The Kilauea Stone Dam is a historic, sugar plantation-era dam located on the Wai Koa Plantation at Anaina Hou Community Park in Kilauea, Kauai.
The dam, on Kahiliholo Stream, was completed in 1881 to supply water for the area’s sugar plantations. It was built to raise the water level enough to allow an aqueduct to irrigate surrounding fields. (The trail to the dam leads along the adjoining aqueduct.)
A unique feature of the dam are two buttresses that allow O’opu “climbing fish” to migrate upstream.
The Stone Dam is the star attraction of the Wai Koa Loop Trail, a scenic trail on the Wai Koa Plantation. Set in a small, verdant dell, the dam is the centerpiece of a peaceful oasis.
Above the dam is a quiet pond with a rope swing. Below the dam is a babbling brook surrounded by green grass and lush vegetation.
A covered wood bench and a Buddha statue on a small hill overlook the serene surroundings. It is the perfect place for relaxing, meditating and picnicking.
The dell was heavily damaged by severe flooding in April 2018. Logs and debris littered the area, prompting closure of the dam to the public for a couple of years.
Recently reopened, the dam is accessible via the Wai Koa Loop Trail, and a shorter trail from Common Ground (when open).
Access from the Anaina Hou Community Park is closed at the time of this writing. See our Wai Koa Loop Trail page for information on how to hike to the dam.
Kilauea Stone Dam Photos
The rope swing above the dam. The sides of the pond are steep, making climbing out of the pond somewhat difficult.
The aqueduct wall also serves as the trail to the dam.
