Five Rejuvenating Hikes Near Makawao
Getting out in nature is one of the best ways to recharge your soul. Breathing the freshly churned out oxygen from the ample flora; native and invasive. There’s nothing more invigorating than smelling fresh ginger flowers and eucalyptus as you hike through shady forests just a stone’s throw (or a bit more) from Makawao, Upcountry Maui’s favorite paniolo (cowboy) town.
There aren’t a ton of choices when it comes to hikes near Makawao, but they’re calming, serene, and provide respite from the hot sun. The diverse terrain on Maui offers a huge variety of hikes overall—from desert to rainforest, waterfalls and cliff drop-offs, there’s something for everyone. It’s surprising to be on Maui and feel like you’re in the Pacific Northwest or Arizona, but we have it here! Hikes near Makawao tend to be cooler due to the higher elevation, which is a nice change if you’ve been sunbathing. The hikes we’re sharing are accessible, legal, and beautiful.
Take a look at the plants around you and notice what appears different—or similar to the plants near your home. There are four types of plants we want to point out: native, non-native, endemic, and invasive.
WINGS, WAVES, AND WIND
BROUGHT NEW PLANTS TO HAWAIʻI.
Native: A plant that has stayed in the place where it originated.
The ʻōhiʻa lehua plant is native – it is from Hawaiʻi/Maui, but it also grows in New Zealand and other areas around the world.
Non-Native: A plant that is from somewhere else. Also called “introduced” plants.
A non-native plant is something like the guava, which came from Central America. Invasive plants can be native or non-native. Canoe plants, such as taro and coconut, that were brought over by ancient Polynesians are considered non-native plants, too.
Endemic: A native plant that grows ONLY in the place where it is found.
For example, the Silversword on Haleakala, a magnificent (and alien-like) plant is ENDEMIC because it only grows on Maui.
Invasive plants: Just what they sound like. These native or non-native plants invade upon areas with other native plants and disturb the balance of the surrounding plants.
Hawai’i is working very hard to cull non-native species and reintroduce native plants to bring balance back to the land. If you want to learn more on your hike, be sure to book a guide who can identify plants, tell you about the history of the area, and show you things you’d otherwise miss.
Without further ado, here are five memorable and beautiful hikes near Makawao.
KAHAKAPAO
LOOP TRAIL
An enchanting (and sweat-inducing) six-mile loop in the Makawao Forest Reserve.
This is a shady, scenic, and special trail. The wide variety of native, endemic, and introduced plants here leave you in awe of the aina (land). From koa trees and native tree ferns (hapuʻu) to the highly invasive Himalayan ginger (which also smells delightful), this trail loop has a lot to offer.
As you enter the main path, you’ll see some fun-looking bike jumps, as this area is well-known for mountain biking and horse riding. You can rent a bike in Makawao from Krank Cycles if you want to come back and play on two wheels. Be sure to forget the headphones on this trail to listen for speeding wheels. Stay on the walking trails vs. biking trails and you should be just fine. Each side of the loop trail offers wandering, twisting views and perspectives in well-shaded areas and offers a nice steady, uphill workout with a leisurely downhill return path.
WAIHOU
SPRING TRAIL
Just 15 minutes from Makawao lies a mysterious hike with a surprise ending.
This trail is part of a growth study to see if any of the trees grown on Maui could be used for the timber industry. When you first enter the forest, you see a huge grid of trees in this planted forest established in 1909. As you get further in, the trees start to mix—contrasting straight and curved, old and new growth. Ferns dot the forest floor, along with other native and non-native plants.
At the end of the trail to the right, follow the path down the steep-ish switchbacks (and know you’ll need to climb back up) and explore man-made holes, or caves, that were bored into the walls. DO NOT hike down if it’s raining or muddy, it’s just not worth the risk of slipping. The holes were created to extract spring water and route it to Central Maui. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t enough, so the project was abandoned, but left some very cool places to poke around. This spot is often called the “Menehune Caves.” Make sure to view them from a distance, due to the possibility of falling rocks. The whole hike is a lovely, shady loop which is very kid-friendly (minus the steep descent to the caves) and can be a nice break from scorching beaches.
POLIPOLI TRAILS
Twisting trails meander through this state park, packed with trees, sitting at 6,200 ft above sea level.
This is one of the most diverse forests in the world as it’s full a huge variety of trees in one small area. From towering redwoods to eucalyptus to cypress and other conifers, you can feel like you’re hiking in northern California or Oregon—until you spot the shore and realize that you can see Maui, Lana’i, Moloka’i, Kaho’olawe, and Molokini crater from the midst of a thick, dark forest.
There are a number of different paths you can take, either uphill or downhill from the gravel road. Take a look at the map at the trailhead, plan your path (make sure you pack water and snacks in your backpack) and go explore! We highly recommend this hike in the peak of summer to potentially forage some delicious fruit, like thimbleberries (they look just like raspberries) and banana lilikoi, a long yellow fruit the length of your hand filled with pockets of sweet or tart pods around hard seeds (like a passionfruit/pomegranate type fruit). Enjoy and go explore!
HALEAKALĀ
Closer than Lahaina and Wailea, Makawao is the ideal fuel-up point before taking on the crater.
Hawaii visitors race to get to the top of Haleakalā for the well-documented and incredibly stunning sunrise, but then—they leave. What they miss out on is an entire “choose your own adventure” experience with unforgettable views, trails, and history.
The main trailheads at Haleakalā National Park are the Sliding Sands Trail, which starts near the summit and hikes down into the dry and desert-like crater. This is a great trail to see the endemic Silversword plant, a silvery, alien-looking wonder that shoots up a magnificent red flower. These plants only grow in two places in the world, Maui and the Big Island. The other trailhead is the Halemauʻu Trail, which begins at 8,000 ft elevation. The trail winds its way through native shrubbery and on to switchbacks that take you down into the bottom of the crater quickly into a wetter side of the crater with much more plant life. These two trails eventually connect and you can end up clocking in over 11 miles if you hike the whole thing from end to end. Be sure to wear very sturdy hiking shoes, thick, tall socks (lots of dust and rocks), and pack plenty of food and water as there is no potable water in the crater.
Haleakalā Honorable Mention: Hosmer’s Grove
If you’ve already paid your admission fee to get into Haleakalā, this is a must-see quick stop before or after your trip to the summit. Hosmer’s Grove is a tiny .2 mile loop that sports a look-out point with permanent (and auto-focusing) binoculars, so you can track bright yellow and red native Hawaiian birds, like the ʻAmakihi, ʻApapane, and ʻIʻiwi as they sip nectar from native trees, like the ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, with its red, bristly flowers that look like little flames. Even if you can’t see them all, you can hear unique bird songs that sound very different from the ones outside your own home. This short loop trail winds through a collection of trees and native plants that make you truly appreciate mother nature.
WAIKAMOI FOREST RESERVE
This Native Hawaiian rain forest requires special access for an exclusive, educational guided trip.
If you’re lucky enough to catch one of these tours. Sign up here (yes, you have to send an email or call on a phone), you won’t regret it. The most exclusive of our hikes near Makawao, the Waikamoi Forest Reserve features ʻōhiʻa lehua and koa trees, and the rare blue ʻopelu, or lobelia plant, which boasts brilliant blue towers of flowers that look out of this world (be sure to come when theyʻre blooming from August to October). This trail starts inside National Park land and has to be set up with partner agencies. To access this trail, call or email the Nature Conservancy for more details on when hikes happen (they’ve been known to go the second Saturday of each month).
We hope you enjoy these gorgeous hikes near Makawao and continue to discover the magical flora and fauna of the green isle.
Ready to make the move to Maui? Li Hay will be happy to help you find your dream home in paradise.