When in Maui, the Road to Hana is a must for all adventurers. There are so many tips to share for taking on this journey, and let me start by saying that you need to be prepared and safe. While seeing new things on trips is exciting and fun it is important to take care of yourself and others. The road itself is very windy and tiny which can lead to car accidents and injuries if not careful. Not many people are able to drive on this road nor do they feel comfortable and end up missing out on these great experiences.
My family and I traveled to Hawaii during the summer months of July and August in 2022. Originally, we were scheduled to go during the summer of 2020 but for obvious reasons we had to cancel. We ended up going to the islands Maui, Kauai, and Oahu over the span of about 2 weeks. This was definitely one of the most beautiful vacations we have been on.
The Road to Hana was a drive that my parents had done about 20 years prior, on their honeymoon trip. Even though my parents had already seen it, my mom had told me it was a must on a trip to Hawaii and I completely agree. My first general piece of advice is to get up early and start your drive. The road is very windy and it takes time to go through the entirety of the road, especially if you want to see a lot. Also it is important to note that you must be prepared for a long day of exploring, heat, cold, rain, and delicious food.
What to Wear and Bring
To ensure that you are prepared for the entirety of your adventure on the Road to Hana it is essential to plan ahead. Make sure you know what you are going to be seeing, where you plan to stop, and therefore determine what you need to bring and wear for the day. We knew we were starting the day with a hike so we needed hiking boots and lots of water (and a change of shoes in case it was muddy).
If you have been staying on Maui like we had you most likely didn’t think that it would be cold or rainy on the other side of the island by Hana, but it actually can be. The day that we went the temperature in the morning was around 58 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the 90 degrees Fahrenheit it was near Lahaina.
These are some of the important essentials we brought on our day to Hana: water, reusable water bottles, light sweatshirts, rain coats, hiking boots, flip-flops/sandals, chargers, sunglasses, an offline or paper map, sunscreen, snacks, backpacks, bathing suits, snorkel gear, and most importantly some comfortable shoes for the entire day of walking and exploring.
Must Stops Along Road
Since the Road to Hana is long and full of wondrous things to see, unless you plan to be there for multiple days at a time you will have to choose what you want to see. For us we did lots of research before our trip and picked the best things to see. One of the important pieces of research we found was to start from the end of the Road to Hana and work your way back to the beginning so as to avoid crowds and busy roads. This completely worked out for our benefit and ensured that we were able to see what we wanted to.
The first spot I am highly recommending is actually a hike called the Pipiwai Trail Hike. At the end of this hike is the Waimoku Falls which is a beautiful 400-foot waterfall. The first 1/2 mile of the hike is steep, but otherwise it is relatively flat. As you climb up the hike you will enter a wonderfully calm bamboo forest. This was such a cool part of the hike because you are able to listen to the sounds of the bamboo clanking together in the wind. It was quite wonderful to be in the moment on this trail. You definitely need a good pair of hiking boots, as well as water and sunscreen because it does get hot on this hike (another reason I recommend starting here from early in the morning). The entire hike is about 2 hours round-trip but I think it is completely worth it to see the wondrous waterfall.
After seeing the Waimoku Falls, since you will already be in the Haleakala National Park you should take the time to walk down to the Pools at Oheo. This semi-hike is 1/2 mile long and completely flat. When you get to the gorgeous view at the end you’ll feel the relief of strong breezes and a mist from the ocean. You should follow the instructions of the Kuloa Point Trail to get to the pools.
After that there are other stops along the way until you get to the Koki Beach. Koki Beach is known for its red sand and rocks along the coast. None of us had seen red sand before and therefore we jumped at the opportunity to see it. When trying to get to the Koki Beach you might get lost along the way because it is not along the main Road to Hana path. My advice is to have a paper map and follow Handel Road down to get to the beach. Stay on the road until you see signs for food and coconuts, then turn into that small parking lot, the red sanded beach is behind the buildings and food shops.
Then moving along the Hana Highway you will come to the Town of Hana, which is very small. The only reason we stopped here was to visit the Hasagewa General Store. When my mom was doing research about this day she came along this store and its story. The general store has been around since 1910 and it is the oldest family-owned business is Maui. The owners are the 4th generation to take over the store and it was important to us that we showed some local support.
If you decided to do the Road to Hana backwards as I suggest, now you will start seeing lots more vehicles coming the opposite direction of you. This might mean more instances of accident probability so definitely continue to be careful! We decided to stop at the Hana Farms place for lunch because it was so highly recommended. The food here was amazing for a lunch and the little food shop was adorable. You need to get their outstanding banana bread in any flavor, it was to die for!
Then after lunch we had a reserved time slot for the Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach, which was required to be able to see it. So many people were stopping and trying to get in without tickets and they would not let them in. Make sure that you get tickets within a time period so you are able to see this amazing black sand beach. The walk to the beach itself has a lot of stairs so make sure you are able to go up and down those before continuing. The beach is located around mile marker 32.2 on the Hana Highway and a definite must if you have never seen a black sand beach before.
The next stop I am recommending is the Pua’a Ka State Park. There is a gorgeous waterfall up close and easy to get to. A bonus of this stop is that they have bathrooms you are able to use, which is not often offered along the Road to Hana. The entire small park itself is in a rainforest which allows for cool picnic areas if you brought food for the day; this is a great spot to stop and eat. There is no entrance fee for this state park and its open during daylight hours.
At mile marker 17.5 there is a Halfway to Hana sign which is a cute photo spot. It has beautiful tall palm trees around it and a view across the highway looking out to the ocean. The following stops after these are going to get more crowded as it nears the end of the day, because some tourists just go into the Road to Hana for the first few things. This is when you need to make sure you know where you want to stop and such, because parking may not be as readily available.
At mile marker 6.7 the Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees are located, which was one of my favorite last stops we did. I found these on Pinterest a long time before we were planning our trip to Hawaii and I thought they were beautiful. It is semi-difficult to find the trees because they are kind of placed everywhere in the area at this mile marker. But my advice is to stop around mile marker 6.7 and see if you are able to find a bunch anywhere to take photos. Since they are just about the tallest rainbow trees around they will be easy to spot once you park.
I loved the entire roadtrip of our Hana day. Everything was breathtaking and beautiful. As I mentioned before, it is really important that you are prepared for this long day because it can become too much for some individuals. The next time I go back to Maui I definitely plan to go on the Road to Hana again, the wonders of this road are endless and I’d love to see all the waterfalls again.
