Wailua Falls is a
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
on the island of
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
, part of the US state of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. The 173 foot (52.7 m) falls are located on the South Fork
Wailua River
The Wailuā River is a major river on the island of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii. long, it is one of the largest river,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 28, 2011 ...
near
Lihue
Lihue or Līhue is an unincorporated community, census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. Lihue (pronounced ) is the second largest town on the Hawaiian island of Kauai after Kapaa. As of the 2010 ...
. The waterfall is prominently featured on the opening credits of the television series ''
Fantasy Island
''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...
''.
There are paths to the bottom of the falls, but it can be muddy and slippery. The "trail" further from the parking lot is less steep than the closer one. In ancient times, Hawaiian men would jump from the top of the falls to prove their manhood. Some people still leap off the top of the falls, though it is dangerous and illegal. In 2016, a man jumped from the falls and was knocked unconscious but narrowly avoided death when someone swam out into the pool to save him.
The pool is great for swimming, but there are swift currents close to the waterfall. There is another waterfall nearby named
'Opaeka'a Falls.
See also
*
ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls
Ōpaekaa Falls is a waterfall located on the ʻŌpaekaʻa Stream in Wailua River State Park on the eastern side of the Hawaii, Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is a waterfall that flows over basalt from volcano, volcanic Hawaiian eruption, eruption ...
References
*
Waterfalls of Kauai
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