The upper Wailuku River is full of surprises, if you are looking for a fun little adventure on the Hilo side of the Big Island.

At 28 miles in length, the Wailuku River is the longest river in Hawaii. The water course originates near Mauna Kea’s Timberline (10,800ft) but cascades steeply along it eastward flow until it passes through the town of Hilo before rushing into the Pacific Ocean. The Wailuku River’s most famous landmark is its 80ft tall Rainbow Falls. Although Rainbow falls is gorgeous, it is also a highly frequented destination. If you are looking for a slightly more secluded spot then then I recommend driving a little further up the road to a park known as the Boiling Pots. The park gets its name from numerous pools that were carved out from the rushing waters. When Wailuku is flowing a bit more vigorously, the pools can fill with bubbles and foam which gives the impression of boiling water.

As we made our way down to the water’s edge, the extend of Wailuku’s erosive force became quite striking. Various caves and overhangs could be seen and explored along the river bank.

Someone told us that there were even submerged caves that connected the various pools.

The sight of waterfalls was quite a surprise to us, as the person who had recommend the Boiling Pots to us made not mention of them. We were simply expecting some fun little swimming holes.

There were no defined paths to advance upstream, once we were on the river’s edge. So we had to rock hop and hack our way through bushes most of the way.

It seemed like the further upstream we advanced, the more waterfalls came into view. There was also an interesting island-like rock formation that appeared to split the river in half.

The waterfalls were so beautiful and tranquil. They are known as Pe’epe’e Falls. The Hawaiian word Pe’epe’e means camouflaged or hidden, an aptly suited name for a group of concealed waterfalls. I could hardly believe that we had the entire place to ourselves. Although there was a fair bit of rock hopping involved, the view made this 30min scramble beyond worth it.

After leaving the Boiling Pots, we decided to continue driving up the road to see if there were any other scenic lookouts of the Wailuku River. We had barely gotten our seatbelts on, when we drove across a bridge overlooking Wai’ale Falls. So we quickly pulled over for a better look.

Wai’ale Falls was another beautiful and sparsely frequented spot that I would definitely come back to if given the chance. The waterfall had a large swimming basin and a comfortable looking pebble beach across from it.

Rainbown Falls, Boiling Pots/Pe’epe’e Falls and Wai’ale can all be reached by driving up Waianuenue Ave. To find the Boiling Pots park, however, you will need to turn right on Pe’epe’e falls dr. If you wish to find Wai’ale Falls, then continue past the Pe’epe’e falls dr. until you come across a bridge. You should be able to see the waterfall from the bridge.

We were very fortunate during our visit to these locations that the River’s flow was low. The name Wailuku River, in Hawaiian, means fresh water (Wai) and destruction (luku). Such a foreboding name was given to this waterway for its frightening ability to flood incredibly fast, rising well into the trees. If the conditions look sketchy or you are not confident in your abilities, then just turn around. The Wailuku River is responsible for a quarter of all river related drownings in the state.