Rainbow Falls
Waianuenue Falls
Location:	Hilo, Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Type:	Plunge
Total Height:	80 ft (24.38 m)
Longest Single Drop:	80 ft (24.38 m)
Number of Drops:	1
Average Flow Rate:	unknown
World Height Ranking:	unknown

Rainbow Falls is a waterfall

Waterfall

A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...

 located in Hilo, Hawaii. It is 80 ft (24.4 m) tall and almost 100 ft (30.5 m) in diameter.

At Rainbow Falls, the Wailuku River

Wailuku River

The Wailuku River is a water course on the Island of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the longest river in Hawai'i and its course lies mostly along the divide between the lava flows of Mauna Kea and those of Mauna Loa to the south. It arises at about the elevation along the eastern slope of...

 rushes into a large pool below. The gorge is blanketed by lush, dense tropical foliage and the turquoise colored pool is bordered by beautiful wild ginger. The falls are accessed at Wailuku River State Park, coordinates 19°43′9"N 155°6′34"W, and are best seen from the park's viewing platform.

Known in the Hawaiian language

Hawaiian language

The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...

 as Waiānuenue (literally "rainbow water"), the falls flows over a natural lava cave

Lava cave

A lava cave is any cave formed in volcanic rock, although in typical usage it is reserved for caves formed by volcanic processes, which are more properly termed volcanic caves...

, the mythological home to Hina

Hina (goddess)

Hina is the name of several different goddesses and women in Polynesian mythology. In some traditions, the trickster and culture hero Maui has a wife named Hina, as do the gods Tane and Tangaroa. Hina is often associated with the moon....

, an ancient Hawaiian goddess

Hawaiian mythology

Hawaiian mythology refers to the legends, historical tales and sayings of the ancient Hawaiian people. It is considered a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology, developing its own unique character for several centuries before about 1800. It is associated with the Hawaiian religion...

. Rainbow Falls derives its name from the fact that, on sunny mornings, one can see rainbows in the mist thrown up by the waterfall.

External links

• Wailuku River state park official web site
• Hiking the Rainbow Falls State Park, Hawaii
• Hilo atttractions