Polulu, waterfalls?

Hi, everyone. My partner %26amp; I are heading to the big island in July, and we want to do some things we didn%26#39;t get to do on our first visit. She really wants to hike in Waipio, but from what I%26#39;ve read here, I gather that isn%26#39;t a great idea. We%26#39;re trying to save money and are not big on group tours, anyway, and I%26#39;m not in as good shape as she is.

Anyway, some folks here have been suggesting Polulu as an alternative to Waipio. Can you tell me the level of difficulty %26amp; time required for hikes there? Also, are any of the waterfalls accessible? I have a silly dream of getting to a waterfall with a pool where we can swim or at least dip our feet in, but from what I%26#39;m reading, it seems that many waterfalls on the Big Island are hard to reach, too violent or made from run off from Parker ranch!

Any advice you could give would be most appreciated... it%26#39;s hard to find clear info that dates after the Kiholo earthquake... Thanks!

Polulu, waterfalls?

Danator,

I hate to be the one to tell you but that dream is just that, a dream. It is a Hollywood version of Hawaii. There are waterfalls on all the islands, and most are relatively hard to get to, and almost none are safe to swim in, for a myriad of reasons. Hawaii Forest and Trail does have a water fall hike, but since the EQ they don’t go under the falls anymore. I realize you don’t want to take a tour, but this one I do recommend. There are also tours etc that will allow one to see Hi’ilawe Falls in Waipio including a wagon ride that doesn’t require hiking, or a horseback tour of the rim.

Pololu hike info: the trail is uneven dirt and rock which can get muddy when it rains. It is not a difficult hike, but I suggest good hiking boots or shoes. There is a BSB at the bottom but no swimming. There are falls in the back of the valley, but no real trail to it, it is a bit of a hike to get back there, IIRC. But the hike down to the beach should be no problem for those without medical concerns.

Good luck and happy travels!

Polulu, waterfalls?

Thanks, echolynch - that%26#39;s very helpful. I figured I might be just imagining a fantasy waterfall. ;o)

We%26#39;ll weigh this info and see what we want to do when we get there. We may do the Polulu hike and just enjoy looking at the sights. I appreciate the suggestion, but I doubt we%26#39;ll do the tour. I%26#39;m afraid our money is limited, so we have to prioritize... and we%26#39;re rather antisocial when it comes to large groups of other tourists. (We giggled the whole time through a rainforest tour in Costa Rica when some annoying loudmouths got peed on by monkeys. Clearly, we are going to Hell.)

The wagon ride in Waipio was entertaining but I though rather short. The water falls there were dried up last week . The tour guide said that they are experiencing a drought . Good to do the tour at least once.

oh, I%26#39;m glad Aleka mentioned that. Yes, there is a drought, and South Kohala/Kawaihae are under water restriction, North Kohala (Pololu) is under a usage warning.

I%26#39;m in Hilo and my lawn is actually brown and crunchy from no rain. It%26#39;s distressing. Unless this changes by July the waterfalls will be dry or trickles.

Yes, the whole waterfall thing is a fantasy and I think of it as places in movies that are supposed to be untouched islands -- not islands that have pigs, goats, rats, and cattle impacting the water!

Oh, dear! Thank you, Aleka2 %26amp; KamaainaK, that%26#39;s really good to know. Do you happen to know offhand of any services - web, phone, etc. - that one can call to find out the status of the waterfalls? We had a similar experience when we went to Rainbow Falls on our first trip. We were all set to be dazzled and... drip, drip, drip...

KK - I hope you get some rain soon! It really is distressing when there%26#39;s a drought.

thanks danator ... well, living in Hilo I rarely suffer from no rain so I can just deal with the sunshine. It%26#39;s the west side that will feel it because they have a no yard water restriction right now in places.

Also I%26#39;m not on catchment so my tank isn%26#39;t going dry.

I%26#39;m sorry I don%26#39;t know a waterfall status number. Good idea.

Rainbow Falls is so easy to stop by, you might as well. The Wailuku River starts up pretty quickly with some rain. I%26#39;ve never seen Akaka Falls trickling either.

Don%26#39;t be stressed out; there%26#39;s lots to do and you%26#39;ll have no lack of great things to do, really.

Akaka falls was still running last week. Beautiful.