Pua'a Kaa Falls State Wayside Park - Road to Hana

A restroom break turns into a fun stop with multiple tiers of waterfalls!

Pua'a Kaa Falls at the State Wayside Park - Road to Hana

Many of the waterfalls on the Road to Hana present a lot of technical risks in getting getting close to them. The Pua'a Kaa Waterfall however is a much more family friendly waterfall.

While parking is limited, it is one of the more structured lot on the Road to Hana, with restrooms built on site. Use caution when entering or exiting the parking lot as many felines and chickens are known to make their home here.

After parking, carefully cross the road and you'll quickly notice a path that leads you along the stream to a lookout that overlooks the middle tier of the falls. Continue along the path and you'll notice the upper tier of the waterfall and the small pool below it. We stopped by early in the morning, but an image search on the internet show many people swimming at the base of the falls.

There are also multiple picnic tables here where you can enjoy a meal and listen to the serene sound of falling water.

After I was done exploring the top and middle tier, I went down by the bridge to explore the third and largest tier of the falls. I must warn you however that to get a decent view of third falls is a bit precarious, and probably not worth the risk to see it.

While certainly not one of the more notable waterfalls on the way to Hana, it's a good spot to stop and have lunch and allow children to get a bit closer to a waterfall.

Know Before You Go

The parking area fills up quickly, and some people are likely to stay a bit if having lunch, so use your judgement on whether it is a worthwhile stop or not.
There are many cats and chickens hanging out here hoping to collect some scraps of your lunch - please use caution when driving so that no accidents occur!
Do not try to view the third tier of the waterfall under the bridge - it is rather dangerous and not worth risking your life.
Traffic is constantly passing by these falls, so watch out for oncoming vehicles as your cross the road.
Always be cautious of flash floods!