Hidden Valley Falls Kayak and Hike tour with Outfitters Kauai

For a fun Kauai activity, try taking a enjoyable downwind kayak and hiking trip on the Hule'ia River. It's a beautiful and historic jungle stream - the filming site of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. We'll paddle our tandem kayaks deep into the heart of the Kauai island jungle. Where the river gets shallow, we'll tie our kayaks to a tree and take a 3/4-mile hike up the valley to a charming area of waterfalls and swimming holes. On the way back you'll be picked up in a twin-hulled powered Hawaiian canoe for the return trip.

This downwind Kauai kayak paddle is about two miles in length. We'll go through the Hule'ia Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, a place for the preservation of endangered Hawaiian water birds. We'll paddle past the Alekoko (Menehune) Fishpond, a living archaeological site. Our backdrop is the magnificent Haupu Mountain Range, a dramatic and majestic 2000' shield volcano that looms over the river. Throughout the journey your guides will tell you exciting stories about the supernatural inhabitants of the valley in days gone by. Interestingly, Hule'ia has been the site of filming for a wide range of major motion pictures, including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and it's sequel Lost World.

We'll leave our kayaks behind, and set out on a 1.5 mile round trip guided nature walk through a pristine tropical rain forest containing many different communities of plants, birds, and aquatic life, both native and introduced. We'll stop along the way at swimming holes with rope swings and finally reach our destination; Hidden Valley Falls, a captivating series of pool-drop waterfalls cascading over black lava rock. We'll have some snacks and cold drinks, enjoy the scenery for a while, and then head back down to the river for a fun trip back in our double-hulled powered canoe. It's cheating, but who cares?

What to wear and bring?
Swimwear, windbreaker or light rain coat; footwear with aggressive tread for muddy conditions (example: sport type sandals with heel straps or aqua socks with tread), sunscreen, hat, bug spray, waterproof camera. You can buy these items at our Poipu shop, or

Food and drink?
The AM Tour includes snacks and drinks, the Picnic Tour includes a (you guessed it) GREAT picnic lunch.