opi’i Falls) is a beautiful mess of a trail. If you can manage to slip and slide your way through the mud you will be rewarded with a wonderful waterfall and a scene straight out of Jurassic Park (literally).

We normally insist on staying off the trails when they are muddy as it causes the widening of trails leading to erosion (which is bad). But what do you do when the trail is a muddy mess year round? Well in Hawaii you just go for it. There is so much foilage confining you to the people worn trail that we don’t have to worry about screwing it up.

So now you have permission to tackle the trail but do you have the balance and coordination to stay on your feet? The mud on Kauai trails, otherwise known as “Hawaiian Ice”, makes the short hike to Hoopii Falls a challenging endeavor, unless you’re a local islander who we saw casually run this trail barefoot. The mud is slippery to the point where you can easily start sliding on the flat ground like black ice on a sidewalk during winter. Based on my always reliable assumptions I would say 1 out of every 10 hikers we encountered took a spill and ended up with a mud butt.

Your only option here is to walk very slowly and keep your center of gravity right in line with your feet. The trail is only 2 miles round trip but it may take you almost 2 hours to complete it. In our experience your footwear choice is irrelevant. Hiking boots, tennis shoes, sandals, barefoot; none of it made a difference. Just have a spare pair of shoes in the car for when you’re done.

You’ll encounter the Kapaa Stream along the way which you can wash off your arms and legs but there is no point in cleaning your shoes as the water access is in the middle of the hike so they will just get dirty on the return trip anyway.

Finding the Trailhead

The trailhead is hidden from sight when you drive up to it. It is a popular trail though, so if you notice a line of cars parked along the road, you are in the right area. You can turn around at the end of the road but DO NOT go past the No Trespassing signs or you will be greeted with anger and obscenities. Park along the tree-lined side of the road and walk back towards the way you drove in. Look for the very official-looking sign that says “QUIET” written in sharpie on a piece of cardboard that is stapled to a telephone pole. Walk a few feet past that and the beginning of the trail will be clear.

Directions to Hoopii Falls

The trail starts in a Jungle Book setting. Vines and green leaves drop from the sky as you slowly work your way into the darkening undergrowth. Through the trees, you’ll see large open lands of green pastures where cows graze, eat grass, and do other various cow things.

You’ll approach a slippery decline as you begin to hear the rush of water. At the bottom is the Kapaa Stream where various trails branch off. Most people will take the wrong path at this junction, but not you, because your smart and are reading this trail guide. Proceed downstream and right as the river bends, you will see a trail that goes upwards. That’s the correct trail.  If you keep following the river instead of going up, you will have to make a climb up a steep embankment that will probably give way to a mudslide and you’ll end up in the river and we will all laugh at you.

Now, like most Hawaiian trails the path is not always maintained so the next section gets a little more challenging/fun depending on who you ask. Tree branches have overtaken the path like those lasers in Mission Impossible. You’re going to have to navigate under, over and between them. Feel free to hum the Mission Impossible theme song while doing so.

At this point, you probably think your lost, and that is normal, but just keep going. The trail gets easier after you make it through the branches. You’re going to come upon another section of the Kapaa, follow it downstream along the faint trail. You will know you’re going the right way when you see a rusty, half-buried car being eaten by the jungle floor.

Eventually, you will come to a fork in the trail. Going left will take you to the top of the falls and going right will bring you to the bottom of Hoopii Falls. Both are short distance so you can easily do one then the other. The right trail goes up a steep bank and then after a minute or two of walking you’ll see a way down to the falls on your left. It’s not a clear path and requires some novice dirt climbing but it is doable. The key is to use the tree roots as handrails.

Hoopii Falls could look different everytime you visit it. The amount of water flowing over the top determines which waterfall you get that day. After rainfall, the water could fall into three large distinct pillars. Other days only the right side has water, and in a rare dry spell, the waterfall may just be a trickle. This makes visiting Hoopii Falls multiple times worth the effort.

Does the area give you that weird feeling of deja vu, like you have seen this place before? If you have seen the first Jurrasic Park (if you haven’t seen the movie, we can’t be friends) then you have! Remember one of the beginning scenes where they discover the mosquito encased in amber? Hoopi Falls is where the scene is shot right before they enter the mine! Look for it at minute 4:07 through 4:49.

It’s only appropriate they find a mosquito here because so will you (unfortunately)! The jungle here is full of the bloodsuckers so make sure to bring bug spray and use it before you start hiking. To cool off or clean off, you can swim in the pool below the falls. Once your ready to leave just retrace your steps.

Our Experience

Despite the mosquito bites, getting filthy and feeling lost all the time, Hoopii Falls is worth the hike. While neither of us fell, I somehow managed to get completely covered in mud and enjoyed every second of being dirty. The trail can be confusing and frustrating due to the lack of signs but after asking people we passed if we were heading the right way, their reassurances calmed us down. We choose Kauai because we are big Jurrasic Park fans, so besides the beautiful waterfall, it was a blast to be able to stand where they filmed part of the series.

Trail Tips

• Be careful in the mud and walk slowly
• Bring bug spray to keep mosquitoes away
• Bring a pair of spare clothes and footwear for after
• Doesn’t hurt to bring a towel and wet wipes to help clean off

Chad Albright

Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.