The Waihe'e Ridge Trail and Waihe'e Valley Trail are located on the north short
of West Maui, about a 20 minute drive from Kahului. If you are driving from
Kahului the trailheads for both of these hikes can be reached before Hwy 340
becomes a highway in name only. (Just past the trailhead to the Waihe'e Ridge
Trail the two-lane highway becomes a single-lane road that snakes along the
coast line.)
These are two separate hikes that you may choose to do in one day like I did
or split them up for separate days. I started the day with the Ridge Trail;
the Valley Trail was a pleasant reward for the completing the Ridge Trail. Both
of these trails are one way so you will be going in & out on the same path.
Waihe'e Ridge Trail
The trailhead for the Ridge Trail is at the road for the Maluhia Boy Scout
Camp, just before the mile marker along Hwy 340. There is a place to park your
car just off 340 or you can drive to the trailhead, another 9/10 of a mile up
this road. This trail starts at about 1,000 ft above sea level and climbs to
a hill called Lani-lini at 2,563 ft. Basically, as soon as you get out of the
car you are starting to walk up, more or less until you reach Lani-lini. This
trail will get your heart pumping and your calves burning.
This graph shows the elevation gain from
the
Waihe'e Ridge Trail trailhead to the summit.
A view of the Waihe`e Valley from
the ridge trail.
This trail is best attempted early in the morning. You'll find it to be an
easier climb before it gets too hot, particularly as you start the hike (it
gets cooler as you get higher). Also, later in the morning clouds can move in,
diminishing the stunning views that are to be had along this trail. Speaking
of views, you'll see Makamaka'ole Falls, the lush Waihe'e Valley, and in the
distance Haleakala, whose peak was poking out of the ring of cloud around its
base.
Waihe'e Valley Trail
You reach the trailhead for the Waihe'e Valley Trail by turning onto Waihe'e
Valley Road, just before the 5 mile marker on Hwy 340. The pavement ends 1/2
up the road. There is a small parking lot among the houses before you reach
the end of the pavement. If you have a 4wd or high-riding vehicle (or are not
too concerned about your rental car...) you may want to drive further along
the unpaved road. Go right along the unpaved road to start you way into the
valley.
While hiking along the Waihe`e Valley trail,
a dry
and oddly vaginal-looking Makamaka`ole Falls is
in the distance.
There were 2 swinging bridges on the trail
for
crossing the river.
This trail is a pleasant walk compared to the Ridge trail. After an initial,
gradual 300ft climb the trail levels out for most of the rest of the journey.
Along the way there are 4 rivers to cross. The first 2 rivers are crossed by
swinging bridges; the last two by boulder-hopping. At the end of the trail are
the 'Ali'ele Falls, a man-made pool that attracts a lot of visitors.
Trailmaps
Here area two maps of the hike generated by ExpertGPS using my GPS's breadcrumb
trail. The first map is a simple map of the trail; the second is the same data
superimposed on a topo map.
The Waihe'e Ridge Trail and Waihe'e Valley Trail are located on the north short of West Maui, about a 20 minute drive from Kahului. If you are driving from Kahului the trailheads for both of these hikes can be reached before Hwy 340 becomes a highway in name only. (Just past the trailhead to the Waihe'e Ridge Trail the two-lane highway becomes a single-lane road that snakes along the coast line.)
These are two separate hikes that you may choose to do in one day like I did or split them up for separate days. I started the day with the Ridge Trail; the Valley Trail was a pleasant reward for the completing the Ridge Trail. Both of these trails are one way so you will be going in & out on the same path.
Waihe'e Ridge Trail
The trailhead for the Ridge Trail is at the road for the Maluhia Boy Scout Camp, just before the mile marker along Hwy 340. There is a place to park your car just off 340 or you can drive to the trailhead, another 9/10 of a mile up this road. This trail starts at about 1,000 ft above sea level and climbs to a hill called Lani-lini at 2,563 ft. Basically, as soon as you get out of the car you are starting to walk up, more or less until you reach Lani-lini. This trail will get your heart pumping and your calves burning.
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| This graph shows the elevation gain from
the Waihe'e Ridge Trail trailhead to the summit. |
A view of the Waihe`e Valley from the ridge trail. |
This trail is best attempted early in the morning. You'll find it to be an easier climb before it gets too hot, particularly as you start the hike (it gets cooler as you get higher). Also, later in the morning clouds can move in, diminishing the stunning views that are to be had along this trail. Speaking of views, you'll see Makamaka'ole Falls, the lush Waihe'e Valley, and in the distance Haleakala, whose peak was poking out of the ring of cloud around its base.
Waihe'e Valley Trail
You reach the trailhead for the Waihe'e Valley Trail by turning onto Waihe'e Valley Road, just before the 5 mile marker on Hwy 340. The pavement ends 1/2 up the road. There is a small parking lot among the houses before you reach the end of the pavement. If you have a 4wd or high-riding vehicle (or are not too concerned about your rental car...) you may want to drive further along the unpaved road. Go right along the unpaved road to start you way into the valley.
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|
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| While hiking along the Waihe`e Valley trail,
a dry and oddly vaginal-looking Makamaka`ole Falls is in the distance. |
There were 2 swinging bridges on the trail
for crossing the river. |
This trail is a pleasant walk compared to the Ridge trail. After an initial, gradual 300ft climb the trail levels out for most of the rest of the journey. Along the way there are 4 rivers to cross. The first 2 rivers are crossed by swinging bridges; the last two by boulder-hopping. At the end of the trail are the 'Ali'ele Falls, a man-made pool that attracts a lot of visitors.
Trailmaps
Here area two maps of the hike generated by ExpertGPS using my GPS's breadcrumb trail. The first map is a simple map of the trail; the second is the same data superimposed on a topo map.
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