Ho'opi'i Falls Trail Head, Kapaʻa HI

Some of the guides I read said "easy 30 minutes" maybe for experienced hikers. It's muddy grab a walking stick from the pile, very worth it but a messy trek (which is pretty par for the course in Kauai).

We loved it, absolutley muddy, but fun. Fyi, ours and most other cars got parking tickets. A local across the street said they just started doing that this week, which was the 2nd week of January 2020. Make sure to park the correct direction and don't have your tires on the road even the slightest, park in the dirt on the first of the road all the way, or it'll cost ya atleast $50.

Went the day after torrential rain and it was a mud slick. It was quite the adventure! The falls were full and muddy brown but it was worth the slipping and sliding.

Nice hike to the falls that we did in about 45 minutes each way with our baby in a carrier. Muddy, yes, it is always muddy as others say. But the mud is not clay so you can just clean your shows afterwards.

Very muddy hike in the woods. Waterfall is nice but difficult to get to the bottom. If you don't want to get very muddy, find another hike. It's very nice that a local offers a water hose help clean up.

There are some very beautiful falls down this path but *be forewarned* flip flops are for the g-dd-amn beach only! I cannot, for the life of me, understand why so many tourists choose to hike without proper footgear!? That said, bring solid shoes and your trekking poles or find a sturdy walking stick at the trailhead because, though short, this is not a particularly easy hike. It is a muddy, slippery affair however, your perseverance will be rewarded!

The trailhead starts near the homes of some rather disagreeable locals who apparently think that they own a LOT more property than they actually do. They put up signs saying "local resident parking only" and reflective driveway markers to block visitors access. There was even a sign at the trailhead that said, "Be quiet. You are in range" with a bullseye on it. A-hole-like, un-Hawaiian-like behavior aside, you can feel free to ignore any warnings on the trail side of the road. If there are reflective markers there, simply (and respectfully) move them aside.

The trek down the trail is very slippery because, let's face it, this amazing island gets a lot of rain. It is a moderate gradient on the descent to the falls that will see even seasoned hikers with mud in spots that are.unexpected. There are multiple trails that intersect but simply choosing the path that seems likely to take you downhill is a good bet for getting to most falls. If you are really unsure, take a break and wait for ~5 minutes and you are likely to see someone hiking up who will point you the right way.

The first set of falls is fairly easy to find. Following the trail down to the river gives you the option of continuing on the high route to bypass, or continuing down to the first, and smaller of the falls. It is still very pretty and, if you decide you don't want to face the longer version, still a nice place to enjoy the scenery. There were local kids doing impressive backflips into it while I was going past.

The larger and, IMO, much better option is to keep on going on the trail. It is the same degree of difficulty, but maybe twice the distance to the first falls. However, there is (as of Mar 2020) a rope swing and the falls there are bigger and far more picturesque. If you find yourself on top of the falls, go back to the last fork (<100 meters) and take the high route. The trail down will be perpendicular to the end of the pool at the bottom of the falls. If you keep going, the trail Peters out, so you'll know when you have gone to far. When going down the last short, fairly vertical stretch, make your way back toward to falls. The trail will end near the falls and on the trail side of the river. If you go further down, you will need to ford the river - which is unnecessary if you follow the trail as I mentioned. Stay away from the swift water unless you know what you are doing.

I wouldn't recommend this hike unless you are in pretty good shape - though I did see kids and older folks on the trail. The oldest was a woman who stopped and asked about the trail conditions. When I tried explaining them she told me she lived nearby and did not remember it being such a difficult trail. I gave her my walking stick and wished her the best.

This is a fun hike and could be a nice addition to a holiday - if you are up to it. Always keep in mind that quaint, lovely little rivers quickly turn into torrential, man-eating monsters after tropical rain storms. Look around as you hike and you will see plain evidence of how high the river can get. Plan accordingly.

Enjoy!

Nice hike, very muddy trail it has been raining, take walking sticks, very steep and slippery. Nice water fall

Loved the falls. Got to cliff jump off the first falls. Loved the hike down. I loved all of Kauai!

Muddy. Don't bother trying to skirt the mud, you'll just ruin the experience. Once your muddy and you've given up on trying to salvage your shoes, the hike is beautiful, relatively easy, with many mid hike sites to appreciate. Again, the mud is light brown, sticky, and difficult to get out of clothes, it's next level stuff and not you're typical mud. So only go if you're prepared to not care about the mess. Parking is on the side of the road next to the trail head and fills up quickly in the morning. The path is easily followed (by following the mud) and has multiple mini detours that are typically just paths others have formed to avoid particularly muddy areas. I'd advise against this. Just get muddy and stick to the main trail. Also wear bug spray. They're tiny, you won't see them, or feel them, but they will bite you just the same. We were under prepared for all of this and it was STILL WORTH IT. We made this a 5 hour trip, but could easily be done in 2.5 by limiting time spent at sites and by not trying to avoid getting muddy.

You will likely walk by our drive by the trailhead but don't give up! The tail is definitely worth it. A few things to remember as other reviewers said:

-This is just a residential street, so there are no amenities (water, toilets, etc)
-You will likely return covered in mud
-The first falls are easier to get to
-The second falls are worth the hassle (more on that later)
-You should wear hiking boots or sandals but the trail is doable in flip flops or bare foot
-Pay attention to signage - there is private property around
-You can swim in the first falls and dive off cliffs but be sure to ask locals for safe spots
-Watch for random car parts as you hike through)

Now more about the second falls. You will arrive at the top. You will then have to walk further down and descent via a steep likely muddy slope. If you have little kids with you, it can be problematic. Once down, there is a rope you can use to dive into the water. The water it relatively shallow! Be aware that there is also a large rock to the right of the swing. When using the swing grab higher, so you can clear the rock and also not land in the water mid flight:)

Be safe and don't rush! It is difficult to get there to help injured people.

Also, as everywhere else, there are chickens all around. Maybe bring them some snacks!? ;)

Easy trail, and awesome falls. The first ones you can jump in are pretty close to the trail head, second ones are lower down. The second falls are pretty and there is a pool you can swim in. Past that we didn't find much. Walked the trail in flip flops.

Easy to find, parking might be limited depending on time of starting hike. Be prepared for slippery condition if recently or current rain

The trailhead is easy to miss but just walk along the road and look closely and you'll find it. The trail is great, an awesome introduction to jungle hiking. The waterfalls were beautiful, and the pool accompanying the second waterfall was the perfect spot for a swim-and swing/drop/splash/laugh using the rope swing. So beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. Some mud, but that seems typical here. Some climbing up and down rocks and roots. Fun.

Did the hike 10/5, not muddy. Suggest going past the first waterfall and go to the 2nd one. Way less intimidating of a decent into the falls

Nice waterfall and swimming hole. An easy hike with the exception of the climb down below the falls. Respect peoples homes and driveways by parking next to the fence.

Lovely hike, about 1.5 miles to 2 separate falls that are about. 5 miles apart. Shaded throughout, majestic old growth trees, flowers, tons of birds.a delight! Swimming in creek safe.

Beautiful hike which my watch put at just over 2 miles round trip to the falls. The trail can be somewhat narrow at points and is also pretty slippery (it had rained recently before our hike) so bring clothes you can get muddy / dirty in. Our 3 year old was able to hike most of it on his own with just a little help, so definitely doable with children. Ton of mosquitoes and bugs so make sure to wear bug spray. Beautiful tall trees and vines line the route. There are numerous detours off the main trail with views of smaller falls and access to the river. Definitely worth exploring if you like hiking and don't mind getting a little dirty.