We
stopped at Haleakala National Park after driving the Road to Hana. I
can't say enough good things about this trail! It is my new favorite
trail of all time. There are (4) key points of interest on this trail.
The enormous banyan tree is the first point of interest. Next is the
view of Makahiku Falls followed by the ENORMOUS bamboo forest with a
wooden platform trail. The sound of the bamboo hitting each other in
the breeze was amazing! The trail ends at the spectacular Waimoku
Falls. The trail is 4 miles RT and only 600' elevation gain making it
enjoyable for everyone.
This 5 mile RT trail ascends 1,500' to panoramic views of central Maui, Wailuku and Mount Eke. The trail climbs the windward slope of west Maui after passing through a cattle gate and up 200' of STEEP cement road. In the distance we could see Makamaka'ole Falls followed by amazing views of the Waihee Valley. I found this hike quite tiring and was relieved to rest and have a snack at the picnic table once we reached the summit. It could have been I was just tired from hiking 7 other trails 3 days prior!
Our first stop in Maui (literally as soon as we left the airport) was Iao Valley. This lush, 4000 acre State Park is home to the 1200' Iao Needle. We walked the .6 mile paved pedestrian path to the view area for the needle then hopped over the fence to the trail through the lush jungle. After one hour we reached a summit with spectacular views of the needle and the valley. There were lots of muddy areas and the last .25 mile or so was very steep but well worth it.
Waimea Falls is a beautiful 45' waterfall in the Waimea Valley World Class Botanical Garden. The garden is relaxing, educational and AMAZING! The 1,875 acres has been a sacred place in Native Hawaiian history for more than 700 years. We walked 3/4 mile to reach the falls. You must wear a life jacket, which they issue to you. It took us awhile to wade into the pool since the water was freezing but after we were in, it wasn't so bad and we loved getting up close to the waterfall. The garden includes 78 Ancient Hawaiian Archaeological sites and more than 5,000 tropical and sub-tropical plants.
Crouching Lion is a hard to find trail near Kaaawa on O'ahu. It is not marked with any kind of sign so we finally found it by reading someone elses blog that gave great detail. We hiked the mini trail, about 30 minutes to the top of the crouching lion. The views are quite impressive and the trail is steep but easy to follow. There are ropes in a few places to help you get up and down the really steep places. I especially love jungle hikes where there is a lot of variation and shade. Coming from the desert, the jungle is exciting, lush and beautiful!
For directions go to www.UnrealHawaii.com
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The variety of different eco-systems is remarkable on Maui. After spending several days hiking in the jungle, it was quite a different experience on the Sliding Sands Trail starting at the top of Haleakala. We started early in the morning and the temperature was in the 40's as we reached the top (January). At first I was worried I would not have enough layers of clothes but we ended up being very comfortable with just a light jacket and hat. Coming from the desert, I am used to hiking in desert conditions so this was my least favorite trail of our trip. I would recommend planning ahead and booking a campsite or cabin or leave a car at the trail end and hitchhike to the top of Haleakala to start the trail so you can hike the 10 miles and not have to hike back. After 2 miles, I decided to turn back. I was glad I did since it was fairly steep and a high altitude that I had not acclimated to. The area is void of most plant life except for the very interesting whitish green plants called silversword which are unique to Hawaii.
