Pāʻia · RedAwning

Road to Hāna64.4 miles, 620 curves, 59 one-lane bridges, and a different waterfall every five minutes

The Hāna Highway (Hawaii Route 360) is a 64.4-mile coastal road from Kahului to the small town of Hāna on Maui's east side. King Pi'ilani built the original Alaloa stone trail along this route in the 16th century; the modern paved highway opened December 18, 1926. President Clinton designated it a Millennium Legacy Trail in 2000 and the National Register added it in 2001.

Hours todayOpen 24 hrs – undefinedThursday hours
TicketsFrom $5Waiʻānapanapa State Park
LocationPāʻia, HawaiiHawaii Route 360 (start at Pāʻia)
Official sitegohawaii.comPlan your visit

64.4 miLength one-way
59One-lane bridges
~620Curves
10–12 hrRoundtrip time

The Road to Hāna is technically Hawaii Route 360, a 64.4-mile two-lane road that crosses Maui's eastern flank from Kahului through the rainforest, past dozens of waterfalls, over 59 one-lane bridges (46 of them single-lane), and through roughly 620 curves to the small town of Hāna. The first paved version opened on December 18, 1926; the road follows King Piʻilani's 16th-century Alaloa stone trail almost step for step. President Clinton designated it a Millennium Legacy Trail in 2000 and the National Register added it the following year.

Most visitors aim for ten or twelve hours roundtrip, stopping at five to ten of the named pullouts: Hoʻokipa Beach (sea turtles haul out late afternoon), Twin Falls at mile 2 (the first easy waterfall), the Garden of Eden Arboretum at mile 10, the Keʻanae Peninsula taro fields at mile 16, the Halfway to Hana banana bread stand at mile 17, the Three Bears Falls at mile 19, the Waiʻānapanapa black-sand beach at mile 32, and the Pools of ʻOheʻo and Pīpīwai bamboo forest at mile 60 in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā. The drive ends in Hāna town — population 1,200, two restaurants, one general store, and a Hasegawa General Store sign that has been on every postcard since 1910.

Plan to leave Pāʻia by 7:00 AM at the latest. Fill up on gas before the start (no fuel between Pāʻia and Hana town, 50 miles), download offline maps (cell service drops past mile 16), and book Waiʻānapanapa State Park in advance for non-residents. Do not drive the road after dark — the curves are blind, the shoulders nonexistent, and the falling-rock zones unmarked. A standard rental car handles the entire route fine.

Twin Falls (mile 2)
The first roadside waterfall, ten minutes from the official trailhead at Wailele Farm. A short flat hike leads to a swimmable lower pool; a steeper climb reaches the upper falls. $10 suggested donation parking, fresh coconut water and banana bread at the farm stand.
Garden of Eden Arboretum (mile 10)
A 26-acre privately-owned tropical botanical garden with curated rainforest trails, ocean overlooks, and the Puʻu Kaʻeo waterfall used in the opening of Jurassic Park. $20 admission, open 9 AM–4 PM daily; the cliffside lookout is the most-photographed view on the highway.
Keʻanae Peninsula taro fields (mile 16)
A flat fingertip of lava rock thrust into the Pacific where Hawaiian families still farm taro in fields built by carrying basket-fulls of soil down over the bare rock. Stop at Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread (open 8:30 AM–2:30 PM) — the best $7 you'll spend on the drive.
Three Bears Falls (mile 19)
Three side-by-side cascades 15 feet off the highway shoulder, with a small pull-off and a 100-foot scramble down for the close-up shot. No facilities, no fees; the falls run year-round but flow is dramatic only after rain.
Waiʻānapanapa State Park black sand (mile 32)
The most photographed stop on the highway: a black-sand beach formed from eroded volcanic glass, set in a half-moon cove with sea caves and a freshwater pool legend says still flows red on certain nights. Reservations required for non-residents — book ahead at gostateparks.hawaii.gov.
Hāna Town and Hasegawa General Store
Population 1,200, two restaurants (Thai Food by Pranee, Hāna Ranch Restaurant), and the 1910 Hasegawa General Store — a four-aisle Hawaii institution selling everything from fishing line to Spam musubi. The end-of-the-road badge most Maui visitors come to earn.
Pools of ʻOheʻo and Pīpīwai Trail (mile 60)
Past Hāna, in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā NP. The pools cascade to the ocean below the visitor center; the four-mile Pīpīwai Trail climbs through a bamboo forest to 400-foot Waimoku Falls. Park entrance is $30 per vehicle (3-day pass) — same as the summit district 60 miles away.
Hoʻokipa Beach Park (pre-mile 0)
Before the milepost count begins, Hoʻokipa is the planet's premier windsurfing beach in the afternoon and Hawaii's most reliable green sea turtle haul-out spot in late afternoon. The lookout above the beach gives the wide-angle shot of the entire North Shore.

Open hours

The highway itself is a public road open 24/7. Most stops have daylight-only access. Do not drive after dark — the road is pitch black with no shoulder, and falling rocks plus narrow lanes raise the risk significantly.

MondayOpen 24 hrs
TuesdayOpen 24 hrs
WednesdayOpen 24 hrs
ThursdayTodayOpen 24 hrs
FridayOpen 24 hrs
SaturdayOpen 24 hrs
SundayOpen 24 hrs

Note · Waiʻānapanapa State Park (mile 32) requires advance non-resident reservations and parking permits. Twin Falls and the Kīpahulu District (Haleakalā NP) close at sunset.

Ticket pricing

Per-person admission. Buy in advance to skip the gate line.

Hana Highway DriveFreeFree public road — no entry fee, no permit required
Waiʻānapanapa State Park$5Per non-resident; advance reservation required
Waiʻānapanapa Parking$10Per non-resident vehicle; reserve ahead
Haleakalā NP — Kīpahulu$30Per vehicle; 3-day pass valid both park districts
Twin Falls$10Suggested donation parking, mile marker 2

Fill up on gas in Pāʻia or Kahului before starting — there is no fuel station between Pāʻia and Hana town (~50 miles). Cell service is patchy past mile 16; download offline maps before leaving. The narrow one-lane bridges have right-of-way rules: yield to oncoming local traffic.

Reserve Waiʻānapanapa

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