Maui’s Road to Hana Is One of the Most Beautiful Road Trips in the U.s.

Some roads take you locations, after which there are roads that transport you—the Highway to Hana is the latter.

This 64.4-mile highway connects the towns of Kahului and Hana through a slim, largely two-lane highway that’s identified for its 620 curves and 59 scenic bridges. You may wish to take this drive slowly, ideally together with your home windows rolled down and your senses large open. This slim ribbon of asphalt unfolds alongside Maui’s untamed jap shoreline, reducing via thick, inexperienced rainforest. As you drive alongside, waterfalls spill down moss-covered cliffs, and the ocean sprawls all the way in which out to the horizon.

Driving the Highway to Hana is all about embracing island time. The drive can take wherever between two to 4 hours to finish as a result of quite a few hairpin turns and one-lane bridges (in addition to the unavoidable urge to drag over and snap a photograph). These keen to embrace the unhurried rhythm of the journey will be capable to see black, purple, and white sand seashores and catch glimpses of Hawaii in its purest form—uncooked, breathtaking, and delightful.

The preferred option to make the journey is by beginning in Kahului on the northern coast of Maui and driving (because the title implies) to the tiny city of Hana, thought-about to be one of the crucial remoted communities within the state and, subsequently, one of many final “unspoiled” elements of Hawaii.

When you arrive within the tiny city of Hana, you’ll be able to take in the solar at Waiʻanapanapa State Park, identified for its black sand seaside, or go to the state’s largest and finest preserved Hawaiian temple, Pi’ilanihale Heiau. For mountain climbing, proceed south past Hana to the outskirts of Haleakala National Park the place you’ll discover the Pipiwai Path that results in the 400-foot-tall Waimoku Falls.

Since this highway journey is so standard, guests are strongly inspired to depart their rental automobile on the lodge and ebook a tour. Becoming a member of a tour not solely alleviates visitors on the highway and reduces your carbon footprint, however you received’t should take care of the stress of driving this notoriously difficult highway. A tour information can even give perception into the encircling areas and communities—plus, they’re going to in all probability know the place the perfect photograph alternatives are. Hana and Beyond and Valley Isle Excursions are each nice, Hawaiian-owned choices.