We started by loading the kayak on top of the car and driving to the public access launch point. The Wailua river is wide where it meets the ocean with a weak current so paddling upriver presents no problem. A little ways up, it narrows down, and is quiet and very beautiful. You may leave your kayak and hop up at any spot that appeals to you along the way, but you should take the hike to the Secret Falls. If you just paddle up the river, you can’t miss the wide area on the right-hand bank where you can pull up your kayak and find the trail.
The hike was fun, but not easy: up, up, up, through mud, mud, and more mud. Besides the mud, we caught a few brief rain showers as well. Still, it was worth every bit of the trouble. For the first time ever, I was standing under a 100-foot waterfall. The water was pounding onto my head and back like a barrage of paintballs. This is the Secret Falls on Kauai Island in Hawaii.
High definition video may help you see all of this better. This video is shot using a Gopro Hero3+ Black in the highest 4K setting (if you have 4K TV, you may select this youtube Setting/Quality).
Other Hawaii 4K videos can be found here:
Unforgettable Swim With Spinner Dolphins http://youtu.be/903obA7RSKg
Amazing Giant Mantas Glide & Somersault
http://youtu.be/g5pO7vUaT5U
detail of Water Pounding From A 100-foot Waterfall
http://youtu.be/bzCFEZMvi8Y