Maunawili Falls and Moss Slides – March 25, 2012

A bit fatigued from Warrior Dash (in head-to-toe fleece) the previous day, I was more in the mood for some leisure hiking today… Like a chapter right out of the Goonies movie, Maunawili Falls to the Maunawili Moss Slides was an adventurous but leisure hike.

We started our trek at the familiar Maunawili Falls Trailhead,

…which is a well kept trail and is fairly wide up until you cross the stream.

You can cross the stream to the left bank, where the trail continues, though you have to cross back to the right bank shortly. I’ve seen hikers just “rock-hop” directly to the trail on the right bank instead of crossing to the left bank first.

The falls and pool below are usually crowded, as it is a popular place for locals to swim and jump. Here, an adrenaline junkie back-flips off of the highest jumping spots, which are approximately 3-stories up.

Neither Baron nor I have been beyond the falls until today (either by contouring around or hiking along the stream), so it was nice expedition exploring in Maunawili Valley.

If contouring, an old but still functional water pipe must be traversed to proceed.

Both routes lead you to a deteriorating bridge, which also suspends/supports the water pipe for the width of the stream… be extremely cautious if you decide to cross it. The wood is rotting and several of the planks have fallen through to the stream.

The center is the weakest point, try to walk along the sides… I just did this for the photo.

Once on the other side, we encountered wide-set wooden ladder and a shallow flume.

Deciding that following the source of the water, we continued along the flume and water pipe diversions.

And what do you know, it lead us to some moss-slides. lol.

There are two to use at your leisure, but keep in mind… the ride isn’t as smooth as you think. You may want to inspect the small channels for rocks or sticks that may cause cuts, bruises or abrasions.

Maunawili Falls is a short (<45 minutes), beginner trail and can be dog-friendly. The trail is often muddy and stream crossings are always slippery. Make sure to be bring appropriate footwear (felt-bottomed and/or spiked are recommended). Jumping from the falls and elevated areas can be dangerous, especially if you have an awkward landing. The murky pool below the falls is usually deep, but it's critical that you determine it's depth AND if there are an submerged boulders / branches BEFORE jumping. This may seem like common sense, but I've known experienced hikers who didn't not do this and have gotten hurt by hidden boulders below the water's surface. Beyond Maunawili Falls is slightly more challenging, so do not explore further back into the valley without appropriate research and preparation. Much of the trail (or lack there of) is not obvious, and it is easy to get lost. Keep in mind that leptospirosis is present in virtually all Hawaiian Streams, and swimming or other water activites (particularly with open-wounds) in them will put you at risk of contracting the bacterial disease. If exhibiting any of the flu-like symptoms after the activity, seek medical attention immediately. According to a former employee of the Department of Health, Maunawili Stream is notorious for it’s high incidence of Leptospirosis…However, this may be due to a high proportion of hikers who go there to swim when compared to other stream hikes.

To view this location on a Google Map also known as my “Adventure Map“, Click Here. For more adventures of the Lost Trailblazers, either look at my other blogposts and “Adventures with the Lost Trailblazers” photo gallery. Thanks for visiting and come back again soon!

Questions??? Just ask!!!