Road to Hana
The Road to Hana is one of the most popular excursions in Maui. You travel along the Hana Highway which is a long and winding road taking you from northern Maui to the east. It takes about 2 1/2 hours to drive this 52 mile road because of all of its twists, turns, and one lane bridges. This area has most of the islands beautiful waterfalls and hiking, so it was a must for us. We did it in one day and stopped at different areas along the way to hike, swim, and adventure. I would recommend spending a night in Hana so you don’t feel as rushed and so you can take advantage of all this area has to offer. Keep reading to see all of our stops and favorite things to do!
Twin Falls
Just passed mile marker 2 on the Hana Highway you will find Twin Falls. This small waterfall is located right at the entrance. You pay a $10 parking fee to visit this park but if you have young kids it’s a small hike and easy for them. You can walk around this area without any real hiking involved or you can choose to take a small hike to the twin falls waterfall.
Twin Falls Waterfall
After a small hike (30 minutes) you will arrive at the Twin Falls waterfall where you can enjoy the beautiful views and even get in the water and swim! My kids loved getting into the water, swimming under the waterfall (which they said hurt because it was so strong) and exploring behind the falls. There were quite a few people there when we visited so it’s definitely a tourist attraction. If you want a more serene experience, travel on!
Hana Bay Beach Park
One of Chloe’s must see items for our trip was to visit a black sand beach. We planned on visiting Wai’anapanapa State Park for their stunning black sand beach experience but when we got there they turned us away. We needed to reserve a spot the day before. So if you are traveling the road to Hana and this is a must for you, don’t forget to get a park pass the previous day so you can check it out. We ended up visiting a different black sand beach right down the road at Hana Bay Beach Park. This was a nice quick stop. It took us through a bit of Hana so you get to see some of the town and then head on to the black sand beach which has amazing views and was free!
‘Ohe’o Gulch Waterfall
One of my favorite sites to visit along the Hana Highway is ‘Ohe’o Gulch, otherwise known as the Seven Sacred Pools. This stunning waterfall runs down into the ‘Ohe’o Gulch stream and then filters into the ocean through a black sand beach. This is a must see for me and is located at mile marker 42, towards the end of the road to Hana.
‘Ohe’o Gulch
The ‘Ohe’o Gulch, which is more commonly referred to as the Seven Sacred Pools is a MUST. This was probably my favorite view of our entire road to Hana trip, and that is saying a lot! This area is located towards the end of the road to Hana and is found in Haleakala National Park. It’s a short half mile hike all around, so it’s easy for kids. The views are stunning. There is a gorgeous waterfall which trickles down to the ’Ohe’o Gulch stream which leads into the ocean through the black sand beach. There are also historic ruins (Kipahulu) along the small hike where you can see where ancient Hawaiians worshipped and lived!
Pīpīwai Trail
Pīpīwai Trail is my favorite hike we did in Maui. It’s a 4 mile round trip hike which takes you along the ’Ohe’o Gulch stream, past a giant Banyon tree, through a bamboo forest, to the amazingly stunning Waimoku Falls.
Giant Banyon Tree
This was a glorious sight to stumble upon during the hike along the Pīpīwai Trail. This is one of the largest Banyon trees on the island, it’s estimated to be over 100 years old. Its branches stretch over 60 feet and are a sight to behold.
Haleakala Bamboo Forest
Just passed the glorious Giant Banyon Tree you will stumble into the largest bamboo forest in all of Maui. This is a stunning sight to see and hear. Stop to close your eyes and listen to the rustling of the bamboo in the breeze. It’s a beautiful sound to add to your visual experience. This trail along the Haleakalā Bamboo Forest continues for about half a mile.
Waimoku Falls
The Waimoku Falls are at the end of the Pipiwai trail and are a sight to behold. This waterfall rushes 400 feet down a lava rock wall. It’s one of the largest waterfalls on Maui and is surrounded by tropical foliage. This was one of my favorite waterfalls to see on my favorite hike in Maui.
Road to Hāna photo gallery
The North Shore (Pa’ia)
North Shore in Maui
A surfers paradise. The North Shore on Maui has some of the best surfing in all of Maui. Many world class surfing competitions take place on the North Shore every winter. Pe‘ahi has some of the most amazing waves, with the surf break there being referred to as Jaws. The highest wave recorded is 72 feet tall!
Surfing
The North Shore on Maui is the place to go if you want to surf! It has miles of undeveloped, natural beaches with surf breaks that bring world class champion surfers for competitions every year. It was so fun heading out to the beach to just watch the surfers (since I would never get out there and do it!) There are surfers constantly going in and out of the water so you will always have a show!
Ho’okipa Beach Park
Ho’okipa Beach Park is the place to go to watch the surf, surfers, and see the beautiful features the North Shore shoreline has to offer. There is an upper lookout to get a Birds Eye view and then you can head down to the beach area where you can watch the surfers, windsurfers swim, snorkel, and even spot some sea turtles!
Undeveloped Shoreline
If you want to visit Maui but don’t want to be surrounded by tourists and hotels, head to the North Shore. It’s a bit windier on this part of the Island, and temps are a bit lower than the south and west portions, but the pristine, natural beauty makes up for it. There are miles of undeveloped beaches for you to beach hop, swim, snorkel, boogie board, surf, and sightsee to your hearts content.
Pa’ia
Pa’ia is a small, laid back, surf town. When you drive in you will feel like you have gone back in time. The shops, restaurants, and small hotels line the streets in a colorful setting. We actually drove through Pa’ia on our way to Hāna and just had to come back another day to check it out. We were so happy we did. The shopping is fantastic (I bought a hand-made, wood carved tiki). We would love to stay in this town for bit on our next vacation. There is a small hotel called Pa’ia Inn which I walked past, googled later, and decided it was the place to stay!
Historical Town
Pa’ia is a historical town that was once a sugar plantation. Everyone in Maui is nice but the people in Pa’ia were especially welcoming. It is known as a surfer/hippie town. So if you want that laid back, chill experience, this is the place for you!
Windsurfing
Ho’okipa beach is known as the windsurfing capital of the world. We got to experience the windsurfers in all their glory. It was a beautiful sight to see! Ho’okipa beach is located in Pa’ia so it’s definitely worth a stop to visit, stay a night or book your entire vacation here!
North Shore photo gallery
Whale Watching
Whale Watching
This excursion was an absolute MUST for me. It was one of the things I was most excited to do in Maui and it did not disappoint!
Pacific Whale Foundation
I wanted to book our whale watching excursion with the Pacific Whale Foundation. This non profit organization does so much in terms of outreach, education, advocacy, scholarship, environmental clean up, etc. there is no one else I would rather support. We chose to take this catamaran sailboat out on our tour for a more intimate setting. It was absolutely perfect and sitting up front on the cargo netting was icing on the cake!
Maalaea Harbor
We sailed out of Maalaea Harbor with the Pacific Whale Foundation. This is definitely the windiest part of the island. It is known as the second windiest harbor in the world, with wind speeds commonly reaching up to 40 mph. This makes the water a bit rough at times. If you are sensitive take a Dramamine before your excursion. We all did and didn’t have any issues.
First Whale Sighting
After leaving the harbor we were lucky enough to see our first whales off of the West Maui Mountains. Since we were on a Pacific Whale Foundation tour they educate as well as host so we were able to learn all about these majestic Humback Whales. You can see this moms tail on the right side of the picture.
Listening to the Whales
Halfway into the excursion, one of the lovely crew mates with PWF dropped a microphone into the ocean and had Chloe hold a speaker up so we could all listen to the whales. I kid you not, it sounded just like the Dory movie, it was pretty incredible being able to listen to them as well as see them coming out of the water.
Whales!!
We saw tons of whales. Baby humpbacks, mommy humpbacks, and wanna be daddy humpbacks. We saw many males breaching in the distance, many babies playing in the water, and many moms staying right with their babies. It was a beautiful experience.
West Maui Mountains
Not only did we get to have an incredible whale watching experience but we also had a terrific scenic experience by the West Maui Mountains. I would always recommend this organization and can’t wait to go on my next adventure with the Pacific Whale Foundation.
Whale Watching Photo Gallery
Ioa Valley State Monument
Ioa Valley State Monument
Ioa Valley State Monument is located right up the hill from Kahului. It is an easy drive from most places on the island because it is centrally located. Reservations are needed the day before for out of state residents so be sure to plan in advance before you go!
Botanical Garden
There is a botanical garden you can walk through to see the plants that Hawaiians brought and planted when they settled in Ioa Valley.
Ioa Stream
A short hike takes you to the Ioa Stream. This was a fun stop with the kids. They got to hop around on the rocks and enjoy the lush foliage. It’s a .6 mile hike so very doable for kids or older adults. The trail is paved for most of it so it’s very easy walking (although my children felt like it was SO long…hahaha!)
Ioa Needle
A small hike up takes you to the lookout where you get a Birds Eye view of the Ioa Needle. There is a lot of historical information associated with the needle and valley. This is one of the most sacred sites on Maui, it’s where the battle of Kepaniwai. King Kamehameha‘s warriors battled the Maui army here. The Maui army would use the Ioa needle as a lookout during battle. King Kamehameha’s forces prevailed and were victorious. This became a pivotal moment in Hawaii’s history for unification.
Rainforest
Ioa Valley is the second wettest rainforest on Maui. Clouds often cover the Ioa needle so it’s recommended to enjoy this site in the morning. We ended up heading out in the morning and it was perfect. Only about an hour or two are necessary to enjoy all that this location has to offer so you can plan this stop in the morning and then another event in the afternoon or evening!
Ioa Valley Photo Gallery
Haleakalā National Park
Haleakalā National Park
Haleakalā National Park is named after this dormant volcano which last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD. Its name means House of the Sun. The summit is over 10,000 feet above sea level.
Above the clouds
The summit of Haleakalā stands over 10,000 feet above sea level, there are almost 20,000 feet below sea level. This means that Haleakala is taller than Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount McKinley, and even Mount Everest!
I tend to get altitude sickness and my children take after me, because of the quick assent we didn't feel well at the top. Be prepared, it’s rated as a likely area to experience altitude sickness.
Summit hiking
There are over 30 miles of hiking trails at the summit. Since my children and I weren’t feeling great from the altitude we decided not to do a lot of hiking. We took some short trails with beautiful views but would love to have gone on some of the longer hikes that take you down into the summit.
Silverswords
Silverswords are a very rare and endangered plant that can only be found in a few locations in Hawaii, Haleakalā being one of them. Each plant only blooms once, every 10-40 years and then dies shortly after it blooms. Luckily its seeds will scatter after it dies with the hope that more plants will start to grow. It was so fun seeing these plants in their natural habitat.
Haleakalā Observatory
Haleakalā is one of the best places to view the night sky in all of the United States. The Institute of Astronomy and the U.S. Air Force have set up their observatories here. This also makes for a fantastic place to watch the sunrise or sunset. We chose not to do this but if it’s something that you would love to do, be sure to reserve your spot the day before.
Haleakalā Photo Gallery