Pipiwai Trail and Waimoku Falls is a 3.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Hana, Maui, Hawaii that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
Haleakala National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $15 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $55. A unique and very special waterfall hike where your adventures begin even before you reach the trailhead. A favorite Maui hike, yet for some people the drive to the trailhead alone is excitement enough. The Hana Highway is sixty miles of scenic but curvy coastal road, reportedly featuring 620 curves and 59 bridges, most of which are single-lane bridges. If you relish your driving experiences then the Hana Highway alone is a "must-do". The round trip to the falls and back takes in several great waterfalls before reaching the spectacular Waimoku Falls, and a boardwalk journey through dense, dark bamboo forest that you're unlikely to forget.
Haleakala National Park PO Box 369 Makawao HI 96768 For general park information, call (808) 572-4400. Recorded message is available 24-hours a day and will likely contain an answer to your question. To speak to a park representative, call the same number and press 0 during office hours of 8:00 am - 3:45 pm HST. Kipahulu (Coastal Area) For information specific to the Kipahulu area of the park, call the Kipahulu Visitor Center at (808) 248-7375 during office hours of 9am-5pm HST. Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, 2270 Kalakaua Avenue, Suite 801 , Honolulu, HI, 96815, Phone: 800-GOHAWAII, Fax: 808-924-0290
Tips: - We strongly recommend an early start if you want to make good time on the Hana Highway. - The hike route is prone to flash flooding, so be aware of the weather forecast and do not attempt the hike under threat of rain. - As with all Hawaii hikes we recommend footwear with good grip, since the terrain can get a little slippy & muddy. - The fee to use this park is valid for several days and allows you to explore the Haleakala crater on the same pass
Directions from Oheo Gulch parking area: This trail leads from the Oheo Gulch parking area away from the ocean toward two large waterfalls.
First and foremost. Don't count on having cell service at anytime during your trip to Hana...But! Make sure you do this hike while in the area. Parking lot opens at 9, but there are no hours posted. Get there early to have the trail less occupied. Lots of hikers were strolling in on our way out. The hike itself was on the easy side of moderate. A lot of it was an easy, boardwalk stroll. There were rock steps/stairs and steady inclines. The rock scramble and stream crossing are just before the falls and very manageable. I took a tumble on some slick tree roots, even in hiking sandals. Wear decent footwear.
Trail is well maintained. It rained off and on throughout the hike which was lovely. Great views, light hiker traffic, very peaceful experience. We started our hike around 3 and ended around 5 mid-week. 3 adults and 4 kids btwn ages of 10 - 15, and 2 of the adults don't regularly exercise and had no issues completing the trail.
Amazing hike. About two hours out and back with a few stops for photos. If you’re going to take each stop and take your time it could be 2.5-3 hrs.
Absolute must do hike. Do not skip out on this. The bamboo forest was simply majestic. You park in the National park off Hana road, and it takes around a mile to get to the actual bamboo forest. Once you get to the bamboo forest, you’ll think you’re in heaven. Just so peaceful and serene, you can hear the bamboo trees sway into each other as the wind blows. Some areas had light streams on the steps. There was an area at the end that had a pretty fast/powerful stream and you had to maneuver your way into a rock which was kinda dangerous. Otherwise don’t miss out on this!
Must do trail if you’re driving on Hana! Starts with normal views but once you cross a mile and half, you’ll walk through bamboo forest and it’s amazing. When you’re the waterfall, do cross the posted sign and you’ll get THE BEST view of waterfall!
This trail is a must do. It is about 2 hours from anywhere, really, so I Would recommend driving straight there to complete the hike then enjoying the Road to Hana on a different day. It would be a lot to try to fit it all in. We split it into 2 days and it was perfect. This trail has a lot of variation and is not difficult at all. The day we went it was absolutely POURING from start to finish, so the trail was like a stream in many places, but even then it wasn’t difficult at all and very, very beautiful — just insanely muddy. The bamboo forest is almost unbelievable and the waterfalls along the way are super gorgeous.
It was raining and trails are muddy BUT the view was all worth the hike- so M A J E S T I C
Wonderful trail! We ascended steadily and pretty easily among mango trees, past a remarkable huge banyan, through a visually and audibly beautiful bamboo forest, and then the climactic waterfall. 4 miles round trip, easy to moderate. My 3 year-old grandson did fine on this trail, and there were many other kids hiking.
Great hike. It was pretty wet close to the falls so be prepared for that.
A beautiful serene trail! We went early in the day, around 9am when they opened and didn't run into many people on the way to the falls, but much more on the way back. There is some space to social distance, and most people had masks to put on when passing by each other. Please be courteous on a busy trail like this one and bring a mask or at least face away from others if you are passing or being passed! The trail is on the easy side of moderate, if not outright easy. The bamboo forest is lovely and has a boardwalk installed, which makes it much more accessible. The elevation felt very minimal, but parts of the trail are a little bit root-y. There is a stream to cross at the very end, right before the falls. We saw people with flip flops and sandals, and they didn't seem to have a difficult time at all.