The park includes … seabird colonies, anchialine pools, native hala (Pandanus tectorius) forest, caves, heiau (religious temple), a natural arch, sea stacks, blowholes and a small black sand beach….
You can walk to Hana (3mi) along the coast, if you like. I walked most of that, often closer to the water than the official trail. Some call this the WAI’ANAPANAPA COASTAL TRAIL.
A few pics:
Close to the parking lot, the most popular attraction is this black sand beach.
All very pretty. Especially the contrasting bright green vegetation against dark black lava stone.
I’m happy to report that the most popular hike on Maui is one of the best walks in the world. Greeting the dawn atop this volcano is one of the ultimate Hawaiian experiences.
My down parka was most useful at that cold altitude. (Many tourists are under dressed, wrapped in beach towels and hotel blankets.)
… next day climbed the remaining nine thousand feet, and anchored on the summit, where we built a fire and froze and roasted by turns, all night. …
Mark Twain
Soon after dawn it’s time to begin the famed Sliding Sands trail.
From Trailspotting:
Explore cinder cones and lava flows in the desolate basin of Maui’s Haleakala, possibly the largest dormant volcano on the planet.
Formed by erosion rather than volcanic activity, the valley at the summit of Haleakala boasts much to marvel at, and the packed cinder and soil underfoot makes for a relatively easy hike. Here you’ll find the silversword, an endangered plant found nowhere else on Earth with an alien appearance that compounds the other-worldly appearance of this remote location.
Ascending and looping up the mountain, the road to Haleakala National Park is equally spectacular, climbing through the clouds to the summit. Watch out for tour groups of cyclists on this road who freewheel down the mountain. These popular tours begin in the early hours of the morning so they can witness the sunrise over the island from the summit before they begin their two-wheeled kamikaze return back down the volcano. …
I went as far as the cinder cone of Ka Lu’u o ka O’o (spelling varies) and backtracked to my vehicle. That’s about 4mi (6.4km).
No need to go that far, however. The views are great everywhere … if the vista is clear. Go as far as you want. Savvy hikers check the weather report in advance before making the long, dangerous drive to the summit.
On a nice day you can see a big island volcano.
Views over Maui are impressive too.
Be aware of various dumb, inevitably endangered birds that chase tourists for handouts. They tend to get run over on this highway, as do the downhill cyclists. And cows.
… At 158m the Blackpool Tower is pretty high, and for some climbers the thought of climbing an iconic structure is irresistible. Obviously we are not suggesting that anyone should go out and illegally climb a tower. But, if you could climb any tower, legally, in complete safety and with appropriate climbing gear, which tower would you climb?
… a proposal to conduct large-scale agriculture in urban high-rises or “farmscrapers”. Using recycled resources and greenhouse methods such as hydroponics, these buildings would produce fruit, vegetables, edible mushrooms and algae year-round. …
The editor of the CheapTents.com Outdoor Gear Blog proposes we build them so they can be used for fitness, as well. Great idea.
The vegetarian restaurant at Pilgrim’s Book House. If you’re into trekking, climbing or spirituality, this is one of the best bookstores in the world.
I picked up a classic, Nepal Himalaya by H.W. Tilman (1952). Some reading to supplement my audio books. I’ll need it during my acclimatization days at altitude.
Still, I contacted 3 dentists by email looking for an appointment in the following two days.
Dental Spa gave me the most specific response, including expected prices. (US$20 if it was a simple recementing.) I like their website best, too. It had testimonials from other tourists and looked very good based on the photos.
Dental Spa fit me in immediately. I had the crown attached and some additional cosmetic work fixing two chips.
That got me thinking, … hikers looking for an excuse to come to Nepal should schedule dental work months in advance. IF you can save on overpriced dentists in your own country, it will help subsidize your adventure in the world’s highest peaks.
Here’s my testimonial:
In Nepal for trekking I needed some dental work done fast. I was very happy with Dental Spa and the work they did on my teeth, short notice. There was no language barrier. The dentist speaks excellent English. I would recommend this office to any and all visiting the Himalayan kingdom.
I’ll try for the most difficult of the “established” treks in the Everest region.
To the seekers of adventure and authenticicity, this is an ultimate trek, that will take you throught the famous three passes of Everest , namely the Renjo La pass, the Cho La pass and the Kongma La pass. It is a trek with unparalled alpine beauty and without doubt the grandest mountain scenery on the world.The highlights of the trek include the Sherpa village of Khumjung, the pristine Gokyo lake, the breathtaking scenery fron the all these passes and the vist to Everest base camp. Unlike other treks in Everest region , this trek makes a loop , hence no tracing back of the route. The good thing about this trek is despite having to cross three passes , you do not require any technical climbing and any person with good fitness and previous trekking experience can complete the trek successfully. …
I did an overgrown and little known hike on Maui. It’s one of the ways to get high up the steep walls of the Iao Valley.
The goal is this crucifix erected and maintained by High School students.
This trip report I put up merely to document how to get to the cross as there are no other reports online.
Ask locals in Wailuku town to tell you the correcttelephone pole marking the start of the trail to the Cross.
IF you find the right pole, the ascent is pretty straightforward.
The highlight, for me, were views back towards town.
What I had hoped to like better were the vistas down into the wonderful Iao Valley.
Unfortunately I never really got high enough for the best valley vista. The trail above the Crucifix quickly disintegrates. Long pants are recommended for this walk.
I’m not even sure hikers are officially allowed to hike here in the West Maui Forest Reserve.
besthike.com 