Ever wanted to watch the sunrise from above the clouds? Or folic across a black sand beach surrounded by the most beautiful sea cliffs? Does a scenic drive home to dozens of roadside waterfalls pique your interest? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a trip to the island of Maui, Hawai’i should be added to your bucket list.
Known as the Valley Isle, Hawai’i’s second largest island can leave even the most experienced island hoppers speechless. We spent five days camping, road tripping, and adventuring across Maui, and are excited to share our epic, adventure-packed itinerary here.
– Getting Around Maui –
Before diving into the details of all of our adventures, we want to share a bit more about our mode of transportation and rationale behind it. When we visited Maui, rental car prices were surging at about $1,000/day, so to get around paying that astronomical fee, we rented an X-Terra “Camper SUV” on AirBnB equipped with all the gear we would need for camping and road tripping. With this vehicle, we had the option to set up a tent and camp at campsites or car camp in the X-Terra. Campsites on Maui are limited, so if you would like to utilize any of the sites that we share here, be sure to book well in advance. Additionally, we recommend purchasing the National Parks annual pass for this trip, so you can enter Haleakalā National Park throughout your visit without having to pay a fee each time.
– Day 1 : Haleakalā Sunset & Stargazing –
-We weren’t able to pick up our campervan until 3PM, so we stopped in at Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary and watched the birds while we waited. Kanaha Pond is located less than two miles from the Kahului Airport (OGG), which is likely where you would fly into, so it is a great place to spend a few hours and spot some native birds.
-Start your drive from Kahului toward Haleakalā Visitor Center. There isnʻt any food or gas within the park itself, so be sure to stop in town or in Pukalani for food for the night.
-Drive to the summit of Haleakalā, and watch the sun sink below the clouds. Stick around after sunset for some of the best star gazing on the island. While it is Hawai’i, summer months see temperatures in the mid 40ʻs, and winter sometimes bring snow at these high elevations, so be sure to bring layers to stay warm.
-Head down to your campsite at Hosmer Grove. This camp site is right in the cloud belt at 7,000ft above sea level, so expect some rain/dampness through the night. There are grills and picnic tables at each site, and your $5 camping reservation also scores you a sunrise permit which otherwise can be a challenge to secure.
– Day 2 : Exploring West Maui –
-Wake up, and catch a summit sunrise. This time you’ll watch the sun illuminate the tops of the clouds from the opposite side of the volcano. The crowds at the actual summit are not to be underestimated (even with the permit system in place), so we suggest watching from the Kalahaku Overlook. It’s still over 9,000 feet and well above the cloud belt, and we had the overlook all to ourselves on a Saturday morning. If you are committed to watching the sunrise from the summit itself, arrive at least an hour early to secure a spot and a clear view of Mother Nature’s magic.
-After sunrise, drive back towards town to hike the Waihee Ridge in West Maui. This 4 mile out and back trail offers views of waterfalls, valley streams, lush vegetation, is family friendly, and is home to vistas you normally have to risk life and limb for on Oʻahu.
-After your hike, continue down route 340 toward Acid War Zone. Word to the wise, this road becomes quite narrow as you near you leave Waihee Ridge. Blind turns, two way traffic on a single lane road, and fantastic views plague this road. Be sure to take it slow and respect local drivers.
-Visit Makalaupuna Point aka, Dragon’s Teeth to experience an otherworldly landscape. This jagged rock formation depicts a moment frozen in time. As one of Maui’s most recent lava flows moved toward the sea, it was pushed back/upward by the surf and wind causing it to cool in a vertical jagged formation, and in a way that resembled its namesake, the mouth of a dragon.
-On your way back to town, stop in Lahaina for dinner and some boutique shopping. This little beach town also houses the oldest banyan tree in Maui and the largest tree in the United States. This massive tree boasts 17 individual trunks, occupies almost an entire city block, and is definitely worth a visit.
-We spent the night at a hostel in Wailuku as Pāpalaua State Wayside Park campsite, where we planned to camp was closed, and Camp Olowalu, another nearby campsite, was completely booked. We indulged in hot shower and slept in an actual bed, so no complaints here! It was also fun to explore the little town of Wailuku.
– Day 3 : Road to Hāna –
-Wake up and drive to the ʻĪao Valley State Monument. This park is was the site of the battle of Kepaniwai where Kamehamehaʻs forces conquered the Maui army in 1790 and is home to a 1200ʻ tall karst (Kuka‘emoku) that has been eroded into a needle-like structure hence its common name, the ‘Īao Needle.
-When you finish exploring ‘Īao Valley, travel to Pāʻia for some breakfast/early lunch and gas before you hit the road for Hāna. We grabbed some grinds at Paia Bay Coffee Bar and had a sweet treat afterwards at Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice.
-Now that you’re on the Road to Hāna, another single lane road with two way traffic, consisting of 59 single lane bridges and 620 curves (a good portion of them being blind ones), drive carefully. Be sure to be respectful, obey no parking signs, and allow faster, local traffic to go around you.
-The first stop we recommend is the Keʻanae Arboretum. We love rainbow Eucalyptus, so we couldn’t resist snapping some pics here. It’s a rather short walk along a paved trial through some of the most beautiful scenery Hawaiʻi has to offer. If you continue your walk, you will come to a gate that you can enter and explore some
-Just seconds down the road is Ching’s Pond. Park the car and hike down to cool off in the mountain stream. The pool below the fall is super deep, so don’t be afraid to send it!
-From there, we camped for the night at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. This beautiful park offers cliff side trails, lava tubes, and a beautiful black sand beach. Note: The camping reservations fill up incredibly fast and are limited. We actually woke up at 11:55PM one night just to make a reservation at 12am on the dot. By 12:01, there wasn’t a single site left.*
– Day 4 Waiʻānapanapa Black Sand Beach –
-Wake up and explore the grounds at Waiʻānapanapa as they’re lit up by the early morning sun. Don’t miss hiking the Ke Ala Loa o Maui / Pi’ilani Trail Cliff trail that overlooks the volcanic coastline and beautiful black sand beach, or checking out the lava tube at the foot of Pailoa Bay. . The park opens to the public at 7AM, so we spent a slow morning enjoying the scenery before any other visitors arrived. Note: Reservations are required for camping and for entering Waiʻānapanapa State Park, and are available online from www.gowaianapanapa.com.
-Head to Ka’eleku Caverns, aka the Hāna Lava Tube. This volcanic corridor is Mauiʻs largest, accessible lava tube. While the tube is rather long, a good deal is located on private property, so you will only be exploring about 0.3 miles of it. The trek is easy, but you will be walking across lava rocks and loose cinders, so choose your footwear accordingly. After exploring the caves, there is also a fun red ti leaf maze to try to navigate through.
-Have dinner at Hāna Ranch Restaurant. This little eatery on the hill serves as one of the restaurants for the nearby Hāna-Hyatt. The food there is delicious, and the atmosphere feels much less like a resort dinning spot, and instead like a family-owned, farm-to-table restaurant.
-Camp at Waiʻānapanapa State Park for a second night.
– Day 5 : Exploring Kīpahulu & Upcountry –
-Wake up and head for the Kīpahulu District. This part of Haleakalā National Park is a little harder to get to (i.e. located along some rugged dirt roads), but since you’ve already come this far, you shouldn’t miss it.
–Hike Pīpīwai trail to Waimoku falls. If you hike one trail while you are in Maui, this should be it. This easy/moderate trail leads you under mango trees, past waterfalls, over streams, and through a forest of lush bamboo. After 1.8 miles, you will be greeted with the 400ʻ tall Waimoku Falls.
-Before leaving Kīpahulu, stop by the Pools of ʻOhēʻo aka the Seven Sacred Pools. Although swimming is now prohibited, these natural pools cascade into one another and eventually spill into the ocean, and are truly a sight to see.
-Begin to your drive towards Haleakalā Volcano which will require navigating along more rugged dirt roads. As you make your way up Haleakalāʻs slopes, pay a visit to the Ali`i Kula Lavender Farm and frolic through some beautiful lavender fields that overlook Mauiʻs coast.
-When you arrive at Haleakalā National Park, hike down Keonehe’ehe’e aka Sliding Sands Trail to experience the panoramic views from within the Haleakalā crater. The entire trail is about 11 miles, but due to time, we only hiked down a mile and turned around as the sun began to set.
-We spent our final night at Hosmerʻs Grove campsite and caught one last sunrise before hopping on our flight back to Oʻahu.
We’d like to share a few additional things to keep in mind in order to be a responsible visitor to Maui, or any other Hawaiian island. First and foremost, keep in mind that people call Maui home; be respectful of that as you’re traversing the island. Always practice Leave No Trace, respect/never approach/touch/feed wildlife, and try to leave places that you visit better than you found them (i.e pick up any litter that you see). Also, be mindful of others while driving. Pull over for locals who are moving faster than you, and heed “no parking” signs.
From volcanoes, to hiking trails, to waterfalls, to miles of pristine beaches, Maui is truly an adventurer-lover’s dream. We hope to get back to Maui and explore more someday soon. Is there anything that we missed and should prioritize next time we visit? Let us know in a comment!
