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Waimea Valley Audubon Center- Waimea Falls Park
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25 reviews for Waimea Valley Audubon Center- Waimea Falls Park
Family visiting from the mainland? Want to treat them to a PERFECT afternoon? Head to Waimea Valley.
This stunningly picturesque botanical garden is almost too beautiful to be believed. The trail is very easy - so it's perfect for all ages. You can either walk through the gardens on your own, or take one of the guided walking tours on offer. Either way, you'll love the amazing native and non-native plants, trees and flowers - and most days, you'll also be able to see traditional Hawaiian crafts demonstrations like basket weaving and lei making.
The Valley is steeped in Hawaiian tradition, culture and folklore - once called the Valley of Priests, the descendants of high priests lived here until the late 1800s. Volunteers recently restored the Hale O Lono, a heiau dedicated to the god of agriculture, fertility, peace and music.
Keep your eyes peeled for Waimea Valley's peacocks. They roam the grounds freely and when we were there we saw several male peacocks, and even a female with 4 little chicks. One of the Waimea Valley staff members told us that these beautiful birds were the favorite of Hawaii's Crown Princess Ka'iulani. It is said that when she died at age 23, the peacocks screamed in mourning. If you think you hear small children being tortured, don't worry, it's probably just the peacocks. They are LOUD!
Be sure to take a dip in the waterfall at the end of the trail - the lifeguards there have (free) kickboards and body boards to paddle around on.
Hungry? Head to the Waimea Valley Grill. My family ordered an Acai Berry Bowl, the kalua pork sandwich, the fresh mahi mahi sandwich and the hot dog. All were finger lickin' good.
There's a nice gift shop on site as well - jewelry, wood carvings, books, artwork and other keepsakes.
The staff at Waimea Valley is super friendly and love to talk story...so feel free to ask lots of questions!
Admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under. Kama`aina tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for kids. They offer military discounts, too. Parking is free.
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If you're a birder (or birdwatcher, as the squares say) and new and/or visiting the island, this place is the balls for smoking on some local avian action. Several varieties of fowl, stilts, finches, shama, and more. Just stay away from the crowds. There's no greater bird-block than children--bring a knife if you think that might scare them away.
If you're hardcore, you might even visit the giftshop and purchase a nene magnet set for your nieces and nephs.
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Welcome to Jurassic park....that is what I felt like when we first drove in to the center.
This is a very pretty place with lots of things to see and of course the waterfalls at the end.
It costs $10 to get in to walk the trail...it's about 3/4 a mile each way to the falls.
The one thing I wish I knew before we went there was that you can swim there....in the waterfalls. I think had we known that I would have given this 4 stars!
It's not overcrowded and it's a pretty mellow so it's at least one place on Oahu not crazy busy!
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If you're interested in Hawaiian culture or the "real" Hawaii, go to Waimea Valley.
This place didn't exist the last time I was in Oahu, which was about 10 years ago. Back then, the only place you could go (other than boring museums) was the Polynesian Cultural Center. Back then, I also learned that PCC has a questionable history, since the place was run by people other than native Polynesians.
Waimea Valley is run by a group of people who have incredible knowledge and a great love for Hawaiian culture. Palapala and Aunty spent a couple hours teaching us about musical instruments and games and how to make cloth from kapu and about the history of the native Hawaiians that used to live in the valley.
Aunty made everything very interactive, which is especially great for the kids. She passed out real musical instruments and taught us how to use them, then had us do a song. She also taught us how to make fish out of coconut tree fronds. Palapala taught us how certain plants are/were used in the Hawaiian culture. The best part is that they were both very down to earth and welcoming. You could tell that they loved to share their knowledge with anyone willing to listen and learn.
We met a couple German ladies that went to Waimea Valley yesterday afternoon and felt they didn't have enough time to see everything. So they took The Bus back to Waimea Valley from Waikiki this morning. It was a two hour bus ride, but they felt the ride was worth the experience. That's how great Waimea Valley is.
There is a $10 entrance fee for non-local adults. The main path is paved, though there are many trails that are not paved that lead off the path. Some of the activities take place on the non-paved paths.
I would recommend wearing sneakers of some sort, unless you plan on just staying on the paved path. Also, be sure to wear some bug spray. I didn't get bitten, but then I covered myself in bug spray first.
There is a waterfall at the end of the path and you can swim in the pool at the bottom. There was a lifeguard at the pool this afternoon, though I'm not sure if he's there all the time. He also had life vests and boogie boards available. I'm not sure if they were free or not, but I'm pretty sure there was a fee. The water is clean and refreshing - especially on a hot day. However, if it's rained recently, you'll find a lot of murky water from the dirt that gets washed down from the mountains. Also, as people mentioned, the waterfall can be pretty small after a long dry-spell.
I wouldn't make the waterfall your destination though. Head to Waimea Valley if you want t see "unspoiled" (though it's been helped by human hands) land and if you want to learn more about Hawaiian culture. For only $10 you get a great value - beautiful scenery, great company, knowledge, and a chance to get outside. If I could, I would go back often. It seems like there'd always be something new to see and learn.
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Gorgeous peacocks everywhere!! They roam freely around humans! Ahhh
This is a definite 'go-to' while you're on island. It's not a highly advertised place, but it's worth the drive (however try to avoid rush hour times on the road or else you'll be stuck in traffic).
You'll see wild peacocks roaming around... and yes, peacocks CAN fly. Sometimes they'll be on the roofs of the buildings.
Wear comfortable walking clothing and shoes, take some insect repellant, and some bottled water if you want to hike up to the waterfall. The waterfall isn't all that amazing, and the water is usually dingy looking with a bunch of annoying children in it (and probably peeing in it).
Also, make sure you don't drive too fast in the parking lot, as the peacocks tend to roam around the cars (and on top) too.
This is a supereasy trail to "hike". The scenery all around is beautiful... it feels like you are in a theme park. I was excited to see all the peacocks but none of them would open their fan of feathers for me :( I didn't know what makes that happen... we tried scaring them and that didn't work either. lol. The waterfall is really small but you are allowed to swim in this one. My friend took a stroll in it but got sick the next day. :T
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Whenever friends ask me what they should see while they're in Oahu, this is one of the handful of places I tell them they MUST go.
I'm sorry it took us so long living on Oahu before we went to Waimea Falls for the first time. I guess I thought it would be a tourist trap, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a really easy hike through some really pretty botanical gardens. It wasn't overly crowded or overpriced, either. In fact, we decided to buy the annual membership. We figured we only need to go 3 times in order to get our money's worth, and we thought this was a nice enough place to visit and uniquely Hawaiian that we were sure to come back a few more times with visiting family and friends. (Follow-up: Yes, we went back many times and totally got our money's worth on the annual pass.)
A couple of other reviewers commented that there are more spectacular waterfalls to see that don't charge for admission. I don't disagree with that statement. HOWEVER (comma) I don't know of any other waterfall hikes on the island that have such an easy, paved path - good for strollers or grandmothers with weak knees, and have clean restroom facilities and a good cafe. This is a VERY EASY walk, and the price of admission here (it's like $10) is totally worth the beauty of the botanical gardens.
From the welcome center out to the falls and back, it's a 2 mile walk with approximately 300 feet of elevation gain at a very gentle slope (that's directly off my handheld GPS - I'm not sure why some other people claimed it was 3.5 miles in their reviews). The trail is an entirely paved path, all the way out to the falls and back. There are several little side-trails with dirt paths and stairs, but you could easily take a stroller or a wheelchair all the way to the falls and back on the main path. We took my mother-in-law after she had recent knee-surgery, and she did fine on the walk.
Time-wise, it took us 50 minutes walking up-slope (I hesitate to say "uphill" because it wasn't steep) to the falls, and it took us 35 minutes walking back down-slope back to the car. (How long you spend admiring the falls or going for a swim is up to you). Our walking times are probably a little long due to stopping to admire and take photos of the flowers along the way.
Facilities: The bathrooms at the visitor center were old, but clean and in good repair. There is a diaper-changing station there, too. There were port-a-potties periodically along the path. Out at the falls, there are "changing booths" to change into your bathing suits if you wish. These were really just wooden shacks with concrete floors - no bench, no lights, nothing. In fact, if you close the door, you won't be able to see ANYTHING because it's PITCH BLACK inside. So I stood guard at the door with the door open for light while my boys changed into their bathing suits. If I were you, I'd just put my bathing suit on in the welcome center restrooms.
Swimming: Note that they will close the pool for swimming when it has been raining a lot due to branches and debris coming over the waterfall. There will be a sign right as you enter the welcome center telling you whether the pool is open for swimming or not, so you don't have to hike all the way out there to find out.
Even if they are not allowing swimming, I still recommend the walk through the beautiful flowers in the botanical gardens along the way and just get to see the falls.
When the pool at the bottom of the falls is open for swimming, they have a lifeguard posted there. Children under the age of 12 are required to wear a life jacket, and they provide the life jackets for free. The lifeguards are really friendly and will take pictures for you - bring a few bucks to drop in their tip jar.
After swimming in the 70 degree water under the waterfall, my six year old son offered this assessment: "Awesome" and "I don't ever want to leave here" and "I want to come back here EVERY DAY." Later, during the car ride home, he said this was better than playing Lego Star Wars. (That is the highest of compliments from my six year old.)
For refreshments, there is a small snack bar out along the path not far from the falls with shaved ice, snacks, and drinks.
Back at the Welcome Center, you will find a small place to eat called the Waimea Valley Grill. Although the prices may seem a little high for lunch ($7 sandwiches / $10 plates), it was NOT your standard grease-pit hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken nuggets. They had a variety of Hawaiian-type things like kalua pork and ahi, etc. The food ingredients were very fresh and delicious. I had the ahi sandwich, some fries, and a smoothie, and they were all excellent. My boys enjoyed their hot dogs. I was very pleased and would happily go back there to eat again.
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I've been to Waimea Valley Audubon Center a few times now and I love it. Waimea is a beautiful place to walk around, especially if you have kids/strollers. The park is lush, beautiful, well-maintained, and has quite a few peacocks running around. The waterfall is nothing special, but it's still nice to sit on the nearby steps and enjoy the scenery or take a dip. Yeah, so sometimes the waterfall doesn't flow, but I guess that happens from time to time. And yes, you do have to pay to walk to the waterfall. Mother Nature tends to be a high-maintenance chick. But, I don't mind at all. You also have to pay to visit other beautiful parks, like Yosemite or Muir Woods.
Waimea also hosts cultural and live music events. I traveled here specifically for a show almost 2 years ago and it was a wonderful place to see live music. If you're looking for a serene and beautiful place to visit on the North Shore, don't pass up Waimea.
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I appreciate that they are trying to preserve the plants and all, but it was soooo boring. Just plant and placards with plant names everywhere. A lot of little places to explore, but it all looked the same (green).
I came for hiking and all I got was a 20 minute walk up a paved road to a little waterfall. There are 2 lifeguards that will yell at you if you are on the rocks and the water is too cold to just keep swimming. They do have life vests for free though and stadium benches there to watch other people freeze their naught bits off.
The best part was getting a vegan burger at the snack bar. It even came on a taro bun so it was purple.
roaming peacocks were around but apparently not in the same numbers as there used to be.
parking is free, but entrance to the park is $10!
baren and dried up stream in october - fyi
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bug repellent is a must if you plan on entering the park. without it, i guarantee that you will at least get 3+ mosquito bites-- i ended up with 7. like many places that charge admission in hawaii, you will pay addition bucks($10 per person) if you are not a a resident.
waimea falls park is for those that enjoy nature, flowers, and wild chickens. if you're lucky, you will see several peacocks roaming around. the walk to the waterfall felt as if you have been walking for a lonnng period of time, but once you reach it, the walk back seems shorter.
be sure to carry some bottled water and if you are a photo taker such as myself, bring a camera. i admit, there were quite a few things that made me shoot impulsively.
It was their honeymoon. A great couple, I might add.
They were to engage in procreation acts the entire time they're on the island. I think it's just more conducive there, you know? It's closer to the call of the wild. The birds chirping, the frogs croaking. The warmth, the humidity, the sound of the waves lapping the shore, the breeze as it hits those coconut trees, and the white-sand beaches.
The couple wanted to do it like their forefathers before them. Like their island brethren.
In the wild.
In the open.
The time has come. The moment was right.
The couple started kissing, making out. Each passing minute, it was getting intense. Feeling each other's warm body.
Then, the woman stopped. Gazing into his man's eyes, thinking that she has everything. A perfect man.
Good-looking.
Well-built.
Financially-stable.
Secure.
Loving and caring.
She can't believe her luck.
She continued kissing him. Slowly but surely, she started to undress him, looking into his eyes, lusting over his body, seeing him with great approval of what she was doing. She smiled.
First his shirt, then his pants...
It was getting too much for her. She can't take it any longer.
Small beads of sweat forming on her forehead, slowly dripping to her cheeks and reaching her lips, tasting it.
The man just laid there on the bed..
Then, with one pull, she ripped her man's underwear.
She froze.
Eyes wide open.
Mouth gaping.
She can't believe what she's seeing.
Finally, she let out a shriek and said:
"WTF, THAT'S IT?!"
Yeah, that what I told myself, too, when I saw the falls.
It was puny, small. Such an anti-climax. After the build-up, that's what you get at the end... one tiny waterfall? Worse, you have to walk 3mi each way and you can't even swim.
Lucky for me, I only paid $10 to get in.
Sorry for my friend, I don't know how much she's spending on her pending divorce.
3inches, I mean, stars.
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This is a great place for a shutter bug, amateur ornithologist or horticulturist in training.
Back in the 60's and 70's the park stewards collected and fostered a botanical collection to rival any in the world. The plants and flowers were amazing.
Sometime in the late 80-90's the 1875-acre site changed hands a few times and evolved into a tourist trap and theme park. Most of the landscaping was redesigned to look pretty and manicured in order to impress the bus loads of tourists. The exotics that were not ripped out or tilled under were left to survive on their own. Now some 30 plus years later the Audubon Society is in the care of this magnificent valley.
On my last visit to Waimea I noticed many of the introduced and endemic plants growing wild and was reminded of a Jeff Goldblum quote form Jurassic Park.
"If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories. It crashes through barriers. Painfully, maybe even... dangerously, but, and... well, there it is." ~Dr. Ian Malcolm
The most depressing part of the visit for me was seeing the remains of the theme park era. Tram stations, decaying sets where shows were performed and vacant concession stands were all falling apart from neglect. Quite a bit of the landscape design had run amok but if you look carefully you can find some amazing survivors from a long time ago.
Slowly the valley is coming back to life. Operating on a shoestring budget and capitalizing on volunteer labor, the Audubon Society and park staff have been busily transforming the place.
Volunteers have put in more than 8,000 hours of work, building trails and helping to maintain endangered plant and animal habitat. Those who contribute 20 hours of volunteer labor get into the park free for a year. For the rest of us it's only $8 to enjoy the day. I'd encourage you to donate to this worthwhile conservation effort and/or buy the $25 annual pass.
I highly recommend setting aside a full day to explore the park.
Bring:
A camera with lots of batteries and memory (film).
Mosquito repellent. The all natural stuff sold in the gift shop works amazingly well.
A hat.
Bottled water.
Comfortable walking/hiking shoes.
Loose comfortable clothing.
Bathing suit and towel.
Snacks.
The hike from the parking lot to the water fall is about 3.5 miles. There is a slight grade up the valley. Most of the year you will experience warm muggy days with random rain showers. Be prepared to rough it. Take you time and look all around. Many of the 6000 species of plants are still labeled you just need to look carefully in the brush for the sign cards.
When you reach the falls you will see the remains of the cliff diving show in the form of a dilapidated amphitheater and and platform. With the cliff divers gone the public is free again to cool off in the pools and cascading waters. There are several warning signs about bacteria content and the lack of a life guard so read them and enter at your own risk. I dove right in and swam for the falls! The water is cold at first but is sure feels refreshing after a long hike up the valley.
Sometimes local Hawaiians can be found milling about the park. The valley has historic and religious significance to the Hawaiian people and it should be respected. Part of respect is to allow the elders to pass their knowledge on. Feel free to engage them in conversation. We met a sweet older lady who shared with us some unexpected uses for some of the local plant life. She showed us how extract from a ginger flower was used as shampoo and soap. The stories keep coming as long as you are patient and look interested.
Sometimes the best trips are when you let go and let nature be your guide. There are plenty of opportunities in Waimea's valley.
For you LOST fans the "Whatever the Case May Be" episode was filmed here. Jurassic Park WAS NOT but I still like the quote,
"...ummmm life will find a way..."
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Before coming here, I had no idea that this was a haven for birds and plants. I always thought the tourist drawl was for the falls itself. This is a lush preserve of exotic plants and birds. It was kinda weird seeing the many variety of plants and trees in one area, when you're expecting to see just see palm trees. We saw a few types of birds that we'd not seen before, but they weren't in abundance. The mosquitoes however, were. Wear insect repellent.
The hike to the falls was actually fairly short. I was expecting something longer, with rougher terrain. With the groomed paths, it made the hike easy. While the falls looked spectacular, the pool at the bottom didn't look that great. I think it had rained a few days before, thus the murkiness of the water. Anyone can still swim around...just check in with the lifeguard on duty first. We opted to head to Waimea Beach instead.
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This is a really beautiful park and home to the lovely Waimea Waterfall. You can swim in the waterfall area but I don't recommend it. River water is dirty and you can easily get a staph infection. Sorry to ruin your romantic notions but better safe than sorry! It's a 3/4 mile hike to the falls and walked briskly by a healthy adult it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes each way. Definitely don't come without your mosquito repellent or you WILL be sorry.
Also, if you happen to stop by the Waimea Valley Grill you have the golden opportunity to meet moi. In all my glory. Guaranteed I'm EVERY bit as good as the peacocks. So photograph away bitches!
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Located in the lush green Waimea Valley on O'ahu's North Shore, this 1,800 acre historical nature park has loads of beautiful scenery to offer. The hike to Waimea Falls is easy --- our oldest was five years old at the time we visited and she managed it without a problem. Some of the sights en route don't involve tropical foliage. About halfway to the falls there's a stand where you can enjoy ice cream, sodas, water, beer and margaritas. YEAH!!!
I don't know if it was the time of year we visited but, the falls were a little bit of a letdown. The water flow was a little low, shall we say? I did appreciate the changing rooms at the location and enjoyed the cool swim after the hot hike up to the place. I recommend visiting nonetheless, it is very pretty! There's lots for kids to learn about nature. Many of the plants are labeled and there's sinage throughout the park giving tid bits of information and explanations of what you're viewing interpreting the Natural History, pre-contact history and native flora collections.
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Depending on time of year, these waterfalls can be either a grand sight or a really waste of time. There's a catch 22 to Waimea Falls though. When the rains are heavy and monsoon-like (what we're experiencing now) the falls will be abundant and overflowing majestically. Unfortunately, the road conditions are dangerous and often, the road to Waimea Falls are closed off. Therefore, no tourist will ever really venture out that way whether on a tour bus or in their own rental car when the falls are at its peak condition.
When the weather is gorgeous, the falls only trickle so what's the point of going out there, paying money and seeing an absolutely dismal sight?
Frankly I don't really see the point of Waimea Falls. There are other far better parks out there which doesn't cost anything. And a waterfall? We've been seeing it along highways during this rainy season for free!!
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I went to the audobon club in Waimea for a wedding, and Dr. S is right it is beautiful. We had such an enjoyable time, and the service was impeccable. (Albeit the wedding started late and the lady at the open bar couldnt make up her mind whether she was open or not...)
But i think the one thing that stands out most in my mind are the Peacocks.
See, me and Candy D. (haha.) arrived to attend this friend's wedding and as i opened my door i realized we had a problem. Spilling out from the gullet of this enormous shiny, and possibly hostile bird was a noise somewhere in between a cheep and a yodel. When i say enormous i mean technically small but must have thought he was much bigger than me cuz he kept coming at me! I peeked down to realize that I had been PEACOCK BLOCKED! Me, of all people! And these birds kept hollaring and charging at me. They wouldnt let me out of the car!
Candice, true to her nature, basically laughed at me and walked away, whereas i was still fighting my battle with these two tiny little reincarnated dragons that were trying to bully me back into the car. It took me like ten minutes to realize they werent going to back off, so i just pulled my door back shut and sat there until they finally passed by.
Evil little peacocks.
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Waterfall was closed to the public until further notice...
So I'm in north shore looking for a waterfall to jump in and visit. I see Waimea Falls Park in the area and decide to check it out only to find that the waterfall was closed to the public. You could see but not touch. The lady at the desk said they were changing management and had to sort out the paperwork. I just wish they made that more known before you paid to get inside. This could change in the near future but as of 3/5/08, your dreams of swimming in the waimea valley waterfalls is dashed.
Otherwise the park is roughly 3 miles and I highly suggest you bring water and some comfortable shoes. The ground to the waterfall is paved and accessible to wheel chairs. We were there for about an 1.5 hours hiking to the waterfall, relaxing and heading out.
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This is one of the most beautiful spots in all of Oahu. A haven for native birds and plants (some very endangered)
We used to sneak in and swim in the waterfall when I was a kid.
I am so relieved to hear that the Audoban Society has purchased it after the previous owner had terrorized the native plants and birds with ridiculous tourist attractions such as paint ball and trail-riding. The park is very peaceful now.
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We went but got bored with the park...the beach is so much more fun. the water is clear and can get a little rough so watch out when you're in a kayak.
We did the touristy thing and did the tour but it's ok...just a lush place with a ton of bugs. bring the insect repellent.
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Dude, when we drove into the entrance for this park, I should've known it was bad news when the sign said "Waterfall, Restaurant." We parked and the lady at the front said that the waterfall was closed since there was, uh, no water. Lame. We just walked around the "free" zone and hung out with the chickens and peacocks. Good entertainment for about 10 minutes! I like finding hidden hikes where they don't charge for entry!
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i had no idea that i would donate two pints of blood to the ferocious mosquitos that nearly ate me alive on the dirt hiking trail (up the stairs on your immediate right when you leave the waterfall).
i'm still itching and i look like a connect-the-dots freak!
wear bug repellent. don't expect to see a whole lotta birds. i think i saw three.
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An update for all: As of today (July 4), waterfall still isn't flowing ... still closed. But come look at the chickens roaming all around! They've inspired me to stop eating chicken, at least for this weekend.
Love this place! Was here two weeks ago. Don't know about all the history, just know it was pleasant, peaceful and beautiful.
