By Tucker Ballister
The Road To Hana is one of the most attractive recreational activities for Maui’s yearly visitors. The Hana Highway is widely renowned for numerous waterfall hikes that give visitors the opportunity to experience the beautiful native vegetation of the tropical island.
Photo by Paul
The gulches and valleys of Maui present many amazing opportunities to explore some of the more secluded waterfall hikes on the island. If waterfalls are your thing, you might think about finding your own private vacation rental somewhere along Maui’s rugged north shore.
The drive along Maui’s north shore is most often remembered for its’ stunning views and beautiful, white-sand beaches. It’s a rustically beautiful drive and, if you’ve got a sharp eye, you can stop and check out three of Maui’s many majestic waterfalls along your way.
Twin Falls
Less than fifteen minutes outside of Paia, Twin Falls is the first easily accessible string of waterfalls and pools along the Road to Hana. From the well-marked parking lot, you’ll find a pleasant 1.5-mile hike into the main waterfall of the area. There are also several smaller falls that can be accessed via various trail offshoots.
If you’re going to check out Twin Falls, be sure to spend a few moments perusing the organic produce available at the farm stand located at the entrance to the property. It’s one of the better snack stands on the Road To Hana and, although Twin Falls is underrated by many Maui guidebooks, it’s certainly a worthy stop.
Nemo Falls
This beautiful, unknown pool is only accessible to those with experience or background with Maui safety and EMI access regulations. The hike itself is fairly easy, covering about 1/3 of a mile through the Ko’olau Forest Reserve along an access road before crossing a narrow utility bridge.
The final access to the falls requires a fairly steep scramble a few hundred yards upstream, generally across slippery rocks with less-than-ideal footing options. The pool itself, though, is a large and beautiful swimming hole and the multi-tiered falls are absolutely stunning. Those interested in these falls should be sure to read the EMI page for more information before attempting to find the falls.
The Pools of ‘Ohe’o
The Pools of ‘Ohe’o, otherwise known as the Seven Sacred Pools, are the most popular attraction in East Maui. This hike boasts full National Park Service facilities and easy access to stunning waterfalls and beautiful, deep-blue pools.
Visitors should be aware that these pools can get very crowded quickly during the high tourism season, so the earlier you visit, the better. Also, the pools are subject to occasional closures during extremely wet weather for safety reasons, of course.
If you’re planning on visiting the beautiful tropical island of Maui in the near future, you should be sure to see at least one of the island’s stunning waterfalls during your stay. To learn about more falls around Maui’s amazing coastline, please click here.
About the Author
My name is Tucker Ballister. I grew up in beautiful Lake Tahoe, California area and have found a renewed passion for writing over the course of the last year or so. I recent completed the Master’s of Tourism Management program at Colorado State University and now reside on the magical island of Maui, writing and work trading on a developing sustainable homestead. I enjoy writing on a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to, destination management, sustainable development, tourism policy, visitor motivations, and entrepreneurial development. I hope you enjoyed my writing and I can’t thank you enough for reading! Mahalo!
