Pipiwai Trail Hike

My sister really loves hiking in nature. She’s even got a national park pass so she can go to any park in the USA. When she goes on vacation, nine times out of ten she’ll go to a place where she can hike. So it’s no surprise that for a sister trip back in 2019, she suggested that we go on Pipiwai Trail for our vacation. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive because I’ve never gone hiking, but after doing a little research, I was looking forward to doing this with her. 

If any of you readers have plans to go to Maui, I absolutely recommend hiking Pipiwai Trail. And I’m not a nature trail in a national park person – I’m definitely more of a trail in an urban place kind of person. But you only live once, right?

Pipiwai Trail is located on the southeastern side of Maui, part of Haleakala National Park. One could say that it’s the conclusion of the ‘Road to Hana’. The trail is roughly 4 miles total, out and back. And there is so much to see along this trail. It’s not just a trail with lots of trees all around you, this trail has different layers.

My sister and I had rented a car when we were in Maui, and we had already planned to do a day trip to the trail. From what I heard, this isn’t the usual plan for most people…they usually hike Pipiwai Trail using the following 2 methods: 

1) They drive themselves to Hana, stay there overnight, and hike Pipiwai Trail in the morning. 

2) They join a tour group that drives them to Hana, stay there overnight and hike the trail in the later part of the morning with the other members of the group, go back to Hana and stay another night before heading back to their hotel (usually on the western side of Maui like Lahaina & Ka’anapali).

Pipiwai Trail Preparation

To best prepare for hiking Pipiwai Trail, a couple suggestions:

1) Hydrate. Be sure to drink water the day before. You will be walking through some uneven terrain, and working a little harder than your usual dirt trail in the park by your house. 

2) Bring water and snacks for the trail. My sister had a backpack with a built-in water canteen, and I brought two 18oz bottles and a few granola bars. Sip water throughout your trek.

3) Eat before you go. My sister and I stopped by a fast food drive-thru for breakfast sandwiches and hot coffee before we started the long drive. Just drink enough to wake you up, don’t drink the whole cup otherwise you may have to make frequent stops along the way. If you want to wait until you reach Hana to eat, that’s fine, but since it was going to take us 4 hours to reach Hana, we decided to eat on the go.

4) Wear hiking boots and comfy socks. The trail can get muddy in some parts, so don’t wear cross trainers unless you want them really, really dirty. 

5) Dress in layers. This part of Maui was pretty humid, but it was a little cold in the morning, so we brought layering pieces over our tank tops and wore hats to block out the sun.

6) Bring bug repellent. We sprayed before we were on the trail and sprayed again as needed.

7) Bring wipes. It can get hot during the hike, so it might be good to refresh yourself. 

Getting There

If you plan to drive there, leave early. I’m serious. It’s best to get there sooner rather than later. Depending on where you’ll be staying, it can easily be a 4-5 hour drive. Set a goal for when you hope to get there, in case you need to make a bathroom stop or accidentally take a wrong turn in Hana (which we totally did, haha). Our plan was to get there between 830-915am, so we left our hotel around 430am.

The drive will be a long one, full of switchbacks, hills, narrow winding roads and bridges. I cover the drive in another post, but just be aware that internet connection gets really spotty once you leave Hana town proper. (My phone map app went out, so we could no longer rely on that to guide us.) Another 10 miles after leaving Hana (about 20-30 min drive) will get you to the parking lot of Haleakala National Park, Kipahulu Area. Hana Hwy is pretty narrow, so take your time, and keep an eye on your odometer as you drive. 

Eventually, you’ll see a brown sign on your right that calls out ‘Haleakala National Park Kipahulu Area’ with an arrow pointing left. On your left you’ll see a driveway with metal gates. You will have to pay the attendant at the ticket booth as you enter the parking lot. I believe it was $30 per vehicle/$15 per person walk up but with my sister’s National Park Pass, we got in for free. Follow the driveway and continue straight until you reach the Kipahulu Visitor Center parking lot. Park anywhere you like and you can either take a bathroom break or head right to the trail, located on the eastern side of the parking lot.

The Trail

You will cross Hana Hwy as part of the trail, but follow the path. It’s pretty easy to tell where you need to go, the trail is very well-maintained. 

The first ½ mile of the trail, you’ll pretty much be going through vegetation and inclines with rocks until you reach the Falls at Makahiku. You’ll even see a sign describing the scenery. This waterfall is about 200 feet high, so feel free to take in the scenery as long as you like. The most challenging part of the trail is pretty much done, so at this point, if you’d rather end it there, you can easily turn around and head back. But if you have the stamina, continue on. 

Follow the trail until you reach the Banyan Tree. You can’t miss it, the tree is massive and some branches (or are they roots?) are low enough that you could climb on them. Of course, you have to take your picture by the tree to commemorate your trek! You’ll see 2 different paths past the tree. A sign pointing to the continuation of the trail will guide you – I have heard that a separate trail leads to a cave but we chose to follow the signs for our own safety. 

Eventually, you’ll cross several bridges that are placed above the streams. The scenery starts to change and instead of lush tropical rainforest, you’ll be surrounded by bamboo. You’ll reach the bamboo forest that is straight out of a movie. It’s an incredible sight and oddly enough, very peaceful and quiet. I had to capture the sounds of the bamboo trunks hitting each other in the wind. Luckily, this part of the trail has wooden planks on the ground so it’s easy to cross and your shoes won’t get stuck in the mud. We had gone on this trail just 2 days after a rainy day, and the ground was still pretty wet. 

A short distance after that, you’ll reach a calm stream. Cross using the rocks and you’ll eventually reach the view of Waimoku Falls. It’s a 400 ft tall breathtaking display, and completely worth the trip. 

 Warning signs will tell you to stay away from the base of the falls, and I recommend you follow them. We stayed a safe distance away and still managed to take some incredible photos that don’t even capture the awesome experience.

We stayed a couple minutes just to enjoy the view and took our time taking photos and just savoring the moment.

When we were ready, we headed back the exact same way we came. As we crossed the bamboo forest to head back to our car, we noticed that some tourists were making their way towards Waimoku Falls. By the time we reached the Banyan Tree, we noticed that the groups of people were increasing in numbers. 

Remember what I said about starting early? This was the reason why. 

When my sister and I first got on the trail, it was just the two of us, minus a couple we ran into at the entrance by Hana Hwy and a small group of four adults at Waimoku Falls taking selfies. If you prefer to avoid crowds, hike early. 

All in all, we finished hiking Pipiwai Trail in about 2 hours.

This hike is a fond memory I share with my sister. We enjoyed this hike so much that we still talk about it to this day and don’t ever regret the decision we made to wake up at the crack of dawn. I think if we decide to do this again, next time, we might stay in Hana overnight. 

Important Info:
Mile Marker 42 (Hana Hwy 31 – after Hana, mile markers go down)
GPS Coordinates: 20.661458,-156.045299
Phone: 808-572-4400

I hope you and your loved ones get a chance to do this hike. Whatever method works for you, go for it. Day trip? Overnight stay? Tourist hike? It’s up to you. But definitely add this to your list of things to do in Maui if you love nature.