ALOHA!
So you’re off to hike the Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park!
The Pipiwai trailhead is located directly along the Hana Highway.
👆 Approaching the Pipiwai Trail parking from the backside of Haleakala aka from the back road to Hana. See more about driving the Road to Hana in reverse.
The Pipiwai Trail is one of the great stops along the Hana Highway, and it is a part of the Kipahulu district of Haleakala National Park.
This means that it’s really not difficult to find the Pipiwai trailhead.
Basically, all you need to do to get to the trailhead is to get yourself on the Hana Highway and keep driving until you see the sign for Haleakala National Park!
And, even the Pipiwai Trail parking lot comes with scenic views!
There is the normal parking lot right by the Kipahulu Visitor Center, and there is also an overflow parking lot.
Pipiwai Trail is a part of the Kipahulu district of Haleakala National Park
There are basically 2 sections to Haleakala National Park.
One district is the summit side.
And then there’s the coastal Kipahulu district with the popular bamboo forest hike aka Pipiwai Trail!
These 2 districts are not connected by road through the park.
You can go to Pipiwai Trail and the Kipahulu district as a part of the popular Road to Hana drive.
It’s located at the “end” of the Road to Hana, and the last point where people would typically turn around and drive the Road to Hana as an out-and-back if they choose to go this far.
It is actually past Hana town though – technicalities!
So, you can choose to make the Pipiwai Trail a part of your Road to Hana day trip.
Cost to hike the Pipiwai Trail
Since the Pipiwai Trail is a part of Haleakala National Park, an entry fee is required.
In 2021, an individual pass costs $30 per vehicle. This will get you a 3 day Haleakala pass, and you can use it to visit both the Kipahulu side and the summit side of the national park. On the summit side is where you will find the Haleakala summit (of course) and the famous Haleakala crater hike.
So it costs $30 to hike the Pipiwai Trail, but with the fee comes the possibility of exploring more of Haleakala National Park!
You can also consider buying a Hawaii national park annual pass which will cover you for one year for national park sites on Maui and the Big Island. The U.S. national park annual pass is also valid at Haleakala National Park.
There is no other parking near the Pipiwai Trail, so you need to enter the national park in order to hike the Pipiwai Trail. The road leading to the entrance of Haleakala National Park is the narrow Hana Highway with pretty much no shoulder space. There is also a no parking sign along the road.
More below on getting to the Pipiwai trailhead!
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Navigating to Pipiwai Trail
On google maps, there is Pīpīwai Trail and the Kipahulu Visitor Center. You can choose either to navigate you to the start of the Pipiwai Trail.
If you have no interest in driving the back road to Hana, then you will want to make sure that google maps routes you along the Hana Highway that goes past Paia. Otherwise, it may route you on the back road to Hana.
You may want to download offline google maps before you go (it’s free), as you will likely not have data for most if not all of your drive on the Hana Highway.
Otherwise, even without google maps, you will be able to get there just fine because again, you just keep driving on the Hana Highway. Google maps would be helpful to ease your mind so you’ll know when you’re getting closer.
Driving directly from Kaanapali to Pipiwai Trail might be a little over 3 hours with minimal traffic, by way of Paia.
Driving directly from Wailea to Pipiwai Trail might be a little under 3 hours with minimal traffic, by way of Paia.
Driving from Paia to Pipiwai Trail took me a little under 2.5 hours. I left Paia at 8am and encountered minimal traffic. I made one quick stop at Wailua Falls along the way. If you want to break up the drive with some quick stops, roadside waterfalls on the Road to Hana can be perfect! There are many that are pretty much right along the Hana Highway.
👇 Driving from Hana to Pipiwai Trail: Hana Highway, less than 5 minutes away from Haleakala National Park Kipahulu area.
So getting to Pipiwai Trail is not difficult.
The difficulty will be in making the decision on what part of your Road to Hana drive you want to make this!
There are a TON of stops along the Hana Highway you can make along the way to Pipiwai Trail.
But you may also consider making the Pipiwai Trail your first “major” stop, and making the majority of your other “big” stops on the way back.
So once you enter the Haleakala National Park Kipahulu area, you’ll just continue to follow the signs to the parking!
Right near the main parking lot and Kipahulu Visitor Center, you’ll find the start of the trail.
And then off you go on the trail!
The trail will cross over the Hana Highway.
And then you can continue hiking!
And that’s a bit on how to get to the Pipiwai trailhead parking lot!
If you’re interested in Pipiwai Trail, then you may also be interested in these top activities on Maui:
- Wailua Falls
- Hana Highway waterfalls
- Sliding Sands Trail (the other popular Haleakala National Park trail)
- Waihee Ridge Trail
- Iao Valley lookout
- How to spend one day in the West Maui Mountains
- Kapalua Coastal Trail
- Nakalele Blowhole
- Hoapili Trail
- Best of Maui hiking
HAPPY DRIVING TO THE PIPIWAI TRAILHEAD!
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