620 curves, 59 bridges, one unforgettable day: Maui’s Road to Hana explained

It’s 64 miles of rainforest and raw coast

The Hana Highway covers 64.4 miles across Maui’s eastern side, connecting Kahului to the small town of Hana through some of the thickest tropical rainforest in Hawaii.

You’ll cross 59 bridges along the way, 46 of them one lane wide, and navigate roughly 620 curves that keep your speed low and your eyes busy. Without stops, the drive takes about two and a half hours.

But nobody does it without stops. Give yourself a full day, because what lines this road deserves your time.

A 16th-century king built the first version of this road

Long before any highway existed here, Maui’s King Pi’ilani built the Alaloa, a stone-paved trail connecting West Maui to the Hana District back in the 16th century.

Modern construction started in the 1870s to support sugar plantation irrigation canals, and prisoners and local laborers built much of the highway and its bridges in the early 1900s.

The full road opened on Dec. 18, 1926, though paving didn’t finish until the 1960s.

President Clinton designated it a Millennium Legacy Trail in 2000, and it landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Watch sea turtles rest on the sand at Ho’okipa

Before the road even starts winding, Ho’okipa Beach Park sits along Maui’s North Shore with some of the best windsurfing conditions on the island.

The real draw for most people, though, is the Hawaiian green sea turtles. They haul themselves onto the sand in large numbers, especially late in the afternoon.

A lookout above the beach gives you a wide view of the surfers and the North Shore stretching out below. Strong currents and exposed reef make this a watching spot, not a swimming spot.

Twin Falls kicks off the waterfall count early

Near mile marker 2, Twin Falls gives you the first easy waterfall stop on the drive. A short hike brings you to cascading falls with a pool you can swim in.

Past here, the road narrows and the rainforest closes in around you.

Waikamoi Ridge Trail, a quick loop through dense canopy, gets you up into the trees without much effort.

Keep your windows down, because roadside fruit stands and food trucks start popping up along the shoulder, selling fresh tropical fruit and homemade banana bread.

Families still grow taro on bare lava rock at Ke’anae

The Ke’anae Peninsula is a flat tongue of lava rock that juts straight into the ocean. Local families still farm taro here in fields their ancestors made by carrying baskets of soil down over the bare rock.

The Ke’anae Congregational Church, built from lava rock and coral mortar in 1856, was the only structure to survive a 1946 tsunami that killed 24 people in the village.

Before you take the turnoff, stop at the Ke’anae Lookout for a wide view of the taro fields, the peninsula, and the rough coastline below.

Some waterfalls here only last a few hours

Wailua Falls is one of the most photographed stops on the drive, and you can see it right from a pullout along the highway.

Upper Waikani Falls, sometimes called Three Bears Falls, drops in three separate streams beneath a bridge. You don’t even need to leave your car for that one.

Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park has a waterfall with a small swimming pool, plus restrooms and picnic tables.

After heavy rains, unnamed falls pour off the cliffs everywhere, sometimes appearing for just a few hours before they dry up.

Rainbow eucalyptus trees peel in layers of color

About mile marker 10, the Garden of Eden Arboretum spreads across 26 acres of tropical plants, flowers, and towering trees. The standout here is the rainbow eucalyptus.

The bark peels away in strips, exposing layers of green, purple, orange, and red underneath. You’ll see colors on a tree trunk you didn’t think were possible.

Paved paths wind through the whole garden, and the terrain stays flat and easy, so this stop works for all ages and energy levels.

Black sand and lava tubes at Wai’anapanapa

Wai’anapanapa State Park holds Pa’iloa Beach, Maui’s famous black sand beach. The sand formed when hot lava from Haleakala hit the ocean and shattered into fine dark basalt.

Beyond the beach, 122 acres of park spread out with sea caves, lava tubes, a natural blowhole, and a coastal hiking trail. You need a reservation to get in, and you can’t book same-day.

The park runs four time slots throughout the day, and you have to arrive within the first 30 minutes of your window.

Hana feels like Maui did 50 years ago

The town of Hana sits at the end of the road, and it feels nothing like the resort side of the island. Life moves slow here.

Hawaiian cultural roots run deep, and the pace hasn’t changed much over the decades. Just outside town, Hamoa Beach curves into a crescent of sand with clear water good for swimming and bodyboarding.

The Hana Cultural Center gives you a look at local history and includes a replica of an ancient Hawaiian living compound. No high-rises, no traffic, no rush.

The “Seven Sacred Pools” name was made up for tourists

About 10 miles past Hana, ‘Ohe’o Gulch sits inside the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park. Freshwater pools and waterfalls cascade from the mountains all the way down to the ocean here.

People used to call them the Seven Sacred Pools, but that name was a marketing invention, not a Hawaiian tradition. Access to the pools has been restricted for safety, but you can still see them from the trails above.

A Haleakala National Park pass covers entry for three days, including the summit area.

A 400-foot waterfall waits at the end of the Pipiwai Trail

The Pipiwai Trail starts at the Kipahulu Visitor Center and runs about four miles round trip.

You’ll walk beneath a massive banyan tree, cross streams, and push through a dense bamboo forest where the stalks sway and click in the wind. A boardwalk carries you through the thickest section.

At the end stands Waimoku Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall on Maui at about 400 feet.

The National Park Service warns you not to stand directly beneath it because of falling rocks, so take in the view from a safe distance.

59 bridges from 1908 still carry traffic every day

The 59 bridges along the Hana Highway form the highest concentration of historically consistent bridges in all of Hawaii. Many went up between 1908 and 1947, and they still carry traffic every day.

The Hana Belt Road Historic District, which includes the bridges, sits on both the Hawaii and National Registers of Historic Places.

A federal improvement project is evaluating six of them, with construction expected to begin in 2026. Even with upgrades coming, preserving the bridges’ historic character is part of the plan.

Drive the Hana Highway on Maui’s North Shore

You can pick up the Hana Highway in Kahului, but the scenic stretch starts near the town of Pa’ia on Maui’s North Shore.

Fill up your gas tank and grab food in Pa’ia, because it’s the last full-service town before the drive. Plan a full day with stops.

Wai’anapanapa State Park requires advance reservations for non-residents, bookable up to 30 days ahead. Haleakala National Park’s Kipahulu District requires a vehicle entrance pass.

The highway stays open year-round, though heavy rains can cause temporary closures and flash flooding near streams.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Hawaii’s ‘Biggest Little Town’ inspired Lilo & Stitch and still makes salt the ancient way
• Maui’s rarest plant nearly vanished once — now one man is racing to save it again
• Hawaii park death raises questions about visitor safety trends across U.S. parks