The Pīpīwai Trail starts from the Kīpahulu district of Haleakalā National Park — past Hāna town, on the way to Kaupō — and climbs roughly 800 feet over two miles through banyans and a famously photogenic bamboo forest, ending at 400-foot Waimoku Falls. It is one of the great hikes in Hawai‘i, and most visitors run out of road-trip stamina before they make it here.
What to know
- Cost: $30 per vehicle to enter the park (3-day pass) or America the Beautiful Pass.
- Distance: 4 miles round-trip, 2–4 hours.
- Best move: Plan it as a Hāna-day commitment, not an afternoon add-on. Pack lunch, leave Pāʻia by 6:30 AM.
- Swimming: No swimming under Waimoku itself — rockfall risk. The lower Oheo Gulch pools below the parking lot are sometimes open for swimming when ranger-approved.