Summer Travel Trends - Top Five Waterfall Hikes Worldwide

Here are the selections for Top Five Waterfall Hikesworldwide, from the members of VirtualTourist.com:

Pipiwai Trail, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii – Along this 1.8 mile trail through the park visitors can see the 200 foot Falls at Makahiku and the 400 foot Waimoku FallsThe National Park Service maintains the trail so it is nicely preserved and fairly well-traversed.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Karlovac County, Croatia – Located in mountainous central Croatia, this park features 16 interconnected lakes between two mountains.  Veliki Slap (the Big Waterfall) is a favorite tourist hike, falling 255 feet with stairs climbing to the top and viewing platforms at the bottom.

Aber Falls, Snowdoin National Park, Wales, UK - The summit of this hike is 3559 feet, making it the tallest in the country, thereby affording visitors with views all the way to neighboring Ireland.  The falls are about 2 miles up from the car park, with a pool at the bottom that is swimmable but quite cold year-round.

Lower Calf Creek Falls, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah – The terrain on this 6 mile trail is level but lose, so hiking it can be slightly strenuous.  However, swimming at the bottom of the falls to cool off is encouraged, and there are nearby camp sites with fire rings and grills for cooking.

La Fortuna Falls, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica - Situated in the shadow of Arenal Volcano, an active volcano in resting stage, this trail can be completed on horseback.  Visitors will pass through both pasture and rainforest, affording them the chance to view an array of wildlife.  

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