Sacred Falls

Sacred Falls – Oahu, Hawaii

There is no shortage of breathtaking waterfalls in Hawaii due to the perfect combination of water sources and volcanic peaks. Sacred Falls, located in O’ahu, embodies that exact equation with an added benefit of surrounding wilderness that has you feeling like you went back in time.

In total, Sacred Falls is over 1,000 feet in falling waters. Their are several tiers that seem to hug the mountain range and let the cascading water flow freely from swimming hole to swimming hole. The last section which has roughly an 80 foot drop was once the most popular destination for tourists. Not only did it give the best views of waterfall, but it was the ideal place to relax for a few hours and jump into the cool waters on a hot summer day.

Sacred Falls is Closed

Hopefully we didn’t excite you to want and explore this beautiful waterfall up close. Back in 1999 there was a landslide that killed several people, causing Sacred Falls State Park to permanently close access to the trails that lead to waterfall. Although there are a few who still try each year to trespass and make it to the falls, it is illegal and highly not recommended.

If you’d like to see Sacred Falls, the only option is to spend a couple hundred dollars for a helicopter aerial tour of Ko’olau Mountain Range. There are several different options to choose from with one of the tours specifically around getting a close up view of the waterfall from above. Although you won’t get the peaceful and personal experience you would at most waterfalls, the breathtaking views from above are still well worth it in our opinion. Sacred Falls still makes our list of the best waterfalls to see in Hawaii, even if you can’t right next to it.

You can read the latest news on Sacred Falls here. For over 20 years since the landslide there hasn’t been any mention of trying to reopen the trails or park and it doesn’t appear like it will ever be available to hikers again.