I’ve mentioned this in a previous post about Boulder Creek Falls, but if you get the chance to visit the Big Island of Hawaii, do so! And then if you get the chance to visit the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, you should. It’s a really beautiful place on the east side of the island, so it tends to be a bit quieter.

At the botanical gardens, you’ll find a number of beautiful plants, and even a few interesting animals. And there are two waterfalls there. Boulder Creek Falls is more difficult to see. Onomea Falls is the easier one to capture, even though it does have a few different portions. It’s just more out in the open! Onomea Creek travels through the botanical gardens and empties into the Pacific Ocean. Along the hike, you can see where the creek meets the ocean, and the waves crashing into the rocks are just beautiful!

Directions:

1. The website for the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden does a very good job directing you, so the link is provided here: http://www.htbg.com/directions.html
2. Honestly, just wander around the whole botanical garden, enjoying all of the splendor.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 120′ (over multiple drops)
Length of Hike: 1 mile round-trip

Where in the World is Onomea Falls?

Nearly all of the waterfalls in Hawaii have Hawaiian names…except for Boulder Creek Falls, which sounds like it should be in Colorado instead. Boulder Creek Falls is not a particularly interesting waterfall, but the area surrounding it is absolutely spectacular.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (http://www.htbg.com) is definitely worth the entry fee.  In early March, there were a plethora of different flowers in bloom. There is a much more interesting waterfall, Onomea Falls, in the gardens. Boulder Creek Falls is off in a corner, rather literally. As your walking along the pathways, there is a side-path that leads to Boulder Creek Falls. It doesn’t lead directly in front of the falls, and you will have a somewhat far-off view. The falls are maybe 15′ tall or so, but it really is difficult to get a good snapshot.

A few other notes: The first few hundred feet are along a mildly steep boardwalk. It is not particularly problematic though…Also, at certain times of the year, bug spray would definitely be appropriate. In early March, the bugs weren’t any significant problem.

Directions:

1. The website for the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden does a very good job directing you, so the link is provided here: http://www.htbg.com/directions.html
2. Honestly, just wander around the whole botanical garden, enjoying all of the splendor.

Accessibility: 9/10 (easy)
Height: 15′
Length of Hike: 1 mile round-trip

Where in the World is Boulder Creek Falls?