The first time I watched Jurassic Park, I was 4 years old and I remember hiding in the bottom of my sleeping bag during a family movie night because I was scared. Turns out, when my mom took my brothers to see Jurassic Park in theaters, she spent the majority of the movie crouched down in her seat gripping the armrests.
I definitely outgrew hiding in sleeping bags because I grew to love Jurassic Park. So much so that I studied Geology for a while in college. Now living on Kaua’i feels like being transported directly onto the movie set. The lush vegetation, dramatic landscapes, and untouched jungle beauty are exactly what made these Hawaiian islands the perfect backdrop for bringing dinosaurs to life.
Whether you’re a lifelong Jurassic Park fan like me or not, visiting the actual filming locations in Hawai’i is a completely unforgettable experience. Here’s your complete guide to every accessible Jurassic Park filming location, including how to visit, what to expect, and insider tips!
Complete Guide to Jurassic Park Filming Locations in Hawaii
Interesting fact: Hurricane Iniki hit Kaua’i on September 11, 1992, while the Jurassic Park crew was filming. Iniki took an unexpected turn towards Kaua’i and crewmembers and cast were forced to shelter in their hotel. But Steven Spielberg kept the cameras rolling. Many of the storm scenes feature actual footage from Hurricane Iniki.
Mānāwaiopuna Falls (Jurassic Falls)
Probably one of the most iconic film locations is Manawaiopuna Falls, or Jurassic Falls. These waterfalls are our first introduction to Jurassic Park as the helicopter is landing on Isla Nublar.
These waterfalls are tucked away on private property in the Hanapepe Valley. Taking a helicopter tour is the only way to see these waterfalls, but booking with Island Helicopters is the only way to land at Manawaiopuna Falls. Island Helicopters has exclusive rights to land at the waterfalls. Imagine flying up towards the iconic waterfalls from Jurassic Park while the pilot plays the Jurassic Park theme song. Epic, right?
The Jurassic Falls landing tour takes about an hour and a half, with 20-30 minutes of time on the ground at the falls. You don’t land on the helicopter landing pad they did, but you can see the remnants of what they built for the movie. These falls never dry up, so you can visit them any time of year and still see the beauty of the falls and stand in the mist.
Tour Information:
- Can you visit? Yes – only with Island Helicopters on their Jurassic Falls Landing tour.
- Cost: $432 per person
- Tour Length: 75-80 minutes
- When to go: Year round, but book in advance
- What to Bring: Closed toe shoes, all black clothing (to minimize reflections), a camera with a lens no longer than 4″
- Is it worth it: YES!
Nāpali Coast
Kaua’i’s Nāpali Coast is featured in many of the Jurassic Park movies. We first see Nāpali Coast as they fly in the helicopter to land at Manawaiopuna Falls. There are various other scenes of the iconic coast with the epic ridges and deep valleys featured in the movies.
There are a couple ways you can experience Nāpali Coast. You can take a Helicopter Tour as I mentioned above with Island Helicopters to knock out two locations at once. If you have the time, you also need to take a boat tour to Nāpali Coast to see the coast from water level. It’s an entirely different experience and you can really appreciate how immense the cliffs are. There are some hidden sea caves and waterfalls that you also get to see from a boat tour. If you do a raft tour, you can even go inside the sea caves if the ocean conditions are good!
Your third option is to experience Nāpali Coast first hand and hike there! The Kalalau Trail is a bucket list hike for serious outdoor adventurers. It’s an 11-mile hike one way (22 miles round trip) and requires a highly coveted permit which goes on sale 30 days in advance. They sell out very quickly. But the hike is filled with jaw dropping landscapes and scenery.
Nāpali Coast Boat Tour Information:
- Can you visit? Yes, there are multiple boat tour companies offering tours to Nāpali Coast
- Cost: $200-$260 per person
- Tour Length: 4-5.5 hours
- When to go: Tours run year round, but conditions are typically better in summer and fall
- What to Bring: Swimsuit, sun protection, towel, camera!
- Is it worth it: YES!
Limahuli Garden & Preserve
The intense opening scene of Jurassic Park where a worker is attacked while a raptor is being loaded into a cage takes place at Limahuli Garden & Preserve. Situated with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, multiple scenes take place at Limahuli Garden on Kaua’i’s north shore. The later scenes of the raptors being fed in their paddock and several visitor center scenes take place here.
The grounds are beautiful and absolutely worth a visit. To get to Limahuli Garden & Preserve, drive through Princeville and Hanalei and continue on towards the end of the road at Ke’e Beach. About half a mile before Ke’e Beach (just about right across from Ha’ena Beach Park) on your left-hand side is the entrance to Limahuli Garden & Preserve.
Spend a couple hours taking a self-guided tour of the beautiful grounds full of native plants. It’s a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, or an alternative activity if the waves are too big for swimming or snorkeling.
Online reservations are strongly encouraged to ensure parking (if you are driving). Guided tours require advanced reservations.
Ho’opi’i Falls
Immediately after the opening attack scene, we’re taken to Hammond’s team at the Mano de Dios amber mine. Here we see the team discover amber with a mosquito trapped inside, which is the key to Hammond bringing the dinosaurs to life by extracting the dinosaur DNA.
Ho’opi’i Falls is located on Kaua’i’s east shore and is very easy to visit! The hike to the waterfalls is about two miles round trip and is very family friendly with minimal elevation gain. The trailhead is in a residential neighborhood. Please be courteous and park down the street in the lot so you’re not disturbing the residents that live across the street from the trailhead.
On your hike, you’ll walk through dense vegetation! It is breathtaking the way it climbs up the trees. Right before the trail dead ends at the top of the falls, there’s a small opening in the wall to the right where you can climb up to another trail just above. There will be a large section where you can walk down to explore the base of the falls where the amber mine was. There is no actual amber mine there, but you can swim and relax.
Kualoa Ranch
Used as the setting for several big movies and TV shows, Kualoa Ranch is used for dozens of iconic moments in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise. The most famous scene is when Dr. Grant and the kids are making their way back to the Visitors Center and come across some animals stampeding or “flocking this way” towards their location. Dr. Grant is busy admiring the way they move as a herd as if avoiding a predator.
Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000 acre working cattle ranch on the windward side of O’ahu. It’s about 45 minutes from Waikiki. Multiple movies and TV shows have been filmed here – Hawaii Five-0, Kong: Skull Island, Lost, Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates. It’s private land but they offer a variety of tours so visitors can see and appreciate the beauty as well.
For Jurassic Park fans, they offer a Jurassic Adventure tour which takes you to iconic sets and locations from the Jurassic Park movies. There’s a Movie Sites & Ranch Tour for people interested in seeing a variety of movie sets. Both of these tours are in their open air vehicles for panoramic viewing opportunities.
Kualoa Ranch offers a variety of other tours as well, including UTV tours, e-Bike tours, zipline tours, horseback tours, as well as days spent at their Secret Island. Combo packages are available if you can’t decide on just one experience!
When planning your visit to O’ahu or Kualoa Ranch, renting a car is recommended to get here. Parking is free at Kualoa Ranch. Book your tour in advance as they do sell out!
Jurassic Kahili Ranch
Remember the moment when Hammond tells the driver to stop the jeep? Ellie keeps talking about prehistoric plants while Dr. Grant stares ahead, then stands up and gently turns Ellie’s head. We share their wonder as they – and we – see our first dinosaur: a herd of Brachiosaurus grazing near a pond, one rising up to roar in the distance.
This pivotal scene, our introduction to living dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, was filmed at Jurassic Kahili Ranch on Kaua’i’s north shore. Kahili Ranch is a working ranch which occasionally opens to the public for tours. They are currently closed for tours. But you can stop by the main gates and look at the fields where the Brachiosaurus roamed.
Allerton Garden
As Dr. Grant and the kids are trekking through Jurassic Park trying to make it safely back to the Visitors Center, they come across raptor eggs inside some tree roots. This was a key moment in the movie because it proved that despite all of their attempts to control various elements to ensure the park was safe, nature will always find a way.
That tree is a Moreton Bay Fig Tree and can be found in Allerton Garden on Kaua’i’s south shore. While there are some gardens you can explore on your own, to see the tree and the majority of the gardens, you will need to take a guided tour. There are a few different tour options – Allerton Garden Guided Tours (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), Allerton Garden at Sunset (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday), and the Best of Both Worlds where you tour Allerton and McBryde Gardens (Tuesday – Saturday). All tours are about 2.5 hours long.
Reservations are required – book your tour here!
Mt. Wai’ale’ale + Blue Hole
Mt. Waialeale is an extinct volcano which has turned into a crater. It is one of the wettest spots on Earth averaging over 373 inches of rain per year. In 1982, there was over 683 inches of rain! There are always waterfalls, it is always green, and it is always breathtaking. Mt. Waialeale and Blue Hole are seen in various scenes throughout Jurassic Park for waterfall and jungle shots.
The easiest and safest way to see Mt. Waialeale is on a helicopter tour. Plus you get a really amazing up close view of all the waterfalls. There is a hiking trail, but it requires a 4×4 high clearance vehicle and decent weather. There is an extreme risk of flash flooding.
Jurassic Park Gate Trail
There isn’t anything left of the Jurassic Park gates, but I’m still thrilled to say I’ve been there! The posts seen in the photo above are not the actual gates that were used in Jurassic Park. The actual location of the gates is just a little farther down the trail, but it’s still exciting to envision these as the gates.
To get to the Jurassic Park Gates, you can find the route on the Jurassic Park Gate Trail on the AllTrails app. Go to the end of Kuamo’o Road and park your car at the Keahua Arboretum. I’m pretty sure all the rental companies do not allow their vehicles to continue on the dirt road known as Loop Road. So you’ll have to hike in to the gates.
If you continue on the hike past the gates, you’ll get to a swimming hole and turnaround spot. This spot is where the T-rex breaks out of his pen and attacks the cars.
This hike is long and in an area with a risk of flash floods. Check the weather forecast before heading out on this trail!
Kipu Kai
Kipu Kai beach on Kaua’i’s south shore is the opening scene from the second movie, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The Bowman family is vacationing and the daughter wanders off and gets attacked. It’s a beautiful and secluded beach that can only be accessed by boat or helicopter. The access to the beach is located on private property.
Which Island Should You Visit?
Ideally, both! Each island is different and home to unique filming sites. With a more natural, untouched jungle setting, Kaua’i is home to a variety of iconic filming locations and bucketlist experiences. But O’ahu has a greater variety of activities which might be better for families. If you can only visit one, here’s some important things to consider.
Kaua’i
Pros:
- Iconic and stunning filming locations and landscapes
- More diverse locations
- Better for helicopter experiences
Cons:
- Smaller island
- More expensive tours
Best for: Nature lovers, photographers
O’ahu
Pros:
- More affordable tours
- More activities overall (Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, etc.)
- Easier for families
Cons:
- More touristy
Best for: Families, multi-activity trips
Best Time to Visit
Weather:
- Kaua’i: Year-round, but April-October drier
- O’ahu: Year-round good weather
Crowds:
- Peak season: June-August, December-January
- Shoulder: April-May, September-October (BEST!)
- Off-season: February-March, November
Helicopter Tours:
- Weather-dependent
- Book morning for better conditions
- More wind in afternoons, but beautiful lighting
Best Overall Time:
- April-May or September-October
- Good weather, fewer crowds
- Better hotel prices
FAQ
Can you actually visit Jurassic Falls?
YES! Manawaiopuna Falls (Jurassic Falls) is accessible ONLY through Island Helicopters, who has exclusive landing rights. The tour costs $432 per person and includes 20-30 minutes on the ground at the falls. Based on my experience, it’s absolutely worth it!
How much does it cost to visit Jurassic Park locations?
Costs vary:
- Island Helicopters (Jurassic Falls): $432
- Nāpali Coast Boat tour: $200-$260
- Kualoa Ranch tours: $65-$200
- Allerton Garden: $65-$105
- Limahuli Garden: $30-40
- Ho’opi’i Falls: Free
- Jurassic Park Gates: Free
Which island has more Jurassic Park locations?
Kaua’i has more diverse locations including the iconic Manawaiopuna Falls, Nāpali Coast, and botanical gardens. O’ahu has Kualoa Ranch where the most scenes were filmed. Both islands offer amazing experiences.
Is the helicopter tour worth $432?
As a lifelong Jurassic Park fan: ABSOLUTELY. Even if I wasn’t a huge Jurassic Park fan: ABSOLUTELY!
Landing at Manawaiopuna Falls is a bucket-list experience. You’re visiting a location that’s otherwise completely inaccessible, and Island Helicopters is the ONLY company with permission to land there. The tour also includes Nāpali Coast and Mt. Wai’ale’ale.
Can you visit filming locations on your own without tours?
Most of the iconic film locations require paid tours or permit access.
- YES: Limahuli Garden (paid admission/tours)
- NO: Manawaiopuna Falls (helicopter only), Olokele Valley (private), Kualoa Ranch (guided tours only)
- SORT OF: Nāpali Coast via Kalalau Trail (11 miles, permit required)
How many days do you need to visit Jurassic Park locations?
- Minimum: 3 days (Kaua’i only – Jurassic Falls + gardens)
- Recommended: 5 days (Kaua’i + O’ahu – all major locations)
- Ideal: 7 days (Both islands + time to enjoy Hawaii overall)
You can technically see Kaua’i’s main Jurassic Park spots in 2 days if you’re efficient, but you’ll want more time to enjoy the island!
Is Kualoa Ranch worth it for Jurassic Park fans?
Absolutely! You’re literally standing where dozens of scenes were filmed across all 6 movies. The Jurassic Valley Tour is specifically designed for movie fans and includes props, sets, and detailed information about filming locations. At $65-75, it’s a great value!
What’s the best tour for Jurassic Park fans?
If you can only do ONE thing: Island Helicopters Jurassic Falls landing tour. You land at one of THE most iconic locations from the movie and it’s a very exclusive experience. The helicopter tour also includes aerial views of Nāpali Coast, Mt. Wai’ale’ale, Waimea Canyon, and distant views of Kipu Kai. It’s a short tour (1.5 hours) but you see a lot of beautiful, unique locations.
My next favorite tour is Kualoa Ranch on O’ahu. Many scenes were filmed across the movies here and the tours are insanely fun!
Can you see all Jurassic Park locations in one day?
No. The locations are spread across two islands (Kaua’i and O’ahu), which requires an inter-island flight. You could explore Kualoa Ranch in one day, but filming locations are spread around Kaua’i and will require several days to visit them all.
Do you need a rental car?
Even though both Kaua’i and O’ahu offer public transportation and have Uber/Lyft, I highly recommend renting a car. There are less Ubers and Lyfts available on Kaua’i. Unless you plan to stay at your resort your entire vacation, all of the activities are pretty spaced out. Having a rental car gives you freedom to explore the islands.
Planning your JP adventure? Save this post for your trip planning! Have any questions? Ask below and I’ll help!
