Road to Hana Day 2: Hiking Pipiwai Trail

Hike to Pipiwai is one of the most famous things to do on Road to Hana. While most people go back from Hana, making it impossible to explore the Road to Hana in one day, staying a night in Hana gives you enough time to make the most of your trip. Piwwai trail was our first stop on the second day of Road to Hana.

Pipiwai Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back hiking trail that has it all. After few mins, we come across this amazing waterfall from the cliff of a mountain in the distance. We could see this giant waterfall flowing through the forest that making it a perfect first stop.

We saw a massive banyan tree shortly after. Frankly, this was one of the biggest trees I have seen in my life. The shade of the Banyan tree felt like a perfect place to relax and even take a nap. I wish I had more time time to spend here.

After a few mins, we found ourselves walking along a wooden pathway through a large bamboo forest with trees so tall that we could barely see the sky. This was my favourite part of the hike. The lush green bamboo trees surrounded us from all the sides and we could hear the sound of trees striking each other due to the winds. Hiking through the bamboo forest was such a unique experience.

We also saw a little waterfall on the way.

At the end of the hike is Waimoku Falls. A large waterfall begins to emerge in the distance. At one point, we could even see three waterfalls on the cliffs all around. The trail near the waterfall gets muddy and it might be a good idea to bring waterproof shoes for the trail. If you are hiking pipiwai trail make sure to go untill the waterfall, the effort is all worth the views.

Some tips for the hike:

• Bring bug repellent!
• Waterproof shoes are useful for navigating the rocks near the waterfall at the end.
• Pipiwai Trail is part of Haleakala National Park, so the entrance fee is $30 per vehicle. The park pass lasts for 3 days, so plan your visit to Pipiwai Trail within 3 days of your visit to the other parts of the national park
• The parking gate locks at 5 pm, so make sure you have enough time to finish the trail and leave before then!

We had to catch our flight to Big Island in the evening, so we drove back to the airport after taking a photo of the Seven Sacred Pools. The entire drive from Hana is just stunning. Drive to Big Sur was my favourite drive until this point, but Road to Hana topped my list after this trip.

Read about my Day 1 of Road to Hana