Are there fees or permits required for Kīlauea Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Kīlauea Falls. A permit is also required. Permission from the landowner or a guided tour is required to visit the falls.

Is swimming allowed at Kīlauea Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Kīlauea Falls.

Nearby gauge (Halaulani Str) · 5 ft³/s · Much lower than usual

Kīlauea Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Kīlauea Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Kīlauea Falls.

Hawaii

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

No public access

Kīlauea Falls isn't open to the public. There's no public trail or parking, so please don't trespass or park at neighboring properties. See public waterfalls nearby.

Private land: the landowner has closed the trail to Kīlauea Falls, and there is no public access. Do not trespass.

Photo Credits (5)

bdearth CC BY 2.0 · Flickr

solsken CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

Tim Lumley CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 · Flickr

Chris Hunkeler CC BY-SA 2.0 · Flickr

foxtail_1 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

About Kīlauea Falls

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Kīlauea Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required
Permit required
Permission from the landowner or a guided tour is required to visit the falls.

🏊 Is There Swimming at Kīlauea Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall winter

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Heavy rains during wet season (November through March) bring higher flow but can make trails slippery.

Safety Information

Do not enter the closed private property. Kauaʻi streams can flash flood quickly during heavy rain.

Current Water Conditions

Updated 36 minutes ago Barely Flowing

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Halaulani Str, 2.3 miles away, not on Kīlauea Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

5 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

Much lower than usual for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

5 6 10 19

Based on 67 years of record

0.88 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

Flow is well below normal for this time of year, so the waterfall may be a trickle.

About This Gauge

Halaulani Str at alt 400 ft nr Kilauea, Kauai, HI

USGS 16097500

2.3 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 1 sq mi

Altitude: 392 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge Halaulani Str at alt 400 ft nr Kilauea, Kauai, HI (4 km away).

High confidence

Barely Flowing right now

5 cfs

→ Holding steady

Today

Barely Flowing

5 cfs

5/10

Tomorrow

Low

6 cfs

4/10

Thu

Barely Flowing

6 cfs

5/10

Fri

Barely Flowing

5 cfs

5/10

Sat

Barely Flowing

5 cfs

5/10

Sun

Barely Flowing

5 cfs

5/10

Mon

Barely Flowing

5 cfs

5/10

Best window: Today — barely flowing flow, mostly sunny (trip score 5/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from late March to mid May, peaking in April.

How we calculate this

This is a transparent outlook, not a precise forecast. We take the waterfall's current flow strength (how it ranks against its historical normal for today, from the nearest USGS stream gauge), carry that ranking forward along the gauge's seasonal curve, and nudge it for forecast rain. Confidence is highest for the next day or two and falls further out. Always check official conditions and your own judgment before visiting — high flows can be dangerous.

Know when to go.

Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Kilauea hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Kīlauea Falls Frozen?

Updated about 8 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately

Kīlauea Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 79°F to 73°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 5 ft³/s

Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.

Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail.

Weather Forecast

The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR

Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.

1-meter lidar shows Kīlauea Falls dropping about 187 feet in a single sheer step. The brink sits at about 113 feet above sea level.

The whole reach is steep: about 155 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the falls and another 72 feet in the 500 feet below. The falls face northwest and glow in afternoon and evening light.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Kīlauea Falls near Kilauea, Hawaii, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Kīlauea Falls near Kilauea, Hawaii, showing about 187 feet of drop, a single sheer drop, facing northwest

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.

Ground elevation: 113 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 187 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: Northwest; Glows in afternoon and evening light.