Trails
CAMP MALUHIA
Highway 34 to Camp Maluhia Access Road (Central Maui) Trailhead for strenuous Waihee Ridge hike (5 miles/3 hours round-trip). (Part of Na Ala Hele statewide trail system.) Superb valley and canyon views. Trail is steep at times. HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK P. O. Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 572-4400 (open 24 hours per day, all year) Haleakala National Park consists of 28,655 acres of which 19,270 are wilderness. The park preserves the outstanding volcanic landscape of the upper slopes of Haleakala rising to 10,023-foot elevation and protects the unique and fragile ecosystems of the Kipahulu Valley, the scenic pools along Oheo Gulch, and many rare and endangered species. Extensive network of hiking trails. Haleakala National Park Service leads hikes only into the Waikamoi Preserve on East Maui. Weekly hikes are on a first come first served basis every Monday and Thursday starting at 9:00 a.m. at Hosmer Grove into our Bird Loop Trail 2 1/2 mile roundtrip hike. There is also a hike on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 12noon at Hosmer Grove onto the Waikamoi Boardwalk (wet side hike) also known as the Rose Gardner Waikamoi Boardwalk, it's about a 3 1/4 mile hike and is not recommended for people with respiratory or leg problems, ranked difficult. Please refer all inquiries to Haleakala National Park Service hike line at 808-572-4459 for reservations, there is also a $10 entry fee to get into the park, however the hikes are free to visitors.Call for information or visit their site. |
HAWAII STATE PARKS
Dept. Of Land & Natural Resources 54 South High Street, Rm. 101 Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 984-8109 Hours: 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. (Closed Weekends and State Holidays) Information and free site maps on hiking in Maui's state parks. HOSMER GROVE NATURE LOOP HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK (Upcountry Maui) Hike through an exotic forest - home to native and alien species of birds, plants and insects (0.7 mile/30 minute round-trip). Great bird-watching. Free trail brochure at site. Drive-in campground. IAO VALLEY STATE PARK End of Iao Valley Road, Wailuku (Central Maui) Awe-inspiring sacred valley laced with a network of hiking trails. Sample hike: streamside trail (1.5 miles/30 mins. one-way). KAPUNAKEA PRESERVE THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII (West Maui) The Conservancy's literature states: "In the West Maui mountains, overlooking sugar cane fields and hotel resorts, hides an ecological oasis and a biological treasure: Kapunakea Preserve. With 11 different native natural communities, Kapunakea Preserve (1,264 acres) exemplifies the extraordinary concentration of biological diversity that is Hawai'i. All Conservancy preserves are by permitted access only and no trespassing is allowed. HAWAII NATURE CENTER Iao Valley Road Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 244-6500 Private, non-profit organization that provides hands-on outdoor adventures for children and adults. Call for information on guided hikes into Iao Valley. HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES Division of Forestry & Wildlife 54 South High Street Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 984-8100 Free Maui hiking trail information including information on the state Na Ala Hele trail system and free recreation maps. |
WAIKAMOI PRESERVE
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII (East Maui) The Conservancy's literature describes the Waikamoi Preserve as being "A 5230-acre protected area - a sanctuary for hundreds of native Hawaiian species, many of them rare or endangered. Here, in windswept subalpine regions and rainforests of koa and ohia, native plants, birds and insects have woven an ecological fabric like no other on the planet - one that supports some of the rarest and most beautiful of Earth's creatures: the unique forest birds of Hawaii." Access to the Preserve is limited to guided hikes led by either Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers, or by National Park Service guides. (Voluntary monthly work trips are offered by the Nature Conservancy.) Reservations are required for Conservancy hikes. For more information, please visit their site. WAIKAMOI RIDGE Highway 360E (Hana Hwy-past Mile Marker 9) (East Maui) Family loop hike through a magnificent rain forest to an overlook of bamboo groves and Waikamoi stream (0.8 mile/30 minutes round-trip). KIPAHULU / OHEO GULCH HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK Kipahulu (East Maui) A series of beautiful streams and pools beginning in a rain forest and ending at the sea. Swim with caution. Danger of flash floods. Call ranger station for information on hike to Makahiku Falls (0.75 mile/25 minutes one-way) and Waimoku Falls (4 miles/2 hours one-way). Drive-in campground. LA PEROUSE BAY Makena (South Maui) Strenuous King's Highway hike along lava flow, spectacular shoreline, secluded coves and many ancient archaeological sites (4 miles/2 hour round-trip). Shady part-way. Dolphins are often seen in the bay. MAUI COUNTY PARKS Department of Parks and Recreation 1580C Kaahumanu Avenue Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 243-7389 Hours: 7:45 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. (Closed weekends/holidays) Free information on Maui's county parks. |
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII
81 Makawao Avenue, Suite 203A Makawao, HI 96768 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 572-7849 The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, a non-profit organization, has several preserves on Maui including the Kapunakea Preserve, and the Waikamoi Preserve. The Conservancy's mission is to protect the finest remaining examples of native plants, animals and natural communities in Hawaii by protecting the places they need to survive. Call for information on hikes, volunteer work trips, and memberships, or visit their site. POLIPOLI SPRING STATE RECREATION AREA Kula Forest Reserve, Kula (Upcountry Maui) Miles of hiking trails at 6,200 foot elevation through a magical misty forest. Free admission. Park is always open unless weather conditions are very severe. Sample hike: Redwood Trail (1.7 mile/1 hour round-trip). Campground and one cabin. WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK Hwy 360E (Hana Hwy-past Mile Marker 32), Hana (East Maui) Hardy family hike on ancient Hawaiian coastal lava trail leading to Hana (4 miles / 2 hours one-way). Campground and cabins. WAIHEE VALLEY Waihee Valley Road, Waihee (Central Maui) Hardy family hike - combining exotic rain forest with tricky footbridge crossings ending in a cool swim (2 miles/90 minutes one-way). |
Preserves
HANA GARDEN LAND
P. O. Box 909 Hana, HI 96713 (East Maui) Tel. (808) 248-8610 Fax (413) 581-4661 Email: Inquiry Form Enjoy the lush beauty of a 5-acre private botanical paradise 3 miles from Hana Town. Take a tour on grassy pathways through exotic plants, fruit trees and one of the most diverse palm collections on Maui. Two homes, three units fully equipped, with outdoor covered hottubs, offer the perfect vacation for a couple or retreat for up to 14 people. Rates: Garden House (Lower Residence) $150 per night (sleeps 4); Garden House (Upper Residence) $210 per night (sleeps 6); The Palms House $230 per night (sleeps 4). Photo maui ocean center maui hawaii marine life viewing maui hawaii aquarium hawaii maui hawaiian aquarium on maui ocean center educational field trips maui hawaii tours marine life maui hawaii scuba dive with sharks dive maui hawaii marine life tours for children maui hawaii family friendly vacation activities maui hawaii snorkeling trips maui hawaii whale watching trips maui hawaii maui ocean center calendar of events aquariums maui hawaii MAUI OCEAN CENTER 192 Maalaea Road Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 270-7000 Email: [email protected] See marine life found nowhere else on earth at the Maui Ocean Center. Walk through an acrylic tunnel in the middle of an enormous 750,000-gallon tank and marvel at spectacular sharks and hundreds of open ocean marine animals as they pass above and below. Entry charge. Photo FRIENDS AHIHI KINAU NATURAL AREA RESERVE Makena Alanui Road (After Makena State Park), Makena (South Maui) On calm days, excellent snorkeling for novices - great scuba diving. To protect the natural resources, please stay out of Anchialine pools and try to avoid walking on live coral - it is home to many sea creatures and takes years to grow. ENCHANTING FLORAL GARDENS OF KULA Highway 37 (Mile Marker 10) Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 878-2531 Stroll through acres of exotic flowers, plants, and trees from around the world. Open daily. Entry charge. HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK Visit our Virtual Tour of the Park P. O. Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 572-4400 (open 24 hours per day, all year) Haleakala National Park consists of 28,655 acres of which 19,270 are wilderness. The crater viewed from the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala constitutes an erosional depression filled by later volcanics - a natural wonder! The park preserves the outstanding volcanic landscape of the upper slopes of Haleakala and protects the unique and fragile ecosystems of the Kipahulu Valley, the scenic pools along Oheo Gulch, and many rare and endangered species. The park has two distinct sections located in two different areas: the Summit section is located in Upcountry Maui (readily accessible); the Kipahulu section is located near Hana (a more remote area). Both sections are vehicle accessible. Entry charge. HANA LAVA TUBE Post Office Box 40 Hana, Maui, HI 96713 (East Maui) Tel. (808) 248-7308 Take a Self-Guided Cave Tour deep into the subterranean passages of an extinct lava tube and witness first hand the last seconds of the lava flow, frozen in time, that formed this portion of Maui. A geology lesson you'll never forget! |
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE
NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY "KA HOI MAI ANA ONA KOHALA" 726 South Kihei Road Kihei, HI 96753 (South Maui) Tel. (808) 879-2818 Headquarters for the nation's newest National Marine Sanctuary. A federal education and research center for Humpback whale studies. Free material and information regarding the center's programs are available upon request. Open weekdays. Free admission. HONOLUA BAY MARINE PRESERVE Highway 30W (At Mile Marker 32) (West Maui) Beautiful bay with great swimming, snorkeling, scuba on calm days. Big reef fish during winter months. Beach is considered one of the best board surfing spots in the world (September to April). IAO VALLEY STATE PARK End of Iao Valley Road (Hwy. 32), Wailuku (Central Maui) 6.2 acres. A paved 0.6-mile walk provides a scenic viewpoint of Kukaemoku (Iao Needle), an erosional feature which rises 1,200 feet from the valley floor. Learn about the plants brought by the Hawaiians who settled in Iao Valley by taking a short walk through a botanical garden. The valley is rich in cultural and spiritual values, a sacred place where 26 Hawaiian kings and queens were buried. The site of the Battle of Kepaniwai where the forces of Kamehameha I conquered the Maui army in 1790. Open daily. No drinking water. KAPUNAKEA PRESERVE THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII (West Maui) The Conservancy's literature states: "In the West Maui mountains, overlooking sugar cane fields and hotel resorts, hides an ecological oasis and a biological treasure: Kapunakea Preserve. With 11 different native natural communities, Kapunakea Preserve (1,264 acres) exemplifies the extraordinary concentration of biological diversity that is Hawai'i." Access to the Preserve is limited to guided hikes by the Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers. (Voluntary monthly work trips are offered by the Nature Conservancy.) For more information, please visit their site. KEANAE ARBORETUM Hana Hwy 360E (Just after Mile Marker 16), Keanae (East Maui) An exotic botanical garden with 150 varieties of tropical plants. Open daily. Free admission. KEPANIWAI PARK Iao Valley Road, Wailuku (Central Maui) Model immigrant village and cultural heritage gardens adjacent to Iao Valley State Park. KIPAHULU / OHEO GULCH HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK Kipahulu (East Maui) A series of beautiful streams and pools beginning in a rain forest and ending at the sea. Swim with caution. Danger of flash floods. Call ranger station for information on hike to Makahiku Falls (0.75 mile/25 minutes one-way) and Waimoku Falls (4 miles/2 hours one-way). KULA BOTANICAL GARDENS Highway 377 (Kekaulike Road) Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 878-1715 Eight acres of floral gardens. Open daily. Entry charge. . |
MAUI NUI BOTANICAL GARDENS
150 Kanaloa Avenue Kahului, HI 96732 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 249-2798 The mission of the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens is to foster an appreciation and understanding of the living Hawaiian islands of today, emphasizing the plants of Maui Nui (Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe), and providing a center for environmental education, Hawaiian cultural expression, conservation, biological study, and recreation. Open Monday through Saturday MAUI TROPICAL PLANTATION 1670 Honoapiilani Highway Wailuku, HI 96793 (Central Maui) Tel. (808) 244-7643 or 1-800-451-6805 A 60 acre agricultural theme park - a model of a working plantation with fields of sugarcane, avocado, banana, mango, guava, papaya, pineapple and macadamia nuts. Free visitor center includes exhibits, marketplace, tropical flower nursery, and restaurant. Open daily. NATIONAL TROPICAL BOTANICAL GARDEN P. O. Box 340 Lawai, HI 96765 Tel. (808) 332-7324 The National Tropical Botanical Garden is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of tropical plant diversity, particularly rare and endangered species. The NTBG includes four gardens and three preserves in Hawaii and one in south Florida. Three of the four gardens in Hawaii are on Kauai and one is on Maui. NTBG literature provides the following overview on its Maui garden. For more information, please visit the NTBG website. Kahanu Garden: Located in Hana, Maui, the scenic Kahanu Garden is surrounded by a native pandanus forest. Collections emphasize ethnobotanical plants of the Pacific Islands. Self-guided tours available Monday through Friday. Admission charge. For more information, please call Maui (808) 248-8912. NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII 81 Makawao Avenue, Suite 203A Makawao, HI 96768 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 572-7849 The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, a non-profit organization, has several preserves on Maui including the Kapunakea Preserve, and the Waikamoi Preserve. The Conservancy's mission is to protect the finest remaining examples of native plants, animals and natural communities in Hawaii by protecting the places they need to survive. Call for information on hikes, volunteer work trips, and memberships, or visit their site. PROTEA GARDENS OF MAUI R. R. #2, Box 389 Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 878-6048 Stroll among "Mr. Proteas" fields of exotic flowers. Call for appointment. SUNRISE PROTEA FARM 416A Haleakala Crater Road Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 876-0200 Walk through exotic flowers. Specializes in Maui protea shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada. Open daily. Free admission. WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK Highway 360E (Just beyond Mile Marker 32), Hana (East Maui) 122.1 acres of remote, wild, low-cliffed volcanic coastline offering solitude and respite from urban life. Lodging, camping, picnicking, shore fishing and hardy family hiking along an ancient Hawaiian coastal trail which leads to Hana. Excellent opportunity to study a seabird colony and anchialine pools. Other features include native hala forest, legendary cave, heiau (place of worship), natural stone arch, sea stacks, blow holes and a small black sand beach. |
WAIKAMOI PRESERVE
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII (East Maui) The Conservancy's literature describes the Waikamoi Preserve as being "A 5230-acre protected area - a sanctuary for hundreds of native Hawaiian species, many of them rare or endangered. Here, in windswept subalpine regions and rainforests of koa and ohia, native plants, birds and insects have woven an ecological fabric like no other on the planet - one that supports some of the rarest and most beautiful of Earth's creatures: the unique forest birds of Hawaii." Access to the Preserve is limited to guided hikes led by either Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers, or by National Park Service guides. (Voluntary monthly work trips are offered by the Nature Conservancy.) Reservations are required for Conservancy hikes. For more information, please visit their site. POLIPOLI SPRING STATE RECREATION AREA At 6,200 feet elevation in Kula Forest Reserve, 9.7 miles upland from Kula on Waipoli Road off Kekaulike Avenue (Highway 377) 4-wheel drive vehicle recommended. (Upcountry Maui) 10 acre recreation area offering hiking, camping and lodging (one cabin) within the fog belt of Kula forest. Extensive trail system in the reserve, including several through a forest reminiscent of the conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest coast. Sweeping views of Central and West Maui, Kahoolawe, Molokai and Lanai in clear weather. Nights are generally cold; winter nights frequently have below freezing temperatures. PROTEA GARDENS OF MAUI R. R. #2, Box 389 Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 878-6048 Stroll among "Mr. Proteas" fields of exotic flowers. Call for appointment. SUNRISE PROTEA FARM 416A Haleakala Crater Road Kula, HI 96790 (Upcountry Maui) Tel. (808) 876-0200 Walk through exotic flowers. Specializes in Maui protea shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada. Open daily. Free admission. WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK Highway 360E (Just beyond Mile Marker 32), Hana (East Maui) 122.1 acres of remote, wild, low-cliffed volcanic coastline offering solitude and respite from urban life. Lodging, camping, picnicking, shore fishing and hardy family hiking along an ancient Hawaiian coastal trail which leads to Hana. Excellent opportunity to study a seabird colony and anchialine pools. Other features include native hala forest, legendary cave, heiau (place of worship), natural stone arch, sea stacks, blow holes and a small black sand beach. WAIKAMOI PRESERVE THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF HAWAII (East Maui) The Conservancy's literature describes the Waikamoi Preserve as being "A 5230-acre protected area - a sanctuary for hundreds of native Hawaiian species, many of them rare or endangered. Here, in windswept subalpine regions and rainforests of koa and ohia, native plants, birds and insects have woven an ecological fabric like no other on the planet - one that supports some of the rarest and most beautiful of Earth's creatures: the unique forest birds of Hawaii." Access to the Preserve is limited to guided hikes led by either Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers, or by National Park Service guides. (Voluntary monthly work trips are offered by the Nature Conservancy.) Reservations are required for Conservancy hikes. For more information, please visit their site. |