Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

Aloha➢

My family and I took a cruise around the Hawaiian islands in 2019. We embarked in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. Prior to embarkation, we spent a few days on land and explored Oahu. Using Hilton’s Hawaiian Village as our base, we enjoyed visiting many interesting sites before boarding the Pride of America. We spent a week on board cruising the Hawaiian Islands. Our first port of call was Kahului Harbor on Maui, followed by the big island of Hawaiʻi. Our last port before returning to Oahu was Kauai.

We stayed two days in Kauai. We spent the two days touring the island with stops at Wailua Falls, Lihue Plantation tubing, ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls, Wailua River State Park, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, Fuji Beach, Moloa’a Beach, Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, Wai’oli Hui’ia Church, Ninini Point Lighthouse, Waimea Canyon State Park, Kōkeʻe State Park, Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park, Hanapepe Swinging Bridge, Koloa Heritage Trail and Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.

Our tour guide picked us up at the pier shortly after our cruise ship docked in Kauai. We had reservations for a tubing adventure with Kauai Backcountry Adventures, but Dennis insisted we make one quick stop first. Wailua Falls was only a short drive away.

The waterfall sits within the Kalepa Mountain Forest Reserve, established in 1944 to restore the ridge after erosion damaged the landscape. Today, the reserve is covered in lush forest, and Wailua Falls gained fame when it appeared in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.

Wailua Falls is easy to visit. A small parking lot and overlook provide a great view of the waterfall. If you’re up for a challenge, you can hike the steep trail to the bottom and swim in the pool. The parking lot fills quickly, so arriving early is your best bet.

In ancient Hawaii, young men sometimes jumped from the 173-foot waterfall as a rite of passage. Dennis also told us about a man who jumped from the falls a few years earlier. He was knocked unconscious on the way down and would have drowned if a swimmer in the pool hadn’t rescued him.

Kauai Posts➢

• Wailua Falls
• Lihue Plantation Hanama‘ulu Ditch
• ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls
• Wailua River State Park
• Mount Waiʻaleʻale
• Fuji Beach
• Moloa’a Beach
• Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Kīlauea Lighthouse
• Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge
• Wai’oli Hui’ia Church
• NININI POINT LIGHTHOUSE
• Waimea Canyon State Park: Red Dirt Falls
• Waimea Canyon State Park: Waimea Canyon Lookout
• Waimea Canyon State Park: Waipo’o Falls
• Kōkeʻe State Park: Kalalau Lookout
• Kōkeʻe State Park: Pu’u O Kila Lookout
• Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park
• Hanapepe Swinging Bridge
• Spouting Horn
• Koloa Heritage Trail: Spouting Horn
• Koloa Heritage Trail: Keoneloa Bay
• Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park

Location: Ma’alo Rd Hwy 583, Lihue, Hawaii
Designation: State Forest Reserve
Date designated/established: 1944
Date of my visit: April 18, 2019