Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wailua to Nahiku
Keep your camera handy for the magnificent run of roadside cascades popping up
between mile markers 19 through 25.
Sights
Three Bears Falls
WATERFALL
MAP
Three Bears, 0.5 miles past mile marker 19, is a real beauty. It takes its name from the
triple cascade that flows down a steep rockface on the inland side of the road. Catch it
after a rainstorm and the cascades come together and roar as one mighty waterfall.
There's a small turnout with parking for a few cars right before crossing the bridge.
You can scramble down to the falls via a steep ill-defined path that begins on the Hana
side of the bridge. The stones are moss-covered and slippery, so either proceed with cau-
tion or simply enjoy the view from the road.
Puaʻa Kaʻa State Wayside Park
SWIMMING
MAP
This delightful park with an odd name, Puaʻa Kaʻa (Rolling Pig), rolls along both
sides of the highway 0.5 miles after mile marker 22. From the restrooms and parking lot
on the ocean side of the road, cross the highway and head inland to find a pair of del-
ciious waterfalls cascading into pools.
The best for swimming is the upper pool, which is visible just beyond the picnic
tables. To reach it, cross the stream, skipping across a few rocks. (Be aware of the pos-
sibility of falling rocks beneath the waterfall, and flash floods.) To get to the lower falls,
which drop into a shallow pool, walk back to the south side of the bridge and then follow
the trail upstream. And while you're at it, be sure to catch the scene from the bridge. Just
don't hog the view.
Hanawi Falls
WATERFALL
MAP
Another waterfall with a split personality, Hanawi sometimes flows gently into a quiet
pool and sometimes gushes wildly across a broad rockface. No matter the mood, it al-
ways invites snapping a pic. The falls are 0.1 miles after mile marker 24. There are small
pull-offs before and after the bridge.
