You know that we love to visit National Parks, and we’ve written family guides for all 37 parks that we’ve visited, including family-friendly hikes and things to see. (Just search for a park using the box in the corner of the screen to find them). We went to Maui in Hawaii just to visit Haleakala National Park, which required a drive down the popular Road to Hana. We had no idea what to expect when we started down the Road to Hana, so we’ll try to help you here. The Road to Hana is not part of the national park, but is an iconic part of the island of Maui.
Should You Drive the Road to Hana?
So imagine the Road to Hana this way. It’s a narrow, terrifying, must-do, winding drive with at least a dozen interesting stops along the way. These stops include waterfalls, hikes, small towns, and other beautiful places.
The overall distance of the road to Hana is only around 65 miles, but plan a day to make the drive. This is because the Road to Hana is barely wide enough to fit two cars in the best places, as well as being full of blind corners and punctuated by one-lane bridges. On top of that, you can stop and do several hikes, overviews, and even stop at a small town. Best of all, at the end of it all, there is Haleakala National Park and the beautiful town of Hana, which is mostly untouched by restaurant chains and modernization.
It is difficult to fit all of the stops into one day because driving the road takes so long. We stayed in Hana in order to have a little bit of extra time. If you are going to do it in one day, get an early start. Choose the top things that you’d like to do, and hit those on the way down. If you end up with extra time, make those stops on the way back. Check for hours on certain stops.
Audio Tour
One thing we recommend is an audio recording for this trip. We spent $25 for an audio tour app. This was a unique way to drive the Road to Hana. As we meandered toward Hana, each time we passed a GPS point on the app, a narration told us where to stop and what to see. “Coming up on your left…” It was really entertaining. The narration included history, culture, and tons of information about the islands. Best of all, it worked in both directions and throughout the entire island of Maui. That means when we drove up to the top of the volcano, it was narrated. When we drove down to the southern point, it was like having an expert in the car, but an expert you can push mute on if they get too obnoxious. This really made the Road to Hana work for us.
Stops on the Road to Hana
We were not able to hit all of the stops, but we are going to include the recommend stops in this list to help you plan an amazing trip.
Paia
Paia is the town where the Road to Hana begins. So reset the odometer here for mileage. It is also a great place to grab anything you need before spending the day out on the road. Also make sure your gas tank is full before the long drive.
Ho’okipa Lookout and Beach
We did this stop both on the way out and the way back. This beach is a great spot to see turtles and watch the surfers. It’s not super great for swimming, since it has serious rocks, but our youngest had fun splashing a bit.
Twin Falls (Mile Marker 2)
This is a great little hike to see not two, but three waterfalls. We have written a whole post about this trail here.
Waikamoi Ridge Nature Trail (Mile Marker 9.5)
This trail is a simple walk through the trees, but can be muddy and wasn’t our favorite stop. If you have time, it’s a nice break from the car. More details on this post.
Garden of Eden Arboretum (Mile Marker 10)
This stop was closed when we drove by, but it came highly recommended. There is a fee, but everyone says it is worth it.
Honomanu Bay (Mile Marker 14):
Look for some turnouts to enjoy a lookout at this beautiful bay. This stop is better on the way back just for ease of not crossing the road to park.
Ke’anae Peninsula (Mile Marker 16-17)
We drove down into the town of Ke’anae and spent a little time exploring the lookout point. The waves were really crashing. We arrived later in the evening so everything was closed, but it would be a spot to grab lunch or a snack.
Wai’anapanapa Beach State park (Mile Marker 32)
This is a must do on the Road to Hana. The water is spectacularly turquoise and the beach is black sand. There is a blowhole, a sea cave, and an arch. It’s a beautiful spot. You do need a reservation, and they are serious about your entry time. So make sure to reserve as early as you can. We saw cars turned away because they thought they could just drive in.
Hana (Mile Marker 34)
Hana is a lovely town near the end of the Road to Hana. We ate lunch at the food truck area. There were lots of choices and everyone was happy. We also stayed at the Hyatt in Hana and it was amazing. We wished we had more time in this perfect little Eden. There is also a small beach right in the town of Hana.
Hamoa Beach (Mile Marker 50)
We could not find a spot by Hamoa Beach, but it supposed to be a really nice beach along the Road to Hana. We continued driving and ended up at Koki Beach, which we really enjoyed.
Koki Beach Park (Mile Marker 51)
The cool thing about Koki Beach is the red sand. We also enjoyed watching all of the birds flying up and around the cliffs.
Wailua Falls (Mile Marker 45)
The mile markers are weird on this drive. That is part of the reason the Road to Hana can be tricky. This waterfall has an easy parking area just beyond it. We walked onto the bridge to take a picture, and even walked a little trail to the base.
Haleakala National Park: Kipahulu District
This is a great place to turn around just past Hana. The National Park has a small visitor center and a few hiking trails. We did both of them. One hikes uphill the entire way to a waterfall, and it walks through the coolest bamboo forest. We loved this hike along the Pipiwai Trail. The other trail is to the Seven Sacred Pools. It is an easier walk and has great views of the coast, too.
- Pipiwai Trail: 4.0 miles roundtrip. Moderate.
- The Seven Sacred Pools: 0.5 miles roundtrip. Easy.
It is recommended that you turn back to Hana at this point. The road does continue around the island, but the distance is extreme, and we were told some rental car companies don’t allow you to drive all the way around.
