The Road to Hana (officially known as Hana Highway) is a 64.4-mile stretch of highways that travels along the east side of the Hawaiian island of Maui. This area of Maui is unique with its lush rainforests, plunging waterfalls, and exceptional coastline. The drive alone is an adventure with over 600 hairpin turns, over 50 one-lane bridges (for 2-way traffic), and 100-foot cliff drop-offs with no guardrail. With the many stops, trails, and swimming holes, you could spend days in this part of Maui. But if you only have one day on the Road to Hana, follow this itinerary for a picture-perfect time.
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When to Start the Road to Hana Journey
For this trip, we stayed at an Airbnb in Lahaina which meant we needed to drive 45 minutes just to get to the start of the Road to Hana in Paia. There is so much to do on the Road to Hana that we left Lahaina at 6am. A lot of Road to Hana bloggers will tell you the first stops are in Paia. However, we dedicated an entire day to Paia in our 6 Days in Maui. So we did not want to waste time at these stops since we only had one day on the Road to Hana. No matter where you are staying, you should plan on being at the first stop (Twin Falls) by 7am.
What to Do About Eating on the Road to Hana
There are a few roadside food stops such as Aunty Sandy’s Fresh Banana Bread, Grandma’s Coffee, and Hasegawa General Store in Hana. However, our time was limited since we were only spending one day on the Road to Hana. We ultimately decided to bring a packed lunch and a quick breakfast that we had picked up the day before.
What Part of the Year Should I Visit the Road to Hana
In general, the best time to visit Maui is April – May. Hawaii has mild weather year-round, so there really is not a bad time to visit as far as weather goes. In the April – May time frame, winter travelers have long been gone, and summer vacationers have not yet arrived.
Depending on how wet or dry the weather has been, some of the waterfalls may be just a trickle or even non-existent. We did not experience this. In fact, there had been so much rain that there were waterfalls present that are not normally there. While this made for so many more waterfalls than normal, the excessive rain meant cooler weather and flooded swimming areas. Unfortunately, we were not able to swim at the Seven Sacred Pools or any other swimming spot because of the floods. If we had been able to take time to swim, we would have had to cut out some of our other activities.
7:00 AM: MM2 – Twin Falls
Our first stop was at Mile Marker 2, Twin Falls. This is one of those waterfalls where you would normally see two falls trickling down. But the recent rains made these waterfalls a deluge that flowed into a flooded pool. Twin Falls is located on private property and the owners generously allow visitors and maintain the paths to the falls. Please respect their property so they continue to allow guests. We spent approximately one hour at Twin Falls.
8:30 AM: MM9-10 – Waiamoi Nature Trail
The Waiamoi Nature Trail is an easy 0.9-mile walk through the forest and is located between Mile Markers 9 and 10. While this trail does not feature any waterfalls, it is still a nice, leisurely 20 minute walk. If you get a late start or spend too much time at Twin Falls, this stop can be skipped.
9:30 AM: MM10-11 – Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden, located between Mile Marker 10 and 11, is a 26-acre botanical garden that hosts colorful flowers and unique trees. It is also where the opening scene of Jurassic Park was filmed. This park is one of the few places where you can see the rare rainbow eucalyptus tree, a tree whose bark is streaked with various colors. Be aware of peacocks strutting about the property. They are beautiful, but are also aggressive. We spent about an hour and a half exploring the Garden of Eden before we continued our day on the Road to Hana.
Admission to the park is $15 for adults (16 years and up), $5 for kids (ages 5-15), and free for children under 5 years old. The Garden of Eden is usually open 8am – 4pm. Check the park’s website for current pricing, park times, and other available discounts.
11:30 AM: MM19 – Upper Waikani Falls
We stopped at the Upper Waikani Falls (aka Three Bears) for a quick picture. If the water flow allows it, you can also swim at the pool that the Upper Waikani Falls empties into. With the heavy rain flow, these falls were one large waterfall. Normally, they look like three separate smaller waterfalls.
11:45 AM: MM22 – Pua’a Ka’a Wayside Park
The Pua’a Ka’a Wayside Park is a state park that only has 5 acres of rainforest but has a beautiful waterfall just a short walk from the parking area. The waterfall empties into a magnificent plunge pool where you can have a swim without the crowds. Even with the picturesque landscapes and waterfall, the highlight of this park seems to be the bathrooms. Also, with its covered picnic tables, this is a great spot to stop for lunch.
12:15 PM: MM24 – Upper Hanawi Falls
Located just past Mile Marker 24 is the Upper Hanawi Falls. This waterfall is best viewed from the Hanawi Stream Bridge built in 1926.
1:00 PM: MM32 – Wai’anapanapa State Park
Wai’anapanapa State Park is home to a black sand beach and black lava coastlines and is a must-do stop during your one day on the Road to Hana. Most people hop out of their cars, take a quick picture of the black sand beach, and move on. I would recommend spending at least an hour at this park. In fact, we spent so much time here, that we had to skip Keanae Peninsula, but I feel like it was worth it. I just could not get enough of the turquoise waves crashing into the ebony shores surrounded by cliffs topped with lush green jungles. We walked to the beach and across the way up the cliffs to get a different view of the beach. We also walked a little way down the Wai’anapanapa Coast Trail South where we spotted cliff divers jumping into the waters.
2:30 PM: MM45 – Wailua Falls
Mile Marker 45 is the furthest stop on the Road to Hana we will visit, but it is not the last stop. You will want to pass up the Ohe’o Gulch and Pipiwai Trail and go straight to the Wailua Falls. It is best to end your day at Mile Marker 42 because you will spend the most time at this stop. Wailua Falls is located right off the road, so you will not need to spend a lot of time here to enjoy these iconic falls.
3:00 PM: MM42 – Ohe’o Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools)
Ohe’o Gulch (aka Seven Sacred Pools) is a series of waterfalls that fall into seven swimmable pools in the Ohe’o Gulch. Because of the heavy rains, the Seven Sacred pools were closed to swimming. However, you can often find people swimming and cliff jumping in this area. If the pools were open to swimming, we would have had a tough choice on whether to swim or hike the Pipiwai Trail. But I am so happy that we did the Pipiwai Trail!
3:30 PM: MM42 – Pipiwai Trail and Waimoku Falls
The trailhead of the Pipwai Trail can be accessed from the Ohe’o Gulch parking area, so you will not need to get back in your car before this hike. This 3.4-mile, out and back trail is an easy hike through bamboo forests, past a banyan tree, and features two impressive waterfalls. About a mile into the hike, you will come across Makahiku Falls which plunges 200 feet and looks like a necktie. The trail ends at Waimoku Falls which plunges 400 feet down a lava rock wall.
5:30 PM: Turn Around and Head Back Towards Paia
There are two ways to finish your day on the Road to Hana. The first is to keep going the way you have been traveling and finish the loop. However, this road becomes a dirt road and is only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles. Also, this road is often closed due to heavy rainfall, flooding, or landslides. We decided to go the second route, which is to turn around and go back the way we came. Knowing this, we wanted to make sure to leave in plenty of time to get past the dangerous, cliffside roads before dark.
If I were to revisit Maui, I would spend 2-3 days just exploring the Road to Hana. But if you only have one day on the Road to Hana like I did, this is the best way to spend it!
