This is a pretty easy hike with great payoff! It only takes about 2 hours, and you get to hike over…read morea couple of bridges, through a bamboo forest, and end up at a gorgeous waterfall! I'm an athletic kinda girl, and I would say this trail is maybe a 2/5 in terms of difficulty. (I'd give it a 1, but it has some incline, so I gave it a 2.) My boyfriend is a homebody and rarely hikes, and he gave it a 3/5 in terms of difficulty. One thing to note: The drive to get here is a DOOZY. I did thee Road to Hana the last time I was in Maui, and it freaked me out so much that we tried going around the south side of the island this time. That was also very scary. Unless you are prepared for very narrow roads (I'm talking one lane with traffic going both ways) on a cliff, sometimes with drops straight into the ocean, don't do it. If you are okay with that, do the Road to Hana for the more scenic drive. The southern drive was less scenic, and probably just as scary.

Came back here 5 years after I went the 1st time and brought my 9 year old. He made it to the end…read moreand back. The trail didn't seem as magical, maintained or green as I remember the 1st time. Maybe a different time of year? More mosquitoes as well. Still, it was pleasant and glad we went. We saw a lot of people bringing infants in carriers and really small kids. This is a serious hike. I would say maybe 7 + in age if you are bringing kids. You may make it part of the way, but it will take you an hour to get to the bamboo forest at least and there are a lot of weird wide steps. Bring water, snacks, hiking stick and bug spray.

Hands-down, the best hike I have ever went on in my life and I have been on plenty of hikes…read more There's a waterfall somewhere along the way and there are beautiful views of the ocean and beaches all around. Gorgeous is an understatement, but please make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. You will need it. Enjoy!

Beautiful views!! It is a hard climb, but doable if you're in good shape…read more Driving there - Highly recommend driving from the west side. Driving from the east side, there were one-way narrow roads over cliffs. Leaving from the west side was easy-peasy. Parking - Keep an eye out for a red sign that says 'Camp Maluhia'. First lot is overflow, keep driving past gates to main lot where trailhead is located. Hike from overflow parking lot to trailhead is about 1.2 miles each way. Hike incline - First 1/4 mile of asphalt was the steepest. Next mile was incline but not too bad. Last mile was steeper incline. Hike views - If you go on a cloudier sunny day like we did, there were AMAZING views up until the last 0.5 miles. The overlook at the very end was above clouds so we couldn't see anything. Shoes - I don't recommend wearing sandals or flip flops, because it is pretty rocky and steep. No large rock climbing. I got by wearing casual tennis shoes, but running/hiking shoes are best. There were no stream crossings, so no need to worry about feet getting wet.

Nice ocean side trail with few people and great views if youre looking for a place to go for a jog…read more Full sun exposure so bring sunscreen and water.

We randomly happened upon this trail after going to the Nakalele Blowhole and it was a perfect hike…read moreto do with my 5-year-old son and parents who both have some knee issues. The hike is a 1.2 mile loop and not very difficult (there is a dirt path the whole way). We did this hike in early February and in addition to the great views, saw so many whales! It was an unexpected highlight of our trip.

Lava Fields is more of a scenic beach walk than a traditional hike, and it's such a beautiful way…read moreto spend time outdoors. You're walking alongside the water with nonstop ocean views, and the contrast of the lava rock and blue water is stunning the entire way. What's great about this walk is how flexible it is. You can go for miles or turn around whenever you want, which makes it accessible for all levels. It's very close to Wailea and some gorgeous beaches, so it's easy to fit into your day. Be sure to wear good footwear since the lava rock can be uneven and unstable in areas. Seeing the wild goats along the way was an added bonus and made the experience feel extra special. Peaceful, scenic, and a must-do if you're in the area.

Once you come to the Bay you can walk an established trail along the lava fields…read more There are remnants of lava rock houses from long ago. Now you see wild goats.

This was one of the highlights of our trip. Amazing views and hiking. Wear sturdy shoes for hiking…read moreand climbing rocks to the top. Black sand beaches and swimming are available too.

I've been to quite a few black sand beaches around the world, and this one is a pretty special…read moreexperience, especially because you can actually get into the water and swim while surrounded by such a different landscape. The black sand beach is definitely the highlight of the park, although don't go in expecting that super fine, soft black sand you may be imagining. Here it's much more like little black stones and rocks. Honestly, I'm okay with that because I've been to one with the super fine black sand and it was a nightmare . Imagine regular sand getting absolutely everywhere and then make it black... everything looks dirty! The waves can be pretty strong, so come prepared for that if you want to swim. There are also quite a few other things to see and explore throughout the state park, so I wouldn't just come for the beach and leave. One important thing to know is that you now need a reservation to enter the park, so don't just show up expecting to walk in or you'll be turned away. It's also right along the Road to Hana, so getting here is part of the whole experience.

Grew up going to the Bamboo Forest--still one of my favorite spots on island. Peaceful, green, and…read morealways a solid way to reset. It's not polished or perfect, but that's the beauty of it. Just respect the land and enjoy the real side of Maui.

Bamboo Forest is probably the last stop on the road to Hana. As I learned on this drive on the road…read moreto Hana is that " it's about the journey not the destination", however Bamboo Forest was also about the destination. Hiking through Bamboo Forest was overall a fun hike and lots to see. It rained most of the time we were there but we didn't mind since it was a topical type of rain. However the rain makes the hike very muddy so make sure you wear proper footwear. Total hike to see all the waterfalls was about 4 miles round trip and took us about 3 hours since we stopped and took lots of photos. Bamboo Forest was definitely the highlight of our Maui trip. Tip: Don't start the hike too late in the afternoon (not after 3pm) since it takes time to hike and it feels like it gets dark fast since you are in the forest.

What an amazing spot! I'd venture so far to say that this was my favorite part of the Road to Hana…read moreexperience. The beach itself is quite secluded; you have to park in a quiet part of town near Hana, then find the trail at the edge of a park, then walk roughly 15 minutes to get to the beach itself. And the trail has quite a few obstacles, so be prepared. The beach itself is so cool, there's a natural rock formation that creates a "pool" for everyone to enjoy. All the benefits of the Pacific without as much concern for safety since the rocks create a barrier. Great for swimming and soaking in the sun, and it's a little quieter (until you see this review?), excellent destination near Hana!

A must-see on the road to Hana, definitely one of our top spots throughout the trip. Since this is…read morein a residential area, please prioritize respect to the locals and don't park your oversized Jeep too obnoxiously. The way down is through crossing the grass field to the left of the Hana School/Youth Center. Do NOT cross private property to get to the beach. The path isn't formally paved and a bit slippery, so I recommend NOT bringing your whole beach getup (chair, umbrella, etc.)-- keep it minimal bc you'll likely need your hands to balance. My bf and I just wore backpacks with our towels in them and were totally fine. The beach itself is incredible; a rich terracotta shore with clear waters, sheltered by the cliff and trees. It feels like escaping into a hidden oasis. We spent an hour swimming and skipping rocks, even playing with tropical fish that chased our feet. Bring a pair of goggles! NOTE: Cliffside pathway to the beach is pretty worn but decently stable. Not accessible by wheelchair. Nothing too dangerous if you've ever hiked on trails like Big Sur before, but would recommend hiking sandals as some parts can be a little crumbly. We watched several beachgoers wearing flip flops or crocs eating shit lol

All the books and sites I checked on Maui said that Kapalua resort had a ton of hiking and lots of…read moretrails. My husband said I should have been wary that I hadn't found any reviews, just the comment that there were over "100 miles of trails." That's because that literally IS the only selling point. Still, this was the closest hiking to our hotel in Lahaina so we decided to try it. You head over to Honolua village (where you go to start the ziplining) and there is a free shuttle offered at 4 times throughout the day. If you miss it you have to wait as you aren't able to just walk to the trailhead. They were out of maps that day (freaky!) so we bought an iphone app online and looked at their maps on the wall. We also had to sign a waiver. After a 15 minute drive you arrive at the arboretum. At first there are fun flowers and plants, beautiful vistas and views and you feel a bit like you're in LOST as the trails aren't totally clear and you have to tread lightly through the tall weeds. However, once you are in there for a good hour there isn't much else to see. There are no birds, no frogs, no random unnameable bugs...It's the same thing over and over again. It gets very very rainy and wet (it's a rainforest but again, no wildlife). It gets cold and dark. The weeds become tall painful over-grown beasts that slice your legs as you try and walk. You find yourself walking on trails that run right next to roads. You see plastic from the vegetation that was installed! There is hardly any wildlife whatsoever. We saw far more of that on the hiking we did off the Road to Hana. We didn't want to sit around waiting for the shuttle which was so many hours out so we opted to take the trail that gets you back to where you parked your car. It was about 8 miles and we did it fast because we were super bored. If you do go, it's definitely good for the workout! I was sore the next day. Oh and fair warning...the ground is orange clay so definitely best to wear hiking boots, my sneakers are still red and they were soaked! Truly, I think there's better hiking elsewhere! One local told us a place called Swinging Bridges that is supposed to be amazing...Think it's on private property but maybe worth checking out! Definitely a miss! I am kinda pissed at my fodor's book for even mentioning it. I had to concede my husband a "told you so" and I really hate that most of all!

We did the 8-mile Arboretum to Mahana Ridge Trail and it was the best hike we've ever done in…read moreHawaii! A bit about us: we love the rain, bush whacking, overgrown trails and the challenge of figuring out if we're on the right trail or not. And getting muddy is part of the fun. So if you like all of that, you will love this hike. Note that it is WET and muddy at the top of the hike, so it's slippery in some parts. The abundance of fruit trees was pretty amazing - we were eating guava and lilikoi for the first couple of miles, it was hard to keep walking because we kept finding more fruit to eat. Further down, we found pineapples growing in the wild, how cool is that? The views were outstanding in some parts, and as we descended we kept entering different micro-climates which meant different plant life in each stage (did I mention that we are botanists at heart?). The smell of eucalyptus trees and seeing the huge banyan trees totally makes this hike. About 3/4 of this hike is under shady forest. I will mention that the last mile was the part I didn't like because all of a sudden we lost our shade and hiked in the blasting sun through the golf course, but we still had great views of the ocean. We took a right instead of a left at the overpass and ended up at DT Fleming beach, which isn't all bad because a dip in the ocean is just what we needed. Even though it's mostly downhill, this hike is a bit of a workout. Highly recommended for people who love to hike and don't mind getting dirty. We used the Kapalua free shuttle in the morning and this service is great (must call to reserve, we called at 8:45am and got on the 9:30am shuttle). Make sure to tip the driver!