Rank-ordering trails is like rank-ordering your children, unless one of them is Charles Manson. The highly subjective task involves dozens of variables. Was the trek challenging, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment? Did you meet someone interesting along the way and “talk story”? Are you into wildlife, rock climbing, magnificent vistas, or something historically significant? Do you prefer mountains, watering holes, or jungles? Want an out and back or a loop? How did the weather shape your opinion? Do you want “sustained excellence” throughout the hike or simply a big payoff at the end?
After considering many factors, I ultimately based my list on which hikes I would want to return to if I could only do a limited number, like one or five. With that in mind, let’s countdown my Top 10 Maui Hikes:
10. Waikamoi Ridge Trail – 1 out of 5 stars. After 9.5 miles on the winding Road to Hana, you may be ready to stretch your legs, sip coconut water, and release tension. This is a good place to do that. But I would stick to the picnic area at the beginning of the trail which has the only view. Beyond that, you’re looking at a .9-mile, densely wooded jungle trail with lots of roots and some mud. There are too many better sights and trails along the Road to Hana to spend much time, if any, on this one. For a more detailed description… https://roadtohana.com/waikamoi-nature-trail.php
9. Kuloa Point Trail – 2 out of 5 stars. Beyond Hana, at the very popular Oheo Gulch, you’ll find two popular hiking trails, and this is the lesser of the two. This short, ½-mile hike is well-suited for families, even Grandma. The payoff is arriving at the pools of Oheo Gulch and watching them spill into the ocean. These 22 majestic pools of water were closed to swimming when we were there. Had they been open, this trail would have rated higher. For more on the hike… https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7017715/kuloa-point-trail
8. Twin Falls Trail – 3 out of 5 stars. This is the first significant stopping point on the Road to Hana, just beyond mile marker 2. After getting a snack, perhaps some coconut candy, at the food truck at the entrance, you’ll take a leisurely, less than 1-mile stroll through the Wailele Farm. Colorful flowers and trees line the path, and a stream runs alongside you. Suggest taking the branches off the main trail to explore the stream and stop for a photo at the first set of falls—the Twin Falls. Be careful—in 2019, a 37-year-old man died here after jumping from the falls into the lower pool and hitting his head.
You’ll eventually ford a small stream and cross a bridge. Soon the beautiful Caveman Falls will come into view. At this point, I had 3 decisions to make:
1) Do I get in the water? Answer: Yes! I’m in Maui! No regrets!
2) Do I swim over to the falls and let them crash down upon me? Yes! Totally exhilarating! (But only do this if you’re a good swimmer.)
3) Do I go over to a vine and swing from it? Answer: No! Do not do this! My short swing from a harmless-looking vine that others had been swinging from caused rocks to dislodge from above me. These rocks crashed down upon my head, arm, and back. I had 11 staples put in my head and will have scars there and probably on my back. Shout out to the Paia Fire Department for being in the vicinity and stopping the bleeding! And also, for only moderately flirting with my wife in the back of the 4-wheeler while I was being transported for triage.
For more on the Twin Falls hike… https://roadtohana.com/twin-falls.php
7. Hosmer Grove Loop Trail – 3 out of 5 stars. Just inside Haleakala National Park, at about mile marker 10.5 on Highway 378, you’ll turn left to find the Hosmer Grove Campground and the start of the Hosmer Grove Trail. This half-mile trail is especially suited for tree and bird lovers. In 1909, Ralph Hosmer (1874-1963), the first Superintendent of Forestry of the Territory of Hawaii, created Hosmer Grove as an experimental forestry plot at the 8,500-9,000-foot level on the slopes of Haleakala. Shout out to Hosmer!
Those cedar, spruce, pine, eucalyptus, and other seedlings are now all grown up! In addition to the wonderful trees, you’ll find a variety of beautiful birds, including the colorful honeycreeper which is found nowhere else on earth. For more on this loop trail… https://www.hawaii-guide.com/maui/hiking-trails/hosmer_grove_loop_trail
6. Iao Valley State Park – 3.5 out of 5 stars. Most of the high-end resorts, sandy beaches, and touristy things to do in Maui are in West Maui (Lahaina and vicinity) and South Maui (from Kihei to Makena). Central Maui, on the other hand, is known more for its airport, more affordable shopping (e.g., WalMart, Costco), business, and politics. However, a must-do stop in Central Maui is the Iao Valley State Park.
On your way there, stop at Kepaniwai Park, a waterside park with a Japanese temple and short walks in themed gardens celebrating Hawaii’s culture. This is a great spot for a picnic along the creek, with the West Maui mountains and giant banyan trees surrounding you. A little farther up the road you reach Iao Valley State Park, which comes with a $10 parking fee, payable at an entrance kiosk. This is not a “hike” in the traditional sense, more of a walk through and around incredibly lush scenery in a stream-cut valley. In fact, this valley is unofficially the “wettest place on earth” with more than 400” of rainfall each year!
There are opportunities to read about the rich, but violent, history of the valley and gaze at the massive, natural rock formation known as Iao Needle. If you want to explore, go down to the water and head along a path going upstream. Or hop in the waters under the bridge for a quick dip. For more information… http://mauiguidebook.com/central-maui/iao-valley-state-park/
5. Keoneheehee – Sliding Sands Trail – 4.5 out of 5 stars. As we begin our Top 5 hikes, we are qualitatively going up a full star. These next 5 are something special—”must do” hikes. Each one offers something unique and exciting and could easily garner a #1 designation depending on what you’re looking for in a hike.
Upon arriving at the Visitors Center atop Haleakala Volcano, you’ll be treated to a jaw-dropping view of the inside of this dormant volcano. Seeing it for the first time was my second favorite moment in Maui (the first was seeing and then hanging out underwater with a sea turtle). If you get up super early and get to the summit in time for sunrise, you’ll get to experience what Mark Twain described as “the most sublime spectacle I have ever witnessed.” (Twain’s second most sublime spectacle, BTW, was watching Aunt Polly force Tom to whitewash that fence.)
Once you recover from the initial shock of peering down into the erosion crater, you can hike it! This is as close as I’ll ever get to walking on Mars. Many people consider it the #1 hike in Maui and I get that. A few things to keep in mind:
1) It can get downright cold at 10K+ feet, especially in the morning, so dress in layers and drink plenty of water.
2) The out and back trail is 12 miles long and what goes down must come up! If you go all the way down (we did not), you’ll then have to ascend along the sliding sands, with no shade, at 10,000 feet elevation. It’s not technically difficult, and the elevation gain/loss is consistent, but recliner lifestyle folks will find the climb out challenging. If you don’t have a full day or are not in good shape, just go a reasonable distance down the trail and then return.
3) Be sure to stay on the trail, so you don’t damage the rare and native Silverswords that grow near the trail.
4) If you’re interested in spending the night, there are cabins on the floor of the crater, available using a lottery system. Had we done that, this trail probably would’ve made the Top 2.
For more on this trail… https://www.maui-hikes.com/haleakala-national-park-sliding-sands-trail
4. Waihee Ridge Trail – 4.5 out of 5 stars. First, let’s get the negative out of the way. This popular, northwest Maui trail has a small parking lot—we had to wait 10 minutes in a queue for a spot to open. Second, the first hundred yards or so of the trail are on a paved, very steep incline. Don’t let that discourage you. And don’t release any wheelchair-bound loved ones at the top of it—they’ll end up in downtown Wailuku. It gets (mostly) better. Third, the trail is very muddy in spots and chances are good you will slip and fall at some point.
Still, this is one of my favorite trails on Maui. The 4.5-mile, out and back hike is challenging! Janet will tell you she struggled at times, thought about quitting several times, and fell in the mud once. A little over a mile in, we hit a point where I didn’t know if she was going to cry, get mad, or find another gear and finish. Thankfully, she found that other gear, and I’m so proud of her!
In addition to being a challenging hike, the journey up the spine of the Waihee Valley offers lush scenery, a view of a waterfall, exciting ridgeline hiking, and (weather permitting) a gorgeous view of the coastal valley below. You’ll encounter rare birds, magnificent ferns, and tourists with muddy shorts and knees! It was our most difficult Maui hike, but also one of the best! For more information… http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/waihee-ridge-trail/
3. Hoapili Trail – 5 out of 5 stars. When I get excited thinking about and describing a hiking trail, I know it has earned five stars. Such is the case with the Hoapili Trail. Back in 1790, or perhaps a little earlier, Haleakala erupted for the last time (maybe) and spewed lava along Maui’s southeast shore at La Perouse Bay, literally growing the island. Today, you’ll find a jagged, lava rock coastline, sea estuaries teeming with life, pristine snorkeling waters, secluded beaches, wildflowers, crashing waves, possible dolphin sightings, gnarled trees, lava fields as far as the eye can see, and wild goats. For the inner kid in me who wants not just to hike, but to explore nature, this hike has it all. It’s the kind of coastal hike an imaginative computer programming might come up with for a video game.
The full hike is a 6-mile round trip, but you may opt to turn around earlier once you’ve gotten the full lava experience. Wear sturdy hiking boots as you travel this surreal, rocky landscape, straight out of a Star Wars set. You also may want to bring an extra sandwich and bottle of water for the homeless person you’ll likely find at the trailhead parking lot here, and sometimes at other trailheads. For a more detailed description of the trail… https://www.maui-hikes.com/hoapili-trail
2. Kapalua Coastal Trail – 5 out of 5 stars. This 2.5-mile trail is more of a walk than a hike, but what a picturesque walk it is! It’s the perfect trail for families who want to see Maui’s beauty, without the difficulty of some of the other hikes on this list. It would also be a great running or dog-walking trail.
Like the Hoapili Trail, this one has a little something for everyone, including beaches, tidal pools, lava rocks, a wonderful view of Molokai, a bird sanctuary, great snorkeling (Kapalua Bay Beach), thundering surfs, sea cliffs, resort views, surfers, and more. My favorite part was exploring the lava formations, something you just don’t get to do at too many places in the world. For more information… https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/maui/kapalua-coastal-trail?u=i
1. Pipiwai Trail – 5 out of 5 stars. Coming in at #1 is the 4-mile (round trip) Pipiwai Trail, located at the Oheo Gulch (7 Sacred Pools) in northeast Maui, in the Haleakala National Park. What a hike! Getting to it could be considered a plus or a minus, depending on whether you love or hate the thought of driving the winding Road to Hana and then another 12 miles. Once there, you’re in for a treat! What makes it so special?
1) It’s challenging. Not terribly strenuous, but the 600 feet of elevation gain, in a jungle, on a warm day, will cause you to break a sweat. Plan on 2 hours if you’re in good shape.
2) It’s very well maintained—the national park system is obviously proud of it, as they should be. And a shout out to them for giving a free annual pass to all national parks for active and retired military members!
3) There is an AMAZING bamboo forest! I’ve walked through scenic bamboo patches before and admired the beauty. Multiply that by 1000! This is not a patch but a forest—tens of thousands of 40’ high bamboo trees, tightly packed together and swaying in the wind. Walking through them, sometimes along a boardwalk, was mystical, magical, and marvelous!
4) Massive banyan trees! The Lahaina Banyan is the largest and most impressive in Maui, and its children somehow ended up on the Pipiwai Trail. I kept waiting for Tim Burton to descend from the massive, intertwined branches with butterflies emerging from his nostrils.
5) Makahiku Falls! Stop at a scenic overlook to catch your breath and take in these incredible falls. It looks like a place where God might have considered placing Adam and Eve back in the day. There are off-limits, fenced off spur trails leading from here to “infiniti pool” atop Makahiku Falls and another to its base. In 2003, a 39-year-old high school chemistry teacher from Kentucky and his 11-year-old daughter died while taking one of these spurs and crossing a shallow stream to get to the waterfall. A flashflood hit the canyon and a 6-foot wall of water swept them downstream. Two other family members watched in horror and were later awarded a $5M settlement. Now the area is off-limits.
6) Various bridges over Pipiwai stream, with views of more step waterfalls and pools…and then a stream crossing—not difficult, but your feet are getting wet.
7) And finally, the big payoff…the 400’ Waimoiku Falls! Your hour or so of hiking is rewarded with a stunning view of this magnificent waterfall towering above you. We complied with the sign warning not to go closer or be subject to a $100 fine. Other visitors went right on by the sign to the base of the falls.
For some great photos of this trail, courtesy of David Chatsuthiphan, check out this link… https://www.unrealhawaii.com/2013/04/pipiwai-trail-to-waimoku-falls/
For even more information… http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/pipiwai-trail-waimoku-falls/
There you have it, my Top 10 Hikes in Maui. For pictures from each of these hikes, check out the Maui albums on my Facebook page or the above links.
I should also mention a hike I had hoped to do but did not get to: the Wai’anapanapa State Park & Coastal Trail – This was one of my must-do stops at Mile Marker 32 on the Road to Hana. Sadly, when we arrived at the parking lot, they told us entry required a pass, available only online, and they were sold out for the day. Thus, we never got to see the famed black sand beach, twisted foliage, lava caves and tubes, and even a blowhole. I suspect it would have been a more jungle-like version of the previously described Hoapili Trail and Kapalua Coastal Trail. I also suspect it would have fallen in my Top 6 or 7 hikes. For more info on the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail… https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/maui/waianapanapa-coast-trail-south?u=i
There are many other hiking trails on Maui. Some were longer than we wanted to tackle for a day hike…
https://www.maui-hikes.com/mahana-ridge-trail
http://mauiguidebook.com/adventures/lahaina-pali-trail/
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/maui/kaupo-trail?u=i
If you’ve never been to Maui, I hope you can go one day. There’s a reason the Conde Nast Traveler readers have voted it the “top island in the world” for 20 consecutive years. While you’re there, I hope you get to experience some of these amazing hikes in God’s beautiful creation!
