When we asked people who had visited Maui before our own trip there about the activities they most enjoyed while on Maui, the Road to Hāna was perhaps the most frequently mentioned activity.
I cannot think of a better example of a situation in which getting there is at least important as the destination. In other words, although I would love to do the Road to Hāna again and stay a night in Hāna the next time, the things I remember most from our drive on the Road to Hāna were the stunning beauty along the way and the national park just beyond the very small town of Hāna.
The vegetation along the Road to Hāna is lush and there are multiple waterfalls to stop and look more closely at.
As gorgeous as the scenery was on the Road to Hāna, my favorite part of the day trip was a short drive past Hāna at Haleakala National Park's Kīpahulu District.
The Pools of ‘Ohe’o (AKA "Seven Sacred Pools", "'Ohe'o Gulch") are beautiful and special.
I'm not typically a fan of "drama," but the natural drama that occurs where the fresh water hits the pounding ocean waves and the exhilarating breeze at the cliff's edge make this location beautiful and exciting.
There are multiple hikes available in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park and we chose to do the very popular Pīpīwai Trail hike. This is one of the most rewarding hikes I have ever been on. While most good hikes offer a reward at the end of a view or a waterfall or something else special, this hike afforded these types of special experiences at multiple points along the hike.
Fairly early into the Pīpīwai Trail hike, one encounters another beautiful waterfall.
The next major attraction along the Pīpīwai Trail is a gigantic banyan tree. Although I had seen several of these before while in Hawaii (such as in Lahaina), the sheer enormity of this one along the hike made it special.
After the banyan tree, another highlight was two small waterfalls close together.
We soon entered the bamboo forest.
It got quite a bit darker inside these tall bamboos and it was really wet from water dripping off the bamboo stalks from a rain storm earlier that morning.
After the bamboo forest, the next major attraction along the Pīpīwai Trail was Waimoku Falls.
We needed to cross a small creek to get closer to Waimoku Falls and used rocks in the creek to step/jump across.
Waimoku Falls features a 400 foot drop.
The white water of Waimoku Falls among the lush vegetation creates stark contrast.
After Waimoku Falls, we turned around and headed back down to the restrooms and national park facilities at the trailhead and near the Seven Sacred Pools. Our feet were muddy and wet from the hike and we were able to rinse them off before getting back into the rental cars. The Pīpīwai Trail is a little less than 4 miles roundtrip (just under 2 miles up and 2 miles back). For the most part, its slope is generally gentle and there are areas of flat ground and even wood decks (such as through the bamboo forest). There are some tree and plant roots in the ground and rocks embedded in the trail floor to be aware of. Most of the trail was damp to muddy during our hike.
The Pīpīwai Trail and Pools of ‘Ohe’o at Haleakala National Park Kīpahulu District were my favorite part of the day on the Road to Hāna and one of my favorite days on Maui.
The Road to Hāna itself needs to be considered carefully before traveling it. There are several things to consider before choosing to ride along this road, but I think the benefits of the trip are worth the costs.
- The road curves and turns a lot and can (and did in one or two cases in our party) lead to motion sickness.
- The road is long and the speed limit is not very high (a good thing), so plan on sufficient time to go both directions and make stops along the way, at Hāna, and at the national park.
- There are several places (especially bridges over creeks and rivers) where the road becomes a single lane, meaning that drivers of vehicles approaching these bridges from both directions need to be aware of one another.
- The scenery along this road is fantastic and I sometimes felt cheated to be the driver and not be able to take it all in. Some might consider hiring a tour or van to drive them so that everyone can enjoy, but the cost of that is not being able to follow one's own timetable.
- It's not possible to stop at every worthwhile site and attraction on the Road to Hāna, in Hāna itself, and in the national park all in a single day. Multiple days should be planned or prioritization should be made regarding which sites to stop and enjoy. I would love to return to Hāna and stay a night or two in Hāna the next time we're there to break up the long drives in each direction and to have more time to enjoy everything along the way.
- The Road to Hāna takes one to the portion of Haleakala National Park (Kīpahulu District) that is not close at all to another well-known portion of the park (Summit District or Summit Area known for its Haleakalā volcano crater). Although it's possible to drive from the Kīpahulu District to the Summit Area without first going back on Hāna Road in the other direction, it's a drive that must be carefully considered and many people simply split the two areas into two (or more) different days or choose one or the other.
For me, the two "must see" attractions in Maui are the Road to Hāna with the Haleakala National Park Kīpahulu District and Molokini.
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