The Road To Hana

Hana, a sleepy little town located in Maui on the backside of Haleakala is a fairly quiet town with only one or two hotels. It has a small public beach that, when compared to some of the other beaches on Maui, seem less than impressive. And what sleepy town would be complete without a horse ranch. Hana is definitely not lacking in charm. While millions of people travel through Hana each year, few people actually stay here.

The Road to Hana, as the Hana highway has been dubbed, is more about what you will find along the journey, than the road itself. If you were to drive straight from Kahului to Hana, the trip would take you about two hours. But, this trip is much more than just getting to Hana, it is also about the spectacular scenery along the way.

If you are in a rush to get to Hana, you may be disappointed. In order to do this trip properly, enjoy the different scenes, you should be in no hurry and allow for an eleven or twelve hour trip that includes a few stops.

The first place to stop on the road to Hana is the twin falls. They are impressive if you have never seen a waterfall, but you will see some much more spectacular views along this journey. Another stop you should not miss is The Ko'olau Forest Reserve.You will first see Norfolk pines located on the hillside, then some vibrantly colored Eucalyptus trees (very impressive to the east coast native). Next you will see a vast expanse of bamboo trees that just look majestic swaying in the slight breeze. It is well worth the time to visit this tropical forest which will no doubt leave you feeling very relaxed.

If you are fascinated or enthralled with waterfalls, then you are in luck. There is the famous Waikamoi falls located at the bridge just before the 10 mile marker. This waterfall is impressive to say the least. It stretches some hundreds of feet above the bridge, and it has several different colors of moss growing alongside the falls. This of course make a great background for pictures, so be prepared for that.

The next place to stop is the Kaumahina State Wayside Park. It has picnic tables and provides a wide ocean view. This is the perfect place to stop for a quick quiet lunch. For the next several miles there is a spectacular ocean view, offering ample opportunity to pull over and take pictures. If it has recently rained, then you are in for a special treat, as there are a plethora of water-falls exhibiting a rainbow of colors due to the wild vegetation. It is hard to get much closer to perfection than this. At this point you are roughly halfway to Hana.

The Ke'anea Valley marks the halfway point to Hana. This valley is home to the Haleakala Crater, which was formed from an eruption of the Haleakala volcano. Lava erupted from the volcano and flowed into the valley creating this giant crater. It is just one more of the spectacular sights to see on the road to Hana. As you drive on from here you will see a sign that says "Halfway to Hana". There is also a camp site here, so you can either make camp or explore around the first half some more, or you can drive on to Hana.