The Ultimate Maui Waterfall Road Trip Is Right Here - And You’ll Want To Do It
By Megan Shute|Published February 19, 2016
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Everyone knows that Maui’s Road to Hana is one of the most breathtaking drives in the state – but did you know that the iconic highway features several different waterfalls as well, making it the perfect setting for the ultimate Maui waterfall road trip.
We started at Waimoku Falls and Makahiku Falls along the four-mile round trip Pipiwai Trail, as it’s always best to hike first thing in the morning. If you aren’t up for the hike, you can simply start your waterfall road trip at the Oheo Gulch, or start the waterfall from the north side.
Even with the four-mile hike, this journey to the island’s greatest waterfalls can easily be completed in one day. This magnificent waterfall road trip will take you to nine different waterfalls, in just 44 miles and approximately two hours of drive time – without stops, of course.
After you've made it through the breathtaking bamboo forest on the Pipiwai Trail, you will make your way to the impressive Waimoku Falls. Maui's crowned gem of waterfalls, Waimoku plummets 440 feet down a sheer lava rock wall and into a boulder-strewn pool.
Located near the Pipiwai Trailhead are the stunning pools of Oheo, also commonly referred to as the seven sacred pools - though there are way more than seven pools. You will need to pay to park in this section of Haleakala National Park, but we think it is entirely worth the $10 fee to play in these magical pools.
Wailua Falls flows from Honolewa Stream, and is visible from the highway. In fact, there is a small parking lot near the falls, as well as a short, but slippery path to visit the base of the falls.
Mamapipi Falls is also visible from the highway, and is unique in that the waterfall plummets into a striking blue pool. Unfortunately, the strength of the falls is often dependent on rainfall - so here's to hoping you catch it on a good day!
This waterfall is one of many that is produced by the Hanawi Stream on its nine-mile path to the ocean. The falls are viewable from the bridge, and because the stream is spring-fed, there is almost always water flow.
Also known as Three Bears falls, Waikani is approximately 70 feet tall, and visible from the highway. However, the best views come when you climb under the bridge and follow a short jungle path to the base of the waterfall.
The views of the upper and lower Puohokamoa Falls are elusive, but there is a pull-off for the lookout between mile markers 10 and 11, which will lead you to an overlook from which you can view the falls.
Our last stop on the ultimate Maui waterfalls road trip is Twin Falls, also known as Hololawa falls. If you're ready for some more hiking, viewable from the path are several small waterfalls.
Hawaii’s waterfalls are truly second to none, and offer quite the backdrop for a relaxing, or romantic, road trip. What are you waiting for? Please note that many of these waterfalls do not come with an exact address, though they are clearly marked on the Google Map we created, which you can view here.
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