What a mesmerizingly beautiful hike! This trail was a major highlight of our trip to Maui -- we…read morelove showing off our pictures to our family and friends! If you're planning your day around this hike, my advice is to get there early. My husband and I left Kihei around 5:30 and drove on the Road to Hana (clockwise) to get to the visitor center before 8:30. This way, you'll avoid most of the traffic from tourists on the Road to Hana, and a morning hike is just so much more peaceful! Parking at the visitor center is $30 but this pass grants you access to all of Haleakala National Park for 3 days. Since we got there early, it was super easy to find a parking spot. The restrooms by the visitor center are clean and well-maintained, which was a big plus :) This hike is pretty easy with a slight incline, and there are numerous spots along the way to take a break and admire the wondrous works of nature. The bamboo forest is especially cool -- when the breeze comes you can hear the bamboo creak as it sways back and forth. All the greenery is so lush and the waterfall at the end is such a pretty sight. Both of us love hiking, and so took us about an hour and a half to get from the visitor center to the waterfall (including stops to take photos and take it all in), and less than an hour on the way back. A great start to our day!

This is a pretty easy hike with great payoff! It only takes about 2 hours, and you get to hike over…read morea couple of bridges, through a bamboo forest, and end up at a gorgeous waterfall! I'm an athletic kinda girl, and I would say this trail is maybe a 2/5 in terms of difficulty. (I'd give it a 1, but it has some incline, so I gave it a 2.) My boyfriend is a homebody and rarely hikes, and he gave it a 3/5 in terms of difficulty. One thing to note: The drive to get here is a DOOZY. I did thee Road to Hana the last time I was in Maui, and it freaked me out so much that we tried going around the south side of the island this time. That was also very scary. Unless you are prepared for very narrow roads (I'm talking one lane with traffic going both ways) on a cliff, sometimes with drops straight into the ocean, don't do it. If you are okay with that, do the Road to Hana for the more scenic drive. The southern drive was less scenic, and probably just as scary.

Stunning! We had…read moresome time to kill while on our way to our zip lining. We drove up the mountain right to the point where we had to pay to get in. We weren't staying long so we parked and walked around for a bit. It was cold as balls early in the morning, but worth it. From the beach to the mountains in just under an hour. What a climate change! Breathtaking views!

Getting up there is half the adventure. The road is extremely wind-y and the elevation gets very…read morehigh, so if you get carsick or are sensitive to altitude, I would definitely keep that in mind before making the trip. Once you get to the top; the views are pretty incredible and it's such a completely different side of Maui. There are observatories up there and you can also see some really unique plant and bird species that are specific to the area. I also have to commend the people who actually bike up this mountain because I could never even imagine doing so. I've been told the sunrise from the summit is breathtaking, which I unfortunately wasn't able to muster myself to wake up early enough for. Maybe next time!

The coastal trail was a fairly easy hike. Most of the trail was either a boardwalk or paved. Don't…read moreforget water and snacks. By the end of the trail we were both tired and hungry. As luck would have it we found a great little stand selling fresh açaí bowls and smoothies. It was perfect! Then the payoff of DT Fleming beach was worth the trek! Highly recommended!

Go here. Nice view, nice walk, nice weather, nice place, nice beaches, nice....... Don't forget to…read morego to happy hour

A beautiful hike to such a peaceful reward at the end!…read more As an avid hiker, this hike was doable. It took us only about half an hour going down and up. When you arrive, parking for hikers is recommended not at the valley parking lot but on the side road leading to the parking lot as the valley parking lot is for those who are just visiting the lookout and not hiking. Once you walk towards the trail entrance, there are a couple of people waiting to assist hikers. They discuss the safety protocol and warnings when visiting. There is no time limit to how long you can be down there but because no swimming is allowed, i have found people stay only about half an hour before heading back up. We recommend wearing hiking shoes because the ascend is not easy and have seen people struggling.

Great short hike with excellent views as you descend. We tried this ~ 30 years ago and the trail…read morewas narrow and not well developed plus very muddy the day we originally tried it, so had to turn around. Now, the trail is nicely improved with some strategic rock "steps" though it is still slippery, even on a dry day. We saw a number of people doing it ( Very cautiously) in inappropriate shoes and that is not at all recommended. It is steep. The pond and beach at the bottom is nice for contemplation and wave watching.

Located at the end of the Pipiwai Trail in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park, this…read more400-foot waterfall is absolutely picturesque and breathtaking. Pictures will never do this waterfall justice, and it should be included in anyone's Road to Hana journey. To get here, you'll have to do the Road to Hana, and Haleakalā National Park is about 12 miles past the town of Hana. Once there, Waimoku Falls is at the end of the Pipiwai Trail - a 4 mile round-trip moderate hike. That being said, the trail is well-maintained and was not a difficult hike at all. Once you get to Waimoku Falls, it's totally worth it to take some time to just sit and enjoy it. It's such a peaceful and beautiful area to relax and take in all that nature is offering. We visited both the Kīpahulu and Summit districts of Haleakalā, and the Pipiwai Trail w/ Waimoku Falls was one of my top two experiences in the park. This is a must-stop for your Haleakalā National Park and Road to Hana adventures.

Waimoku Falls is a statuesque waterfall featuring a 400-foot plunge off a cliff faced wall in the…read moreheart of the Kipahulu (Coastal) District of Haleakala National Park. It is without a doubt the #1 attraction in this section of Haleakala. I highly recommend everyone taking time to come visit this stunning landmark. Besides making the 55-mile drive (if you're staying in the town of Kahului) along adventurous Hana Highway to arrive here in the Kipahulu area...you also must hike 2 miles along Pipiwai Trail to be precisely standing in front of Waimoku Falls. The Pipiwai Trail wasn't too difficult to trek. In fact, I found the surroundings and overall setting to be very pleasant. It was as if I was situated within one giant rain forest, immersed by plenty of bamboo trees. Plus, for the 2 miles (each way) it was pretty humid outside and sort of refreshing (in my opinion) to work up a good sweat before finally getting to witness such an inspiring waterfall. The freefalling appearance initially took my breathe away when I first approached it. My only maybe slight, slight disappointment with the experience was eventually confronting a sign where it specifically stated you cannot pass or enter any further than an exact point. And...unfortunately, I wasn't able to fully capture (with my camera) Waimoku Falls touching the bottom base pool of water for where it splashed down into. The sign read..."DO NOT PASS THIS POINT. FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED. VIOLATING A CLOSURE - $100 FINE". Oh well, still, it was plenty good enough to view Waimoku Falls from a short distance away. You're still able to see about 4/5's - 5/6's of the entire cascading waterfall drop. Some extra details.... - I visited in the morning time back in the middle of March, 2022 and it was a worthwhile time to come make the 2-mile trek to the falls. The sun was at my back when I finally reached Waimoku Falls, it allowed for terrific picture moments with the sun reflecting beautifully upon the lush green tropical forest. - Interestingly, this Kipahulu District of Haleakala NP actually closes their gates at 5pm daily, and so they leave a visible sign at the trailhead saying starting at 3pm, it's the last time of the day for you to begin the Pipiwai Hike (allowing for 2 hours to reach Waimoku Falls and also returning to the parking lot). So, overall, it's just best to arrive here and see Waimoku Falls in the early part of the day. - Although almost everyone explores around the Summit District of Haleakala, if this is your first time coming to Waimoku Falls or visiting this Kipahulu section...they will charge you $30 entrance fee at the gate. - While here in the area...make sure to stop at Wailua Falls located just 3 miles down the road. It's a quick roadside stop featuring another fantastic waterfall. And plus at Wailua Falls you can swim and cool off at the base of the waters, just not here at Waimoku Falls. - Finally, while in this Kipahulu part of the park when returning from Pipiwai Trail...I'd suggest easily and efficiently taking the 1/2-mile Kuloa Point/Trail for outstanding coastal views from the edge of the island of Maui. And along this Kuloa Trail you'll stand high above the Pools of Ohe'o...a prime opportunity for looking down on yet another stunning waterfall setting. Waimoku Falls was one of the best aspects from my Haleakala National Park experience. I couldn't have been happier for the chance to hike the pleasant/charming Pipiwai Trail while then taking time to admire such an impressive 400-foot plunge. It only confirmed how fond I am of waterfalls.

One of my fave hikes, if you can get through the first 150 feet of vertical incline from the…read moreparking lot, well worth it. And I live in SoCal and get to do some pretty awesome hikes here. It was my type of hike, a bit of jungle, epic views of the water, the hike to the top was worth it when you have those insane views along the way...

Beautiful views!! It is a hard climb, but doable if you're in good shape…read more Driving there - Highly recommend driving from the west side. Driving from the east side, there were one-way narrow roads over cliffs. Leaving from the west side was easy-peasy. Parking - Keep an eye out for a red sign that says 'Camp Maluhia'. First lot is overflow, keep driving past gates to main lot where trailhead is located. Hike from overflow parking lot to trailhead is about 1.2 miles each way. Hike incline - First 1/4 mile of asphalt was the steepest. Next mile was incline but not too bad. Last mile was steeper incline. Hike views - If you go on a cloudier sunny day like we did, there were AMAZING views up until the last 0.5 miles. The overlook at the very end was above clouds so we couldn't see anything. Shoes - I don't recommend wearing sandals or flip flops, because it is pretty rocky and steep. No large rock climbing. I got by wearing casual tennis shoes, but running/hiking shoes are best. There were no stream crossings, so no need to worry about feet getting wet.

Feels kind of bad leaving an average review for such a culturally significant, historical…read morelandmark... This review is based on its tourism aspect. At the time we visited (March 2023), the pools themselves were... Underwhelming. To my understanding, swimming hasn't been permitted for some time, so to enjoy the Seven Sacred Pools, you kind of look at them from a faraway cliffside. Even then, the view isn't particularly spectacular, it's almost a bit drab-- some pools are dry, others are murky green, and the sheer desert-like heat makes this a relatively unpleasant experience. Ngl I think global warming and the season we visited probably has something to do with its appearance; other folks likely have a different experience. The trails are quite dusty, so sneakers are better than hiking sandals here. Several hiking trails are open (some shaded, some not), which can take a few hours to complete-- better for folks who are doing the Road to Hana backwards or those who have an overnight stay in Hana, since by the time we got here, it would've been late evening by the time we got back to Paia. We did a few short trails, but felt they were very average. I did enjoy the visitor center-- there's plenty of educational pieces on how Polynesians discovered Hawaii, and the later damage done by colonizers. We ended up donating and purchasing a beautiful print of Haleakala. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Right at the end of the Road to Hana (for us at least). As everyone else said, it was a pretty easy…read morewalk, only about a half mile loop. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you don't have the time/energy for the Pipiwai Trail. There was a $30 entrance fee before coming in but it's good to use for 3 days. They have a decent amount of parking, a nice visitors center, and bathrooms. The view of the pools were very good of course. It's definitely a great turn around spot if you were heading back down the road.

What an amazing spot! I'd venture so far to say that this was my favorite part of the Road to Hana…read moreexperience. The beach itself is quite secluded; you have to park in a quiet part of town near Hana, then find the trail at the edge of a park, then walk roughly 15 minutes to get to the beach itself. And the trail has quite a few obstacles, so be prepared. The beach itself is so cool, there's a natural rock formation that creates a "pool" for everyone to enjoy. All the benefits of the Pacific without as much concern for safety since the rocks create a barrier. Great for swimming and soaking in the sun, and it's a little quieter (until you see this review?), excellent destination near Hana!

A must-see on the road to Hana, definitely one of our top spots throughout the trip. Since this is…read morein a residential area, please prioritize respect to the locals and don't park your oversized Jeep too obnoxiously. The way down is through crossing the grass field to the left of the Hana School/Youth Center. Do NOT cross private property to get to the beach. The path isn't formally paved and a bit slippery, so I recommend NOT bringing your whole beach getup (chair, umbrella, etc.)-- keep it minimal bc you'll likely need your hands to balance. My bf and I just wore backpacks with our towels in them and were totally fine. The beach itself is incredible; a rich terracotta shore with clear waters, sheltered by the cliff and trees. It feels like escaping into a hidden oasis. We spent an hour swimming and skipping rocks, even playing with tropical fish that chased our feet. Bring a pair of goggles! NOTE: Cliffside pathway to the beach is pretty worn but decently stable. Not accessible by wheelchair. Nothing too dangerous if you've ever hiked on trails like Big Sur before, but would recommend hiking sandals as some parts can be a little crumbly. We watched several beachgoers wearing flip flops or crocs eating shit lol

This was one of the highlights of our trip. Amazing views and hiking. Wear sturdy shoes for hiking…read moreand climbing rocks to the top. Black sand beaches and swimming are available too.

I've been to quite a few black sand beaches around the world, and this one is a pretty special…read moreexperience, especially because you can actually get into the water and swim while surrounded by such a different landscape. The black sand beach is definitely the highlight of the park, although don't go in expecting that super fine, soft black sand you may be imagining. Here it's much more like little black stones and rocks. Honestly, I'm okay with that because I've been to one with the super fine black sand and it was a nightmare . Imagine regular sand getting absolutely everywhere and then make it black... everything looks dirty! The waves can be pretty strong, so come prepared for that if you want to swim. There are also quite a few other things to see and explore throughout the state park, so I wouldn't just come for the beach and leave. One important thing to know is that you now need a reservation to enter the park, so don't just show up expecting to walk in or you'll be turned away. It's also right along the Road to Hana, so getting here is part of the whole experience.