Road to Hana Stops

Pāʻia, a laid-back historic plantation town with colorful shops and cafes, represents the starting point for your Road to Hana journey. It's a convenient place to buy provisions at Mana Foods, one of the island's best health food stores.

Pāʻia's charm stems from its hippie and counterculture roots dating back to the 1960s and 70s. After the decline of the sugar plantations, artists, wanderers, surfers, and spiritual seekers gravitated to this quiet North Shore community. Pāʻia evolved into a vibrant enclave of bohemian boutiques, natural‑food stores, yoga studios, and surf culture, a personality the town still proudly embraces today. The town's eclectic feel (part plantation history, part surfer vibe, part health‑conscious haven) makes it an enjoyable place to explore.

A world renowned surfing and windsurfing beach with a high overlook. A quick detour just past Pāʻia, Hoʻokipa's lookout offers panoramic views of waves and expert surfers and windsurfers carving them up. Winter surf is especially impressive. In the late afternoon, Hawaiian green sea turtles often haul out on the far end of the beach (morning visitors may not see them).

Twin Falls is the first and most popular waterfall stop on the Hana Highway, located on a private farm 20 minutes from Pāʻia. The farm has several small waterfalls - Twin Falls alludes to the two main waterfalls. The first waterfall is a 5 minute walk from the parking area, and a couple additional small falls are nearby. The second main waterfall is a further 20 minute walk, open only when there hasn't been recent rainfall because you have to navigate two streams (that can easily become impassable) to access it. Navigating the streams to access the 2nd waterfall in bare feet is tricky due to the slippery rocks. Water shoes are recommended, even more so if you plan to swim.

Overall you could spend between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours here depending on the weather and if you want to swim. Unfortunately the water is not always inviting for swimming (this also depends on recent rainfall). Entrance is free but there is a $10 parking fee. No restrooms, only Porta-potties.

The Garden of Eden is a beautifully maintained 26‑acre botanical garden showcasing tropical flowers, exotic trees, and sweeping coastal viewpoints. The grounds are spacious and easy to wander, with paths leading past a century‑old mango tree, a lily‑filled pond, and roaming ducks that often greet visitors. One of the highlights is the overlook of Puʻohokamoa Falls, a viewpoint you can't access from anywhere else along the highway.

As a private garden, there's an entrance fee, but many travelers find the experience worth it, especially if you're looking for a peaceful, unhurried stop where it's safe to leave belongings in the trunk. Plan for about an hour to explore at a relaxed pace. They have a tiny visitor center with restrooms, a gift shop, a food truck, and mosquito repellent.

This is a scenic lookout and official rest stop. The pull-off offers a panoramic view of the coastline and a nice vantage toward the Keʻanae Peninsula far below. It's an ideal place to pause for a "modest" bathroom stop. Time: 5–10 minutes for a photo and a bathroom break.

The Keʻanae Arboretum is the best place to experience the intensity and 'breath' of Maui's tropical rainforests, featuring towering Rainbow Eucalyptus and giant Paperbark trees. Averaging 150 to 200 inches of rainfall per year, the arboretum feels "heavy" and prehistoric, the air rich and dense. A peaceful stream runs through the valley. Toward the end of the walk you'll come across a taro patch - Hawaiʻi's most important crop. The land the arboretum occupies today is situated on ancient agricultural terraces built centuries ago by Hawaiians.

It's about a 0.5-mile flat walk one-way so you will likely spend between 30 to 45 minutes here. There are no bathrooms or services and parking is a small and easy to miss roadside pullout just past the entrance gate. Entry is free.

A narrow lava-rock peninsula offering a glimpse of Hawaiian rural life and gorgeous ocean vistas. Turn off the highway just after the arboretum to drive down to Keʻanae. At the end, you'll find the old stone Keʻanae Congregational Church (built 1856) and fields of taro patches. The bright green taro against black lava rock and blue sea makes for beautiful photos. Waves crash spectacularly on the rocky shore here. This is also the home of Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread - Maui's most famous banana bread vendor. Time: 15–20 minutes (longer if you buy banana bread or explore).

A blink-and-you'll-miss-it lookout just past mile 18. This tiny state wayside has room for only a few cars, but if you're able to get a spot, climb the short stairway to a beautiful panoramic overlook that sometimes showcases distant waterfalls. You'll see the emerald Wailua Valley with its patchwork of taro fields and the old village below as well as a broad view of Wailua Bay. Time: 10 minutes for photos.

Upper Waikani Falls sometimes features a trio of side-by-side waterfalls visible from the road (the number of falls depends on recent rainfall and irrigation ditch diversions). They cascade into a pool right below a one-lane bridge. There is nowhere to park, so enjoy the views as you drive by.

On your drive to Hana you may get a momentary glimpse of these falls through the foliage as you approach the bridge. There's no place to stop or park to view the falls but the drive back offers a slightly better vantage point.

On a sunny day this is a nice rest stop featuring a couple of waterfalls. This small state wayside has a parking area and restrooms, making it a popular pit stop mid-route. Technically, the state has posted a no entry sign for the waterfall and pool due to flash flood hazards, submerged rock risks, and the dangers of slipping from the falls. However, on a sunny afternoon, you will see many locals and visitors swimming in the pool. When approached with caution this is the safer alternative to the many other waterfalls along the route, and a stop that has some infrastructure to support visitors. A second small waterfall and pond offer a nice opportunity to get your feet wet in shallow water and experience the cold fresh water. Time: 15–35 minutes.

This is a series of waterfalls along Hanawī Stream that can be viewed as you drive over another historic one lane bridge. There are a couple roadside parking spots past the bridge heading in the other direction (so it's easier to stop on the way back). If a parking spot is available you can take photos of the falls from the bridge.

This is a beautiful waterfall especially when there has been recent rainfall, but for a safe and respectful experience on the Road to Hana, treat Hanawī Falls as a "drive-by" pleasure or photo opportunity rather than a swimming destination. The infrastructure around it doesn't support safe public access to the base.

This is a waterfall under a bridge as you cross Makapipi stream. There isn't an official pullout but if you can stop safely past the bridge (i.e. one of the 3 or 4 parking spots is available), you may be able to see the waterfall from the side of the road depending on current vegetation, or view the falls from the bridge (but don't obstruct traffic). It's a unique perspective for a waterfall, but don't worry if the parking spots are taken, you can try again on your return. Time: 5 minutes.

This is a massive and surreal underground lava tube that you explore on a self-guided tour. Visitors can explore the first 1/3‑mile section of the tube. Interestingly, this is the 18th largest lava tube in the world and continues far beyond the touring section, but that is where the operator's land ends, and hence continuing would mean trespassing on someone's land, underground! As alluring as it may be, remember that only the tour section would be managed (checked for safety).

The lava tube site offers flashlights for an admission fee. Inside, you'll walk through a safe, well-marked portion of the lava tube, seeing stalactite-like lava formations. One chamber's ceiling resembles dripping chocolate. It's a very unique volcanic geology lesson, great for kids and curious adults. Even those who may be a little claustrophobic will enjoy as the tube and caves are so big and well ventilated (due to a large skylight in the ceiling at one point).

Time: ~45 minutes to tour the tube. (Basic porta-potties at the entrance. Hours: Typically open daily 10:30am–4pm.)

Update: Unfortunately the Hana Lava Tube is currently closed for an archaeological survey. The reopening date is unknown.

If you enjoy Hawaiian history and/or botany, Kahanu National Tropical Botanical Garden will interest you. This is the home of Piʻilanihale Heiau, Hawaiʻi's largest ancient stone temple. The garden also preserves breadfruit trees and other Polynesian-introduced plants, but remember as a botanical garden their focus is the ethnobotany of the Pacific Islands: the relationship between people, plants, culture, and place (as opposed to visually striking ornamental flowers and gardens). It's difficult to appreciate the size, scale and impact of the temple when viewed from the ground.

It's always quiet and uncrowded, and as a bonus they have nice restrooms and a pleasant little visitor center. There is an entry fee. Budget 45–60 minutes.

This state park is a jewel of the Road to Hana, famous for its remarkable black sand beach at Pailoa Bay. Advance reservations are required to enter Waiʻānapanapa. Inside the park, you'll find a short path down to the small black sand beach – the contrast of pebbly lava with turquoise water and green jungle make for unique photos if you're able to visit earlier in the day. Swimming here is possible but usually not advised due to high surf and currents, and the black sand beach, although interesting, isn't necessarily a place you'd relax on (Hāmoa beach is better for that).

Beyond the beach, you can explore the coastal lava rock formations. A hiking trail along the volcanic shoreline gives dramatic views (even a short 10-minute walk is rewarding). Time: 60 minutes (1.5 – 2 hours if swimming or hiking further). Facilities: restrooms, picnic tables. There is also a campground for permit holders.

This tiny town is more about local life and history than a place that was built with tourists in mind. There is no "downtown" or main street. The focal point of the town is Hana Bay, but you'll likely only spend a few minutes here. Hana town has several food trucks, the Hana ranch restaurant, two small grocery stores (including the famous Hasegawa General Store), a gas station, a couple art galleries, and the Hana-Maui Resort hotel. Budget 45 minutes to drive to the Bay and have a quick look (before or after lunch). If you're overnighting in Hana, it's a wonderful place to slow down and explore at leisure.

Food options: For a meal, popular picks include Thai Food by Pranee (food truck), the excellent Hana Farms roadside stand and restaurant just before town (clay oven pizza), and Huli Huli Chicken (open-air BBQ stand usually at Koki Beach). Also check out the excellent Hana Bowls food truck but they currently have very limited hours.

Hana has very few accommodation options and this is the best place to stay (apart from a handful of vacation rentals). If you're not staying at the resort you could stop here for breakfast (lunch and dinner are served at the Hana Ranch restaurant). For art connoisseurs, a quick stop at their gallery is a must, and the hotel restrooms provide a nice bonus. This is also the starting point for the hike to the famous Fagan's Cross overlooking the town and farm lands, but day-trippers will find the 40 minute hike an exhausting energy expenditure due to the rapid elevation gain and lack of shade.

A scenic reddish-sand beach just south of Hana. Backed by a tall red cinder cliff and overlooking a little offshore islet, Koki offers an interesting vista. The sand here is a mix of red and brown from the eroded hill – not as vividly red as Kaihalulu, but still beautiful especially in contrast with the blue water. Swimming is poor at Koki due to dangerous rip currents and wild surf, so it's a brief photo or lunch stop (the Huli Huli Chicken stand is located here, serving grilled chicken plates – a local favorite). Time: 10–25 minutes for photos or lunch.

Acclaimed author James Michener called Hāmoa "the most perfect crescent beach in the Pacific". At the time he had seen more of the Pacific than any other writer in history, and this beach reminded him of beaches in the South Pacific. Hāmoa features a small hill overlooking a crescent beach lined with lush vegetation. Swimming and bodyboarding are good when the ocean co-operates. This is one of East Maui's few truly swimmable beaches. The beach is nicest in the mornings, but not a recommended stop unless the weather is nice (sunny with light winds).

One of Maui's most iconic waterfalls, Wailua falls may be the most impressive roadside waterfall on the Hana Highway. There's a small parking area/shoulder just past the falls. In sunlight, the falls are beautifully framed by rainforest greenery. Local artisans sometimes set up stands here selling handmade jewelry or fruit. Time: 10 minutes to enjoy the view and snap photos.

About 10 miles past Hana, you reach the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park, home to the famed ʻOheʻo Gulch. Here, a series of cascading waterfalls and pools flow through a gorgeous tropical valley into the ocean. There's a roadside viewpoint of the lower pools and the ocean beyond – one of the most photographed scenes on the Hana drive. A short loop trail (Kuloa Point Trail) from the parking lot takes you to viewpoints of the pools and along sea cliffs. In the past, visitors could swim in these pools, but that eventually ended due to a number of tragic injuries and deaths from rockslides. Even without swimming, it's a beautiful place to visit and photograph. Time: 30 minutes to walk and admire the pools area. (Facilities: This is a National Park site with a ranger station, restrooms, picnic tables.) There is a park entry fee (around $30 per vehicle, good for 3 days and also valid for the Haleakalā summit).

If you have the time and energy (and daylight), the 4-mile round-trip Pīpīwai Trail is one of Maui's best hikes. The trail starts near the parking area of the National Park. Even the first 30 minutes of the hike is rewarding if you don't have time to do the whole trip. You'll get a view of Makahiku Falls (depending on water flow) and a gorgeous valley view. Press on for a few more minutes to see the majestic and ancient Banyan tree. About 45 minutes into the hike you'll pass through an inspiring bamboo forest. At the end of the trail, you're rewarded with Waimoku Falls, a 400-foot waterfall tumbling down a sheer lava rock wall. It's one of the tallest accessible falls on Maui. In total this moderate hike takes 2.5 hours including photo stops and is suitable for children (in good weather).

Note: The very end near the waterfall is roped off now (falling rocks hazard) – so you cannot get too close or swim. Make sure you start the hike only if you have enough daylight to finish and drive back. You don't want to do the return drive at night.

(Facilities: Restrooms and water at Park. The trail is technically open 24 hours a day but the ranger station closes at 5)

Past ʻOheʻo on the back side toward Kaupō, this small historic church is the final resting place of Charles Lindbergh, the American pilot who chose to spend his final years in Hana. The limestone church (built in 1857) and the peaceful ocean view from the cemetery under the java plum trees make for a worthwhile, reflective stop for those who are spending a few nights in Hana. Time: 15 minutes. (No restrooms at the church; and note it's still a functioning church.)