Hiking To Waimoku Falls On The Pipiwai Trail

The purpose of the hike did not include waterfall viewing…it was something else entirely.

For me, the hike wasn’t about seeing the waterfalls. It was about walking through the bamboo forest on Maui. After all, when one grows up near one of the arguably most impressive waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls, smaller falls don’t excite me that much.

On our second to last day on Maui in January 2022, my husband and I drove the road to Hana. Again, it wasn’t about making the drive — as some take it on almost like making a pilgrimage. It was about getting to the Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park.

The Pipiwai Trail goes through a bamboo forest in this national park. It was seeing the bamboo and being surrounded by it in this lush rainforest-type setting that sent us across the island of Maui and consequently had us viewing some fairly famous Hawaiian waterfalls, too.

Before beginning our hike, we stopped at both the visitor center and the wayside sign to get our bearings. The sign also shared some stern warnings. “People have died here:” — written in big letters.

Yikes! Where were we hiking that it was so dangerous?

Well, as it turns out — the trail itself is not a danger as long as you stay on it. The dangers and deaths occurred when people disregarded the warnings and waded out to the base of the waterfalls or swam in the Seven Sacred Pools. Swimming in the “pools” (a natural stepped set of waterfalls and pools of water) has been prohibited for years since a father and daughter were swept out to sea by a flash flood while wading in the pools.

My husband and I are conservative adventurers, so swimming or wading in off-limit areas was not a rule we would dare to challenge. On with our hike. Before reaching the bamboo forest, we passed our first waterfall, Makahiku Falls.

Makahiku Falls was only visible from a ridge on the trail. We knew when to look into the distance when we came across this wayside side. There was a small trickle of water flowing down the hillside — this was Makahiku Falls. It was less than thrilling.

Before long, we reached another waterfall. This one was unnamed. It was pretty and fuller but not as tall as Makahiku Falls.

Walking over a bridge, we had a better view of yet another waterfall, again unnamed. We had still not reached the bamboo forest. The waterfalls were nice, but I was excited to walk through the bamboo.

Soon, the trail led us into the bamboo. It was magical. The light played off the tubular stems and elongated leaves. As we walked on, the dirt trail became a raised boardwalk.

From a conservation standpoint, I was glad to see the boardwalk. There was a lot of erosion evident on the dirt trail. It was from foot traffic and heavy rains, both.

The Pipiwai Trails ends at Waimoku Falls, a stunning 400-foot waterfall. The hike is 1.8 miles in and 1.8 miles out — through the bamboo forest. There is an elevation gain of 800 feet. It is hot and humid — even in January.

We heard the waterfalls and felt the temperature drop as we neared it but before we could see it. Once visible, we also saw a congregation of people at the base. Most were respectful of the danger signs and warnings not to go up to the base of the falls.

Of course, some people ignored the signage and went off-trail up to the base of the falls. You can see the sign (barely) in the photo below, near the people who are being warned to not go any further.

Both of the waterfall signs warn visitors of the dangers of being too close to the water. In addition, it’s interesting that the Hawaiian names of both of these falls — Waimoku Falls and Makahiku Falls warn of the danger as well.

Having reached the waterfalls, we turned around and headed back the way we came, through the bamboo forest.

The visit to the waterfalls through the Bamboo Forest in Haleakala National Park was a bucket list item for me. Between hearing the soothing forest sounds made by the chiming bamboo and the urgent power of rushing water falling from the top of the volcano in gorgeous displays, I will always remember this day.

For more information about these waterfalls, you can visit the Haleakala National Park Page:

The Pipiwai Trail is located in the remote Kīpahulu District where the entrance is well past the town of Hana. It is a full-day trip from the Western side of Maui near Kapalua where we stayed. If you go — be prepared by checking what you need for this beautiful nature-filled hike.

This article was in response to the March Challenge on waterfalls by the Globetrotters publication on Medium.

For more waterfall inspiration check out these articles from some awesome globetrotter writers!

Allisonn Church writes about some beautiful waterfalls in Western Massachusettes with this article:

And The Travelling Programmer writes about waterfalls in Iceland — a place that is on my bucket list for sure!

Thank you, Globetrotter editors, for the monthly challenge! It’s always fun to participate!