Wailua River

Wailua River

Navigable Kauai River

The Wailua River is the only navigable river in the islands. It begins at Kauai's heart and the wettest place on earth, Mt. Waialeale, and flows all the way to the ocean. Along the way, other smaller streams feed in. The river's many forks create several waterfalls, such as Wailua, a 900-ft double spouted waterfall at the southern end of the river. Kayaking is one of the major activities on the Wailua.

 Near the mouth of the river are several large rocks with ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs. The river enters the ocean at Wailua Bay near the town of Wailua on Highway 56. There is an excellent lookout for the Wailua River just before mile marker 2 on Kuamo'o Road (Highway 580).

Wailua River State Park Fees

Non-resident visitors are now required to pay $5 per person (entry) and $10 per vehicle (parking) at Wailua River State Park locations, including the popular ʻŌpaekaʻa Falls overlook. Hawaiʻi residents continue to park free. Your receipt functions as a day pass that covers all Wailua River State Park sites for the same day. The Wailua River corridor is culturally significant to Native Hawaiians and contains some of the oldest rock work on Kauai. Read more about the fees.