I was driving along Kauai’s northern shore hoping I might be able to find some waterfalls. One of the books I was using mentions a few different falls, but I honestly couldn’t find any safe way to stop at most of them. I knew that Queen’s Bath Falls existed, and so I decided to search for that instead (since it seemed to be an easier stop than some other falls).

After driving and finding the parking area (which was almost full, even on this moderately rainy day), I set off to to the falls. I found the hike to be very enjoyable. Along the way, you pass by a few other drops along the creek that turns into Queen’s Bath Falls. Once you arrive at the falls, it is really a beautiful view. The falls are headed into the Pacific Ocean, though it doesn’t look like it because there’s a cove of sorts that the water falls into. You get an awesome view of the ocean, the shoreline, and the falls. When I visited, there were a number of turtles in that cove, and it was awesome to watch them.

As you approach the ocean, I would suggest being cautious and careful. I didn’t find it to be particularly dangerous, but I could see how not being careful could lead to some issues. At the right time, it appears you can swim/bathe in the pool that’s formed near the falls. When I was there, the waves would have made that wildly impossible to do, so I didn’t even think twice about it. Be careful!

Directions:

1. Follow HI-56 north along the shoreline. Enter the town of Princeville.
2. In the town of Princeville, turn right along Ka Haku Road (if you were headed north).
3. Drive along Ka Haku Road past some different condo/resort areas.
4. Turn right onto Punahele Road. This is a road that forms a loop.
5. Continue along Punahele Road to where it turns into Kapiolani Loop.  You will see a dirt parking area to your left, enough for maybe 8 or 9 cars. You should not be parking in front of any houses/condos.
6. From there, you should see a trail head at the right side of the parking lot. It’s a pretty easy trail to follow once you’ve found it.

Accessibility: 7/10 (easy/moderate)
Distance of Hike: 0.6 miles round-trip
Height: ~15′ per drop (would depend on tides)

Where in the World is Queen’s Bath Falls?: map

Queen’s Bath Falls in July 2015