Twice as high as Niagara and not nearly as commercialized, Akaka Falls stands as one of the most prominent and pristine waterfalls on Hawaii's Big Island. As the water sprays against the rays of the sun, it sometimes forms rainbows in the cascades.
Visitors can view the falls from a lookout situated in the middle of a half-mile paved trail.
The trail through the surrounding Akaka Falls State Park is coated with thick rainforest. Orchids, impatiens, red ginger blossoms, and other wildflowers pop through the dense fern underbrush along the steep descent into the valley. Flanked on all sides by bamboo forest, a small stream that swells during winter rains runs through the valley. Higher up, birds such as cardinals and finches make their homes in the canopy of trees. In the middle of the trail, close to Akaka Falls, the thunder of the water overtakes the whispers of the forest.