Things to do nearUpper Waikani Falls

Upper Waikani Falls, also known as Three Bears Falls for the three cascades that tumble side by side down a basalt face, sits along the Hana Highway near Haiku on the northeastern coast of Maui. The falls are fed by the Waikani Stream, which drains the wet windward slopes of Haleakala and runs nearly year-round thanks to the region's exceptionally high rainfall. Travelers driving the Road to Hana have paused here for generations, drawn by the visual drama of water splitting across dark volcanic rock before gathering in a broad, boulder-rimmed pool. The surrounding vegetation is a textbook display of windward Maui's native and naturalized flora, with hala trees, heliconia, and climbing ferns pressing close to the water's edge.

The pool itself is accessible on foot from a small pullout near the bridge, and on calm days visitors wade in to cool off and take in the falls from below, a perspective that makes the triple cascade feel genuinely immense. Because Upper Waikani Falls sits directly on the highway rather than at the end of a long trail, it draws a broad range of travelers, from serious hikers resting between treks to families making a single scenic stop.

The falls are at their most powerful during and just after heavy rain, when all three channels run full and the mist carries well beyond the pool. As one of the most visually distinctive waterfalls on the Road to Hana, Upper Waikani Falls offers a concentrated encounter with the raw, green energy that defines windward Maui.