Pipiwai Trail and Waimoku Falls

The Pipiwai trail is a moderately trafficked out and back trail in Haleakala National Park. The hike is full of wonderful features including a bamboo forest that winds through a tropical jungle and a four hundred foot waterfall.

Pipiwai and Waimoku Falls Hiking Trail Guide

No trip to Maui is complete without visiting Haleakala National Park. Rising 10,023 feet above the ocean, the dormant volcano rises above sea level and composes the bulk of the land mass on Maui. The national park sits atop the summit and extends down a narrow sliver of the mountain to the eastern flank. There are two distinct districts within the park: the Kipahulu and Summit district. The summit district encompasses all activities near the top of Haleakala. The Kipahulu district lies on Maui’s more remote eastern side of the mountain. This district features usually rough coastal areas and lush tropical slopes with waterfalls and is where this hike is located.

The Pipiwai trail packs quite a punch. This hike winds approximately four miles through tropical rainforest along the ridge that follows Ohe’o gulch from what the Pipiwai stream flows through. The landscape along the hike resembles something out of a Jurassic Park movie. Included along this trail is a bamboo forest, a waterfall viewpoint of Makahiku falls, and the towering Waimoku falls.

The Pipiwai hike climbs nearly eight hundred feet in elevation. The reward for those who complete the hike is the Waimoku waterfall which plunges about four hundred feet off the cliffs of Ohe’o gulch. For those not wanting to make the entire journey, fear not, there are plenty of views to be had. The viewpoint for the smaller Makahiku falls is approximately half a mile in. Another highlight of the trail is a dense bamboo forest where the trail is lined with wooden planks. While there take a moment to enjoy the hollow sound from the bamboo branches hitting each other from the blowing wind.

HALEAKALA HISTORY

In Hawaiian, Haleakala means, house of sun, which references the Hawaiian deity, Maui. . According to Hawaiian culture, Maui wrestled with the sun at the top of this volcano. The legend starts after Maui’s mother complained that there wasn’t enough light during the day to complete all her tasks. Maui took to the top of Haleakala and captured the sun with a hook and fishing line and secured him to a tree. The sun begged to be released but Maui would only do so if the sun promised to move more slowly across the sky and provide more daylight.

Legends aside, it’s the views from the summit of Haleakala that attract so many people. The pristine air is often clear, and to be honest, sunsets can be just as beautiful as sunrises from this location. However, sunsets are more often obscured by cloudy afternoons in the tropics. From the top of the mountain there will be 360-degree views. To the east, the mountains of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai on The Big Island will be visible. From sea level, Mauna Loa is also actually the tallest mountain in the world. To the west will lie the islands of Kaho’olawe, Lanai, and Molokai’i. To the east white fluffy clouds will line the horizon as the Pacific Ocean stretches out as far as the eye can see.  As the sun rises it quickly paints the neighboring mountains and red volcanic craters of Haleakala in beautiful saturated colors. All while, the nearly eleven foot thousand mountain casts its shadow below.

On A Personal Note:

For anybody that makes it this far along the Road to Hana to the Kipahulu District I highly recommend this trail. I loved the waterfall but to be honest what I loved most about this trail was the dense bamboo grove. The grove filters the light through the leaves and produces green hues that radiate through the area. For those that make it near the stream, keep an eye out in the water for the freshwater goby. The goby is an endangered fish native to Hawai’i that uses suction from its mouth suction to climb steep waterfalls and work their way upstream.

When my wife and I completed this hike we made it to one of the main viewpoints for Waimoku falls. However, we didn’t follow the trail to the very end where the base of the falls is. Our busy itinerary and desire to view much more of the Road to Hana and explore the coastal portion of the district kept us away. Also when we went, the flow of Pipiwai stream wasn’t very strong and the viewpoint for Makahiku falls was unremarkable.

Keep in mind: There is no food or gas available in the park. Emergency services are also about an hour away. Plan accordingly.

Sources:
1. N.a. “Kipahulu District.” National Park Service. U.S. Department Of The Interior. https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/kipahulu.htm. 24 May 2021.  Accessed 10 July 2021.
2. N.a. ” Short Hike To Makahiku Falls.” National Park Service. U.S. Department Of The Interior. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/short-hike-to-makahiku-falls.htm. 18 December 2020. Accessed 10 July 2021.