Hawaii County, Hawaii
Waterfalls Near Hilo, HI
19 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Hilo, 18 of them inside 10 miles. Rainbow Falls is the closest at 1.4 miles to the southwest. Rainbow Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.5 stars from 1,710 Google reviews). Most of the falls are west of Hilo.
Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.
Best Waterfalls Near Hilo at a Glance
19 Waterfalls Near Hilo, Ranked by Distance
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Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is the closest named waterfall to Hilo, 1.4 miles to the southwest in Hawaii County. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Hilo. Rainforest waterfall featuring distinctive rainbows on sunny days, seen from a viewing platform.
- Rating
- 4.5 (1,710 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hilo, HI 96720
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Kaimukanaka Falls
Kaimukanaka Falls lies 1.9 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 2 of 19 by distance. It ranks 6th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 3.8 (9 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7208, -155.1188)
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Waialae Falls
Waialae Falls lies 2.8 miles northwest of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 3 of 19 by distance. It ranks 7th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 2.5 (8 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7634, -155.1148)
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Peepee Falls
Peepee Falls lies 3.0 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 4 of 19 by distance. Set of waterfalls cascading around 80-ft. into a cool pool, with lava rocks & lush surrounds.
- Address
- Hilo, HI 96720
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Kulaniapia Falls
Kulaniapia Falls lies 3.0 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 5 of 19 by distance. It ranks 4th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 4.1 (44 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7234, -155.1365)
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Waiale Falls
Waiale Falls lies 3.4 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 6 of 19 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 4.3 (61 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7154, -155.1404)
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Lelekaae Falls
Lelekaae Falls lies 3.6 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 7 of 19 by distance. It ranks 10th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 1.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7288, -155.1462)
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Kauwehu Falls
Kauwehu Falls lies 4.4 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 8 of 19 by distance. It ranks 11th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7117, -155.1562)
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Pukamaui Falls
Pukamaui Falls lies 4.5 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 9 of 19 by distance.
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7112, -155.1573)
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Lauiole Falls
Lauiole Falls lies 4.5 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 10 of 19 by distance.
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7098, -155.1572)
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Koakanini Falls
Koakanini Falls lies 5.0 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 11 of 19 by distance. It ranks 12th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7086, -155.1645)
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Wailoa Falls
Wailoa Falls lies 5.2 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 12 of 19 by distance.
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7081, -155.1665)
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Hawaii Falls
Hawaii Falls lies 6.0 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 13 of 19 by distance. It ranks 8th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 3.0 (4 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7066, -155.1794)
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Wahiloa Falls
Wahiloa Falls lies 6.6 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 14 of 19 by distance. It ranks 9th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 3.0 (2 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7536, -155.1887)
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Poakana Falls
Poakana Falls lies 6.7 miles west of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 15 of 19 by distance. It ranks 13th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo.
- Rating
- 1.0 (1 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.7061, -155.1910)
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Waiemi Falls
Waiemi Falls lies 6.8 miles northwest of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 16 of 19 by distance. Its own nearest town is Pepeekeo.
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.8020, -155.1620)
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ʻAkaka Falls
ʻAkaka Falls lies 9.5 miles northwest of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 17 of 19 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Hilo. A modest trail leads to this 442-ft. waterfall on the Kolekole Stream, framed by tropical plants.
- Rating
- 4.4 (405 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96720 (GPS 19.8532, -155.1562)
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Kahūnā Falls
Kahūnā Falls lies 9.7 miles northwest of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 18 of 19 by distance. It ranks 5th for review count among waterfalls near Hilo. Its own nearest town is Pepeekeo.
- Rating
- 3.9 (25 Google reviews)
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96728 (GPS 19.8574, -155.1535)
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Hikiau Falls
Hikiau Falls lies 24 miles northwest of Hilo in Hawaii County, number 19 of 19 by distance. Its own nearest town is Honoka'a.
- Address
- Hawaii County, HI 96774 (GPS 20.0198, -155.2939)
Where the Waterfalls Are
Hilo sits in or near the Hawaii Island: Hilo and the Hamakua Coast area of Hawaii. On the Big Island, nearly all of the 37 named falls lie on the windward northeast side between Hilo and Waimea. Streams fed by the rains on Mauna Kea's slopes cut steep gulches across the Hamakua Coast and spill over old lava flows on their way to the ocean. In Hilo, Rainbow Falls drops over a lava ledge on the Wailuku River and is known for rainbows in morning sun, while Waiale Falls is a short distance upstream. North of town, Akaka Falls is reached by a short loop through tropical plants in a state park. Kulaniapia Falls sits on private land outside Hilo. Read the Hawaii waterfall guide.
By direction from Hilo: 13 to the west, 5 to the northwest, and 1 to the southwest. They are spread across Hawaii County (19). The average distance is 5.9 miles.
By Distance
Within 10 miles of Hilo
Rainbow Falls (1.4 mi), Kaimukanaka Falls (1.9 mi), Waialae Falls (2.8 mi), Peepee Falls (3.0 mi), Kulaniapia Falls (3.0 mi), Waiale Falls (3.4 mi), Lelekaae Falls (3.6 mi), Kauwehu Falls (4.4 mi), Pukamaui Falls (4.5 mi), Lauiole Falls (4.5 mi), Koakanini Falls (5.0 mi), Wailoa Falls (5.2 mi), Hawaii Falls (6.0 mi), Wahiloa Falls (6.6 mi), Poakana Falls (6.7 mi), Waiemi Falls (6.8 mi), ʻAkaka Falls (9.5 mi), Kahūnā Falls (9.7 mi)
20 to 30 miles of Hilo
Hikiau Falls (24 mi)
Nearby Towns With Waterfalls
Waterfalls Near Hilo: FAQs
How many waterfalls are near Hilo, HI?
19 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Hilo: 18 within 10 miles, 0 10 to 20 miles, 1 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What is the closest waterfall to Hilo?
Rainbow Falls in Hawaii County is the closest, about 1.4 miles southwest of Hilo.
What is the best-rated waterfall near Hilo?
Rainbow Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.5 stars from 1,710 Google reviews.
Which counties are the waterfalls near Hilo in?
Hawaii County (19).
How does Hilo compare with other Hawaii towns?
Hilo ranks 11th of the 23 Hawaii towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.