8.5   Upper Waikani Falls

Upper Waikani Falls from roadside Upper Waikani Falls from base

Location: Wailua, Maui, Hana Rd., Koolau Forest Reserve, Maui County Height: ~70 ft. Access:         Distance: n/a Elevation: 750 ft. Season: Dec-Jul Difficulty: Lat/Long:20.83175, -156.13869 Directions:From the Hwy 360/365 junction (mile marker 0), drive east on Hwy 360 (Hana Hwy) for 19.5 miles to the unsigned turnout on the right at the bridge over Waikani Stream.

Upper Waikani Falls, aka Three Bears Falls, is one of the nicer looking waterfalls located along the Hana Hwy, but is hugely popular, which is a big drawback.

Upper Waikani Falls is found at mile marker 19.5. There is a very small turnout located right before the bridge. But nonetheless, it is an extremely popular stopping point for everybody and their dog. Tour buses stop here (in the middle of the road if there is no other place to stop), and let everyone out to go up to the bridge to take their quick snapshot and then get back onto the bus. It is rather frustrating if you are here, trying to set up for a proper photo of the pretty waterfall.

Unbeknownst to most all the tourists stopping here, there is a trail down to the base of Upper Waikani Falls. On the far side of the bridge, look for a path leading down towards the waterfall. It involves a bit of scrambling to get down some rocks, and may be slippery. But it is not all that difficult, and offers a much nicer view down at the base of the waterfall, away from all the tourists. There is a pool for swimming here, which may be quite nice if the water is not flowing too high.

Upper Waikani Falls can vary considerably in its appearance from day to day. At high flows, it is a massive torrent of water dropping about 70 ft. down the cliff side, and can be difficult to photograph due to all the mist from the falls. At lower flows, it is actually much prettier, as it cascades down in three segments (hence the name, Three Bears Falls). We were here when the stream was fairly heavy, but the three separate segments can still be seen in my photo above. When the water is low, it is possible to swim in the pools at the base of the falls. Since the water upstream is diverted by East Maui Irrigation, Upper Waikani Falls will only have high flows during times of heavy rain.

Zoom out on map to see all nearby waterfalls:

Other waterfalls nearby:

Waikani Falls	0.28 miles
Lower Wailuaiki Falls	0.65 miles
Puaa Kaa Falls	1.33 miles
Upper Hanawi Falls	2.18 miles
Punalau Falls	2.65 miles
Makapipi Falls	2.81 miles
Lower Puohokamoa Falls	3.28 miles
Waikamoi Falls	3.82 miles
Twin Falls	7.50 miles
Waihiumalu Falls	10.86 miles
Waimoku Falls	11.42 miles
Wailua Falls	11.71 miles
Paihi Falls	11.81 miles
Makahiku Falls	12.43 miles
Oheo Gulch Falls	12.69 miles
Alelele Falls	12.76 miles
Kukuiula Falls	12.96 miles
Lower Makamakaole Falls	22.72 miles
Makamakaole Falls	23.32 miles

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