'Akaka Falls, Hawaii

Waterfalls are a big draw on the Hawaiian Islands, and on the Big Island, the east side is where you will find them. Our first falls visit was to the 'Akaka Falls State Park, about 11 miles north of Hilo and is perhaps Hawaii Island's most famous waterfall. This park includes 'Akaka Falls at 422 feet, and the Kahūnā Falls at 100 feet. In the Hawaiian language 'Akaka means "a rent, split, chink, separation; to crack, split, scale". The falls can be viewed from several points along a short loop trail that winds through the park. Local folklore describes a stone here called Pōhaku a Pele that, when struck by a branch of the ʻōhiʻa tree, will call the sky to darken and rain to fall with dark red blossoms. While we weren't lucky enough to witness this mystical occurrence, we were treated to lush rainforest filled with wild orchids, bamboo groves and draping ferns, as well as the beautiful waterfalls.