Waimea Valley is a botanical garden, historic and cultural site with a 45 foot waterfall located on the North Shore of O’ahu, Hawai’i. It is a 1,875 acre ahupua‘a, a division of land stretching from the mountains to the sea. Waimea Valley has gone through many changes throughout its history and today many of the historic and cultural sites are surrounding by a world class botanical garden stretching over 300 acres. Today, Waimea Valley is the home of more than 5,000 documented kinds of tropical and subtropical plants including native and endangered Hawaiian plants.

What to Expect

The casual walk up the main pathway is a paved path through our world class botanical gardens and historical sites up to the waterfall area where you can swim most days of the year.. The walk is ¾ of a mile (1207 meters) one way or 1 ½ miles (2414 meters) round trip. Although most of the path is stroller and wheelchair friendly the side trails through some of the gardens contain stairs and steeper hills. There are shuttle rides available to the waterfall turn around area available for purchase when you check in.

It would take a lifetime of exploration to see all the varieties of plants in the botanical collections in Waimea Valley on display in this once sacred ahupua'a (land division from mountain to sea). Here you will see the natural origin of so many things we take for granted, plants that have served mankind and that have been loved in return to near extinction.

Many were brought here as seed or cutting from the places where they evolved; especially the wondrous plant forms that developed on islands like the Hawaiian chain, isolated so that evolution followed entirely different pathways from their continental relatives.

Sunlight breaking through the canopy overhead takes you through this world class botanical garden featuring 41 well defined zones, representing 5,000 different types of plants from all around the world, all of them carefully documented and tracked.

Waterfall Swimming

All guests who would like to experience a swim at the falls are required to wear a life vest. Life vests are provided by our lifeguards at the waterfall and price of the life vest is included in your admission fee.

If the status of the waterfall is no swimming on the day of your visit we offer guests free admission into the Valley within 10 days of your admission receipt to enjoy the waterfall. Changing rooms are available near the falls.

Please note that this is a natural waterfall pool and we do recommend reef walkers or river shoes for jagged and slippery rocks. There is not handicap access to waterfall pool.