Pipiwai Trail
✓ Verified against the agency · NPSA 2-mile one-way trail through a dense bamboo forest to the 400-foot Waimoku Falls in the Kīpahulu district of Haleakalā National Park. The trail passes ancient banyan trees, crosses boardwalks through a towering bamboo grove, and ends at the base of one of Maui's tallest waterfalls. Do not swim under the falls — rockfall danger. Part of Haleakalā National Park ($30/vehicle entry). The Kīpahulu district is accessed from Hāna Highway, separate from the summit area.
Safety classification
Kipahulu District is normally open year-round; the trail is worst during and right after rain - the rock, roots and steps get slippery and the stream corridor becomes a flash-flood channel, so do not hike it in heavy rain or when streams are rising. NPS closed the Pools of 'Ohe'o to all entry indefinitely (drowning/rockfall history) - that closure stands regardless of season. Status 2026-08-23: Kipahulu reopened 8/21/26 after Tropical Cyclone Lala (while the Summit District stayed closed); check nps.gov/hale current conditions after any storm.
- ▲Flash floods and sudden rock falls - NPS: 'Flash floods and sudden rock falls can occur at any time!'; the trail parallels Pipiwai Stream to Waimoku Falls, which sits in a rockfall amphitheater
- ▲Water entry banned: the Pools of 'Ohe'o are 'not accessible for entry due to a number of safety concerns'; entering streams is where people have died here
- ▲Slippery footing when wet: unpaved, rocky, exposed roots, steep grades and multiple stair sets
- ▲Remoteness: NPS - 'Kipahulu is remote. Emergency medical assistance is at least one hour away'
4 mi round trip, ~800 ft gain, NPS rates it moderate (bamboo forest at 1 mi, Waimoku Falls at 2 mi). No guide or equipment beyond water, sun protection and grippy shoes. The classification trap on this trail is the water: the hike itself is a graded day-hike, but the stream and pools kill - stay on the trail, out of the water, and away from the base of Waimoku Falls. Kipahulu is reached via the Hana Highway, about 1.5-2 hours beyond Hana; hot, humid, rainy conditions are normal.