'Aihualama Falls isn't nearly as well known as Manoa Falls, but the walk to 'Aihualama Falls provides an opportunity to experience one of Oahu's lesser-known beauty spots—Lyon Arboretum. The Arboretum is a branch of the University of Hawai'i, and is the only university botanical garden located in a tropical rainforest in the United States. For more information about the Arboretum, check out their web site: www.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum.
There are over 190 acres to explore, and we certainly encourage you to try some of the many trails—either the day you search for the cache, or at another time. By the way, this is not a “manicured” botanical garden (except for the area around the Visitor Center)—you can sink your teeth into this!
Here's what you need to know:
- Hours – Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm; Saturday, 9am-3pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
- If you need driving directions, link to this web page: www.hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum/visit/visit.php
- The Visitor Center is located at the far end of the parking lot. Sign in (required!) and pick up a trail map. Although there is no fee to visit the Arboretum, donations are encouraged to help maintain this beautiful garden and support its programs.
- After signing in, walk back to the other end of the parking lot, turn right, and head up the main trail (“jeep road”). You will follow this trail for approximately ½ mile.
- Where the jeep road ends (at trail marker 6B), a smaller trail continues on to the falls. Just after you pass marker 6B, the trail forks—take the right fork, which will parallel the stream.
- In a few minutes you will encounter an 'Aihualama Falls sign next to the trail. You're not at the falls yet, but your GPSr should be telling you that you're very near the cache!
- The cache is located just a few feet off the trail, and your geosense should kick in--”Aha, that looks to be a likely spot.” Although you will have to step off the trail a bit, no bushwhacking is required. Please be careful to avoid damaging any plants—and do your best not to leave a geotrail!
- After replacing the cache, continue up the trail to the falls—it's only another couple of minutes. Depending on how much rain there has been recently, there may or may not be much water coming down the cliff face. But either way it's a lovely spot...
Some final items:
- Sturdy shoes and mosquito repellent are recommended.
- There is a lot of tree cover (what, in an arboretum?), so you may have trouble getting a good signal until you are near the cache site. But we were getting pretty good readings there.
- Look around and enjoy the beauty! We placed the cache here because we wanted you to see why we love this place. Look at the pictures below for a sample of what you may see (all of these were taken the day we placed the cache).