Akaka Falls State Park

Akaka Falls State Park is a state park on Hawaii Island, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The park is about 11 miles (18 km) north of Hilo, west of Honomu off the Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) at the end of Hawaii Route 220. It includes its namesake Akaka Falls, a 442-foot (135 m) tall waterfall. Akaka is named after Chief 'Akaka-o-ka-ni'au-oi'o-i-ka-wao, grandson of Kulanikapele and Kiakalohia. The accessible portion of the park lies high on the right shoulder of the deep gorge into which the waterfall plunges, and the falls can be viewed from several points along a loop trail through the park. Also visible from this trail is Kahuna Falls, a 300-foot (91 m) tall waterfall, and several smaller cascades. Local folklore describes a stone here called Pohaku a Pele that, when struck by a branch of lehua apane, will call the sky to darken and rain to fall. Lehua apane or ohia apane is an ohia tree (Metrosideros polymorpha) with dark red blossoms. Akaka Falls is located on Kolekole Stream. A large stone in the stream about 70 feet (21 m) upstream of the falls is called Pohaku o Kaloa.