Lyon Arboretum - Arboretum in Honolulu - 3860 Manoa Rd, USA

The trails around Great Lawn and up to the Valley Overlook are close to the visitor center and present many labeled plants, interesting planted beds and trials to wander. If you have kids or a mobility impaired elder this is the area for you. The longer gravel/dirt/grass road up to the falls is a mild climb and fades into a short trail to the falls. Doable in an hour each way with kids/elders but more uniform so less interesting for young minds. Environs and side trails passed up to the falls are ungroomed. Falls are intermittent based on recent rain. My favorite for an easy immersive forest walk on Oahu. Need on line reservation but free.

Great place! The kids absolutely loved the water features right outside the visitor center, especially the bigger one with the pavilion as it had big and little fish and also frogs and tadpoles. We hiked up the side trail (goes around the great lawn) and came back via the pavilion trail with the Buddha statue. We didn't even see a tenth of the Arboretum but still had a lot of fun and saw many different aspects of Hawaiian flora. Registration is free but required via Eventbrite. There is a recommended donation of 5-10$/adult (10 is listed on the site but the office says 5....). The gift shop is small but has a lot to offer and is where you purchase the plants offered out front. To get there drive past the Falls parking lot and keep going up the winding road till you get to the visitor center! I recommend going early in the day as it will get hit and will fill up. All-in-all a great experience and one we would love to repeat to see more!

I don’t think I’ve seen so many beautiful plants and plant varieties in my life! Just gorgeous… and so many little hikes that you can take to find a special view and moment of peace/quiet in nature. Just make sure to keep track of where you are (unlike me) haha! This felt very special.

Beautiful! We hiked around the Arboretum in the pouring rain, which was actually OK. Cute gift shop, they sold ponchos! Note: part of the drive to the Arboretum is shared with hikers to Manoa Falls, so the road may be filled with hikers and you’ll need to wait for them!

Very pleasant place to walk and see the beautiful flora that grows on the island. We hiked yo the waterfall, but no water was falling. It's still worth the trip.

Beeeeeeautiful arboretum! It feels like you are in a rainforest. So lush with beautiful smells. You need to reserve a spot online for the parking lot. It’s very muddy. Wear water shoes or flip flops. The waterfall at the end is nothing extra special but the walk up to it is very pleasant. Overall a great experience! Very enjoyable! Oh and it’s free! You can leave a donation :)

The best part of the garden is the lower area within 500 feet of the entrance. Beautiful and abundant tropical flora! Take mosquito repellant and/or long sleeves and pants. Take water. It is humid and lush, with an occasional breeze. Ask if the waterfall is flowing; if not, it's NOT WORTH THE HIKE to the top. The last leg up to the waterfall is not manicured or gardened, and a little steeper with loose gravel. Watch your footing if you head to the falls. Subtracting one star because the map and signage could be better... It's easy to get turned around and lose the main trail.

I think this place is a hidden gem. Beautiful hike with so many trails to explore. I was all beached out and missing the trees so I came to the Manoa falls trail and found this place due to getting lost. I booked a reservation (free) online for the next day and came to explore. The workers and volunteers here have maintained a well manicured garden, a veritable jungle protecting ascension species and taking out non native and invasive plants. One of the volunteers was very friendly and encouraged me to sign up to volunteer as well. I'm so glad I did. I got to talk and spend a few hours working alongside people who have a great deal of knowledge along with a great sense of humor. They were very kind to me and patient in explaining how to do the work. I learned a lot from them. This place needs volunteers so call and ask about signing up. I had to leave to fly back home the very same day otherwise I was planning on returning and volunteering here again. I can not put into words the feeling of peace, the wonderful smells and the sheer sensation of awe and belonging that I experienced here just stopping for a moment and taking in the majestic views. It was pretty neat even just stopping mid hike and looking around at the trees, flowers, frogs, skyward or even at the ground. So much to take in. I felt this was one of the best experiences I've had not just on the island but in life lately. 11/10 would recommend!