Are there fees or permits required for Opae Kalaole Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Opae Kalaole Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Opae Kalaole Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Opae Kalaole Falls.

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Opae Kalaole Falls near Kapaa, Hawaii, showing about 156 feet of drop, a steep tiered drop, facing north

LiDAR terrain view · USGS 3DEP

Nearby gauge (Left Branch Opaekaa Str) · 4 ft³/s · Higher than usual

Opae Kalaole Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Opae Kalaole Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Opae Kalaole Falls.

Hawaii

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Kealia Forest Reserve PCON · PVT

No public access

Opae Kalaole 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 with no documented public trail or access. Do not enter without landowner permission.

About Opae Kalaole Falls

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Opae Kalaole Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Opae Kalaole 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

Kauaʻi streams can flash flood quickly during heavy rain.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 1 hour ago Barely Flowing

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Left Branch Opaekaa Str, 3.7 miles away, not on Opae Kalaole Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

4 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

Higher than usual for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

1 1 3 6

Based on 66 years of record

1.04 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

The water is flowing higher than usual for this time of year.

About This Gauge

Left Branch Opaekaa Str nr Kapaa, Kauai, HI

USGS 16071500

3.7 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 1 sq mi

Altitude: 458 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge Left Branch Opaekaa Str nr Kapaa, Kauai, HI (6 km away).

High confidence

Barely Flowing right now

4 cfs

→ Holding steady

Today

Low

4 cfs

4/10

Tomorrow

Low

4 cfs

4/10

Mon

Low

4 cfs

4/10

Tue

Barely Flowing

4 cfs

5/10

Wed

Barely Flowing

3 cfs

5/10

Thu

Low

4 cfs

4/10

Fri

Low

4 cfs

4/10

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

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from late November to mid January, peaking in December.

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 Kapaa hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Opae Kalaole Falls Frozen?

Updated about 7 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately north-facing, shaded

Opae Kalaole Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 77°F to 67°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 4 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.

Through the falls the surface drops roughly 156 feet over a short, steep run of tiers. Elevation at the pin is about 654 feet.

The whole reach is steep: about 151 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the falls and another 158 feet in the 500 feet below. The falls face north and stay mostly shaded, with soft, even light all day.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Opae Kalaole Falls near Kapaa, Hawaii, for comparison with the lidar view

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

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

Ground elevation: 654 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 156 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: North; Mostly shaded, so the light stays soft and even all day.