Hiking Likeke Waterfalls

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Likeke Falls is a stunning, two-tiered waterfall that sits below the Pali Lookout.  Sometimes referred to as the Old Pali Highway Falls, this Oahu waterfall can be one of the easiest to access!  But without a map or some directions, you might never find it…or wind up lost!

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Two-Tiered Likeke Falls

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There are two ways to get to Likeke Falls.  You can reach it by hiking down the Old Pali Highway from the Pali Lookout, which will take about an hour and a half.

Or you can take the easier and much shorter route by starting from the bottom of the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu (the old Ko‘olau Ko’olau Golf Club), and walking up for approximately 15 minutes to reach this Oahu waterfall.

It really depends on how much time you have, how strenuous of a hike you're in the mood for, and how much scenery you want to pack in!

With the water constantly collecting in the high Ko’olau mountain range, you find beautiful waterfalls scattered throughout, including Likeke Falls.

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The Hike

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As I mentioned above, there are two ways to get to Likeke Falls.  You could hike down from the Pali Lookout for over an hour, or take a quick 10 to 15 minute hike up from the Ko’olau Golf Course parking lot.

Hiking down from the Pali Lookout requires traveling along the Old Pali Highway below the lookout, cutting through some thick brush, under the freeway, onto Auloa Road, and then connecting onto the Likeke Trail.  Follow the trail down the hill to the waterfall.

Just remember that when you’re finished, the hike is all back uphill, if you take this route!

Be ready to pay $10 for parking as they have started charging a fee to park in their parking lot.  Walk up to the chain linked gate past the stop sign on the mountainside and proceed towards the water tower.  Take the first trail on the left hand side, which will lead to a stone pathway.

Don’t make the mistake that I did by walking to the back of the tower and following another trail up to a utility structure that dead ends.  It’s steep and only gets confusing and you'll end up lost if you make this mistake. 

The trail starts off with an easy, well- maintained path that leads to lush, tropical foliage bordering the sides.  There is patches of beautiful ginger along the trail.  

Follow this trail for about 5 minutes or so, until you see a smaller trail that forks on the right hand side into the brush.  Make sure you do not climb over and pass the large fallen tree truck that crosses the path.

Look for an arrow sign that’s carved into a tree at the T-intersection.  There is now an additional green arrow spray painted on the tree marking the trail.  If you miss it, you’ll continue climbing up towards the Old Pali Highway!

Take your time and walk carefully through this section.  Trust me, in no time you will reach the beautiful Likeke Falls and be rewarded for your patience. 

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Ko'olau Waterfall Tour 

Let a local guide lead the way and educate you on what you’re seeing along the way.  Learn more…

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The Waterfall

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Likeke Falls is a really cool two-tiered waterfall that cascades down about 20 ft.  You’ll be amazed once the trail opens up with a stream bed that runs right up to the waterfall.

The first 8 ft section runs down the rocks into a small pool below.  On occasion you’ll see folks climb up to the upper pool.  I can’t recommend it as the rocks are covered with moss and tend to be slippery.

Likeke Falls is a wonderful discovery worth hiking up to…or down to for that matter, depending where you start from.  Consider a guided tour with transportation from your hotel...learn more.

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Directions to Likeke Falls

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 Or here are both driving directions from the two starting points to this Oahu waterfall:

Starting from the Pali Lookout:

• From Waikiki, take the H-1 Hwy north.  Merge onto the Pali Hwy, Hwy 61. 
• Take the 2^nd Old Pali Road/Nuuanu Pali Drive. Exit to the Pali Lookout (there should be a Pali Lookout sign) 
• Park in the Pali Lookout parking lot and proceed to the Old Pali Hwy located on the right hand side of the lookout.

Starting from the Koolau Golf Club

• From Waikiki, take the H-1 Hwy north.
• Merge onto the Pali Hwy, Hwy 61, and pass through the tunnels at the top onto the Windward side (15 min).
• Take a left onto Hwy 83 towards Kaneohe for about 5 min.
• Turn left into the First Presbyterian Church of Honolulu at Ko‘olau.
• Located at 45-550 Kionaole Rd, Kaneohe

Directions from the Oahu Bus

Start off from Waikiki, and travel on the number 20 Oahu Bus up to the Aloha Tower bus stop.  Take a paper transfer and hop onto bus number 57 to the Pali Lookout.  Your hike starts here.

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3 More Amazing Waterfalls

Here are 3 additional Oahu Waterfalls that you might want to consider hiking to after this one...

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Hiking Tips

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Parking – if you decide to start from the Pali Lookout, be mindful to not leave anything in your car.  This area unfortunately happens to be one of the highest tourist car break-in areas.  Thieves look for easy targets, including unattended handbags, cameras, backpacks, and electronics that are left visible inside the cars.

Start early and don’t hike alone. The Ko’olau Mountain area is dense and can be confusing with multiple trails to navigate.  Don’t hike alone and let others know where you’re hiking to.

Stay hydrated – bring sufficient water and snacks.

Bring hiking shoes – certain parts of the trail tend to be muddy and slippery.  Also consider keeping a plastic bag with you to put muddy shoes in, once you’re done and you can change into other shoes or flip flops.

Mosquito Repellent – anytime you head into the lush jungle, I highly recommend you bring some mosquito repellent with you.

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In the Area

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Pali Lookout

And it happens to be a significant point in history where King Kamehameha defeated his enemies and reunited the Hawaiian Islands.

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Downtown Kailua

Starbucks fans will be happy to discover a high-end Kona Coffee being sold at their Kailua location!

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Lanikai Beach

These beautiful, white-sand, world-renown beaches are located about 15 minutes away...