Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Hawaiʻi, at a modelled elevation of 110 m. Red Hill stands 3,608 m to the west-northwest, 22 miles off. The nearest named place is Kaūmana Springs, a spring 0.3 miles away.
The story
Rainbow Falls, or Waiānuenue, is a waterfall located in Hilo, Hawaii. It is 80 ft (24 m) tall and almost 100 ft (30 m) in diameter. The falls are part of the Hawai'i State Parks. At Rainbow Falls, the Wailuku River rushes into a large pool below. The gorge is blanketed by lush, dense nonnative tropical rainforest and the turquoise-colored pool is bordered by beautiful, although nonnative, wild ginger. Monstera is also in abundance. The falls are accessible via Wailuku River State Park, Waiānuenue Avenue, coordinates 19°43′9″N 155°6′34″W, and are best seen from the park's viewing platform. Known in the Hawaiian language as Waiānuenue (literally "rainbow water"), the falls flows over a natural lava cave, the mythological home to Hina, an ancient Hawaiian goddess. Rainbow Falls derives its name from the fact that, on sunny mornings around 10 am, rainbows can be seen in the mist thrown up by the waterfall. On the walkway which goes to the top of the falls is a massive ancient banyan tree, plus other foliage and banyans.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q1968596, matched on coordinates and name (38 m apart).
What the record says
- Height
- 24 m
How to reach it
Named places within 25 miles
- Kupapaʻu Hill: 0.5 mi
- Puʻuhonu: 0.7 mi
- Hālaʻi: 0.9 mi
- Puʻuloa: 2.4 mi
- Kānoa: 7.6 mi
- Gilbert Carvalho Park: 0.4 mi
- Clem Akina Park: 1.3 mi
- Kalakaua Park: 1.4 mi
- Mohouli Park: 1.4 mi
- Lincoln Park: 1.5 mi
- 'I'ilewa Crater: 21.7 mi
- Kahōlua O Kahawali Crater: 22.0 mi
- Fissure 8 spatter cone: 22.1 mi
- Kahuwai Crater: 22.5 mi
- Puʻulena Crater: 22.6 mi
- Boiling Pots: 1.4 mi
- Kaumana Caves: 2.6 mi
- Macadamia Nut Visitor Center: 7.8 mi
- Skyline Eco Adventures: 10.5 mi
- Hilo Coffee Mill: 10.8 mi
- Peʻepeʻe Falls: 1.6 mi
- Kulaniapia Falls: 1.8 mi
- Lower Waiʻale Falls: 1.9 mi
- Waiʻale Falls: 2.0 mi
- Lelekaae Falls: 2.5 mi
- Naha Stone: 1.3 mi
- King Kamehameha Statue: 2.1 mi
- Vietnam War Memorial: 2.1 mi
- Kamehameha: 2.1 mi
- Tsunami Memorial: 2.2 mi
- Kaūmana Springs: 0.3 mi
- Kaūmana Springs: 0.4 mi
- Kaūmana Springs: 0.4 mi
- Kapehu Springs: 4.9 mi
- Kapehu Springs: 5.0 mi
- Lyman House Memorial Museum: 1.2 mi
- Lyman Museum: 1.2 mi
- East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center: 1.4 mi
- Kenyan K. Beale Community Robotics Center: 1.6 mi
- Pacific Tsunami Museum: 1.6 mi
- 'Imiloa Garden: 1.9 mi
- Botanical Gardens University of Hawai'i Hilo: 2.1 mi
- Hilo Nursery Arboretum: 2.5 mi
- Hawaiʻi Tropical Botanical Garden: 6.2 mi
- Waiakea: 3.1 mi
- Laupāhoehoe: 20.1 mi
- Kapoho: 22.8 mi
- Honoli‘i Beach: 2.8 mi
- Ha'ena Beach: 9.8 mi
- Kū: 6.3 mi
- Kipukapuaulu picnic area: 23.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 22.2 miles of Rainbow Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hill | WNW 294° | 3,608 m | 22.1 mi |
| Puʻukaupakuhale | WNW 285° | 3,076 m | 20.1 mi |
| Puʻukanakaleonui | WNW 297° | 2,941 m | 20.6 mi |
| Puʻuholei | WNW 299° | 2,795 m | 20.3 mi |
| Puʻukawaiwai | WNW 291° | 2,773 m | 19.2 mi |
| Kaaliali | WNW 301° | 2,768.29 m | 21.4 mi |
| Puʻuʻulaʻulua | WNW 293° | 2,696 m | 19.2 mi |
| Puʻukole | W 275° | 2,688.72 m | 20.2 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:25 | 18:03 | 18:32 |
| June solstice | 05:43 | 18:31 | 19:03 |
| September equinox | 06:10 | 17:49 | 18:18 |
| December solstice | 06:51 | 17:15 | 17:48 |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 71 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 74 | 72 |
| Precip in | 7.9 | 10.2 | 12.7 | 9.4 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 9.2 | 11.3 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 14.4 | 12.1 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Hilo Intl AP 87, 4 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Nov–Apr, Aug — fullest in Mar, leanest in Jun.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 270 | 284 | 369 | 342 | 201 | 112 | 186 | 276 | 159 | 168 | 355 | 334 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Wailuku River at Piihonua, HI, 3 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/5618900932
Day trips start here
- Hilo · 1 mi
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park · 25 mi
- Big Island · 26 mi
Take the scenic way to Rainbow Falls.
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