The Road to Hana: Day Trip - Best 8 Places to Stop (Maui, Hawaii)

The road to Hana is by far the best way to see everything that Maui has to offer! When we were there in 2009. One of the bridges had washed out preventing us from completing the full circle. But we were able to see many of the main sites!

1) Paia Town - Where else is the best place to start your adventure then at the beginning!! We kicked off our trip at the Hana Bay Picnic Company. We got a yummy lunch and snacks to take with us - included in a cooler bag to keep the drinks cold and the lunch fresh!

2) Twin Falls & Caveman Falls - This is located at Mile Marker 2. You have to make an effort to get there. It's not hard, but this is not a "side of the road" kind of attraction. The little hike is totally worth it and you get to see some of Maui's beauty along the way. There are 2 waterfalls to see along this path. The first is the Twin Falls and is pretty easy to access. The second is Caveman Falls - which is a little more difficult to access. Point to note: you have to wade through the water to get there :)

Safety first along this path!! I'm not sure if the path has been "upgraded" since we've been there - but this is a plank bridge we walked across at some point.

A view of the Twin Falls.

There's a rope swing that you can use to plunge into the pool below the falls. Many people were swimming and swinging - but I didn't want to get soaked early into the trip :)

3) Waikamoi Falls - located around mile marker 10 near the Garden of Eden Arboretum. We didn't go into the garden, but you can see the falls without entry into the park.

4) Honomanu Bay - view from around mile marker 14. We stopped at this location but didn't go down to the black sand beach below. This is approx half way to Hana.

Also - when you rent a car for the drive, make sure it's a Jeep! That's what all the cool kids have :)

5) Keane Peninsula - Check out the power of the amazing waves against volcanic rock. This is located around mile 17. 

6) Upper Waikani Falls - located right off the road, just past mile marker 19. There is no parking right at the falls, but there is a turn off just down the road where you can park and walk. It makes for a quick stop.

7) Wai'anaepanapa State Park - There are no words for this amazing black sand beach at mile marker 32. There is tons to explore and you won't want to leave. So I'll leave that there and just post the pictures.

8) Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach - This was by FAR the BEST stop along the way. What's even more amazing, it's really hard to find, it's not widely published, it's dangerous to get to - but oh, so worth it! This is located at the end of Hana Road, which dead ends by a school and Hana Community Center. There is a path you can go down behind the school. That will get you to the first part of the red sand beach. Then, if you walk to the left (facing the water), you will come around a corner and there is a cliff base you can climb and walk across. Please note that there was a lot of gravel, and the path was NOT wide. I've since heard that some of the path has collapsed and it's even more difficult to get to. So - go at your own risk.