Getting to Olivine Pools parking 🌴 How to find the trailhead parking 🌴 Maui Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

 

So the Olivine Pools are in a part of West Maui that fewer tourists venture too.

That’s not to say that you’ll be the only one at the Olivine Pools when you make a visit there, but there will be way less crowds than you’re used to if you’re coming from Kaanapali or from Wailea for example!

 

 

 

First…

The boring safety message about the Olivine Pools!

 

The Olivine Pools might be best experienced seeing them from above or at least a little bit of a distance.

Swimming in the pools might be tempting.

But these pools are quite literally right next to the ocean where waves can come crashing.

This is an area in which something called a “rogue wave” is very possible.

This means that the pools can seem calm, but then suddenly a wave can come crashing into these lava rock pools.

The worst case scenario is being swept out into the ocean.

Rogue waves at this specific location have made it on the news. People have actually died due to such rogue waves, and there have been injuries as well.

Know that there’s a risk if you decide to swim here!

There is a saying in Hawaii: Never turn your back to the ocean!

Even if you don’t swim, it can be worth coming out this way for a short hike to see the rugged and beautiful Maui coastline! 

 

 

 

🌴

 

 

 

Okay, so now…

Finding the unmarked trail to the Olivine Pools

So the trail that takes you down to the Olivine Pools is not marked in any way. (Or, it wasn’t when I went in January 2020.)

So it would be good to have some sort of offline map available to help you be confident in locating it. Although, after seeing pictures below, you’ll know what to look for! 

You might not get data out here, but your GPS locator will likely work.

The Olivine Pools are marked on google maps.

I’m used to using mapsme, since that shows trails that aren’t always on google maps, so I used the mapsme app for this. It’s a free app and you just need to download the Hawaii map ahead of time.

The mapsme map shows the location of the Olivine Pools parking lot and the trail.

 

 

 

The West Maui drive

It is a beautiful drive to get to the Olivine Pools!

 

 

You can keep an eye on the GPS and map to know when you’re getting close.

The parking area is directly off of the highway.

 

 

And then once at the parking area, you’ll see the trail that will take you to the coast!

 

 

You’ll be coming from up a higher point. It does require walking over some rocks basically the whole time you are going down to sea level. So it’s not like it’s an easy paved or dirt trail to get there. It will be best to wear some short of shoes if you’re planning on hiking down to get closer to the Olivine Pools.

 

 

And that’s a bit about driving to the Olivine Pools trailhead parking area!

 

Be sure to see more great things to do in West Maui while you’re in the area!

• Nakalele Blowhole
• Ohai Loop Trail
• Kahakuloa Bay overlook (back road of West Maui)
• The best of West Maui

 

HAPPY DRIVING TO THE OLIVINE POOLS!