The Pipiwai Trail, above the Oheo Gulch (Seven Sacred Pools) in HaleakalaNational Park, is one of the best hikes on Maui. Pipiwai Trail is four miles roundtrip, gaining 650 feet in elevation. It takes three to five hours to hike, depending on how much nature loving you do. There are several great waterfalls along the route, with the final destination fall being Waimoku Falls, falling 400 feet down a sheer lava rock wall shaped like a horseshoe. If it’s been wet in the area recently, you can additionally find yourself surrounded by numerous small waterfalls on the surrounding cliff face.
At one mile you will enter the first of three bamboo forests. Because of the marshy ground, wooden boardwalks have been built to make hiking easier. Just past the third section of bamboo is the breathtakingly Waimoku Falls with its steep fern-covered walls. You will probably have to cross the stream in two places before you can get right up under the falls.
It is a breathtaking sight and a great reward before heading back down the valley to Oheo Gulch, which is another half-mile circle that is a must do. Arrive early before the day trippers get there. It is great to have the trail and the falls all to yourselves. Be sure to give it a try on your next visit to Kahana Villa.
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