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Explore Maui

Maui Parks & Natural Wonders

A volcano summit above the clouds, a black-sand beach, a bird refuge five minutes from your lanai. Maui's parks are the island's best value — most cost less than lunch.

Photo: Eric Tessmer, CC BY 3.0
0Parks & reserves
0Feet at the summit
0Need reservations
0Minutes to Kealia Pond

The parks are where Maui stops being a beach vacation and becomes somewhere you talk about for years. Watch sunrise from 10,023 feet, walk lava that is younger than the United States at La Perouse Bay, or stand on black sand at Waianapanapa.

The famous ones now take a little planning. Haleakala sunrise, Iao Valley and Waianapanapa all use advance reservation systems, and each page below explains what to book and when, so nothing surprises you at a gate.

Photo: Eric Tessmer, CC BY 3.0

01

National park, summit district · About 1 hr 45 min drive

Haleakala National Park

A 10,023-foot volcano with a crater like another planet, a sunrise that books out two months ahead, and the clearest night sky most visitors will ever stand under.

Read the full guide →

02

State monument, rainforest valley · About 30 minute drive

Iao Valley State Monument

A knife-cut green valley above Wailuku where the 1,200-foot Iao Needle rises out of the rainforest — sacred ground, an easy paved walk, and since 2023 a place you book before you go.

Read the full guide →
Photo: schuss42, CC BY-SA 3.0

03

State park, volcanic coastline · About 2.5 hours via Hana Hwy

Waianapanapa State Park

Maui's famous black sand beach near Hana: jet-black shore against impossibly blue water, sea caves and a lava tube — and a timed-entry reservation you must book before you drive out.

Read the full guide →
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0

04

Marine conservation district, islet · Boats leave 10 minutes away

Molokini Crater

A drowned volcanic crater three miles off the south shore, protected as a Marine Life Conservation District — reachable only by boat, at its glassy best in the first hours after sunrise.

Read the full guide →
Photo: Ekrem Canli, CC BY-SA 4.0

05

State park, undeveloped beach · About 25 minute drive

Makena State Park

South Maui before the resorts: well over half a mile of wide-open sand at Big Beach, a cinder cone at one end, no buildings in sight — and a modest visitor fee at the gate.

Read the full guide →

06

National wildlife refuge, wetland · 5 minutes up North Kihei Road

Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge

A protected wetland at the top of North Kihei where endangered Hawaiian stilts and coots live year-round — with a long, easy boardwalk, free entry, and no reservation required.

Read the full guide →
Above the cloud line at Haleakala — pack a real jacket, trust usPhoto: Eric Tessmer, CC BY 3.0

07

National park waterfall gulch · About 3 hours each way

Oheo Gulch

The famous tiered pools of Kipahulu, 12 miles past Hana in Haleakala National Park. The swimming is closed; the reasons are good; and the place is still worth every one of the 600 curves it takes to get there.

Read the full guide →

08

National park forest grove · 90 minute drive

Hosmer Grove

A half-mile loop at 6,800 feet where Maui’s native forest birds still come down to eye level. If you want to see a wild i’iwi without booking a guide, this little grove is the place.

Read the full guide →
Photo: KAP03, CC BY-SA 4.0

09

Lava coast and marine reserve · 35 minute drive

La Perouse Bay

The literal end of the road in South Maui: a bay carved into the island’s youngest lava flow, where spinner dolphins rest on calm mornings and the pavement gives way to the old King’s Highway.

Read the full guide →
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US

10

Upcountry display garden · 40 minute drive

Kula Botanical Garden

An upcountry hillside garden where proteas the size of dinner plates grow in air twenty degrees cooler than the beach. It is the easiest way to see the other Maui — the green, misty one halfway up the volcano.

Read the full guide →
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US

11

Native Hawaiian plant garden · 15 minute drive

Maui Nui Botanical Gardens

Five quiet acres in Kahului devoted to the plants Hawaiians actually lived on — kalo, ko, wauke, hala — plus rare natives you will not spot anywhere else on your trip. Small garden, big story.

Read the full guide →

The eleven parks side by side

ParkTypeBest forFrom the bungalowsParkingCost
Haleakala National ParkNational park, summit districtSunrise, crater views, stargazingAbout 1 hr 45 min driveSummit lots need a permit 3-7 amAbout $30 per car + $1 sunrise slot
Iao Valley State MonumentState monument, rainforest valleyIao Needle views, short paved walkAbout 30 minute drive$10 per car, reserved in advance$5 per person for non-residents
Waianapanapa State ParkState park, volcanic coastlineBlack sand beach, sea caves, coast walkAbout 2.5 hours via Hana Hwy$10 per car, advance reservation only$5 per person for non-residents
Molokini CraterMarine conservation district, isletSnorkeling and diving in clear waterBoats leave 10 minutes awayAt Maalaea Harbor or Kihei Boat RampBoat tour required, prices vary
Makena State ParkState park, undeveloped beachBig open sand, bodysurf watching, sunsetsAbout 25 minute drive$10 per car (non-residents), pay on arrival$5 per person for non-residents
Kealia Pond National Wildlife RefugeNational wildlife refuge, wetlandBirdwatching, easy boardwalk stroll5 minutes up North Kihei RoadFree lots at boardwalk and refuge HQFree
Oheo GulchNational park waterfall gulchWaterfall views, Pipiwai TrailAbout 3 hours each wayLarge lot at Kipahulu$30 per car, 3-day pass
Hosmer GroveNational park forest groveNative forest birds90 minute driveSmall lot at road's endPark entry, $30 per car
La Perouse BayLava coast and marine reserveMorning dolphin watching35 minute driveFree gravel lot at road's endFree at road's end
Kula Botanical GardenUpcountry display gardenProteas and cool air40 minute driveFree on-site lot$15 adults, $5 kids 6-12
Maui Nui Botanical GardensNative Hawaiian plant gardenCanoe plants and shade15 minute driveOn-site lot, Kanaloa Ave$10, under 12 free

Reservations and fees from Kihei

Three parks on this list need a booking before you drive. Haleakala’s summit takes a $1 sunrise reservation on recreation.gov for arrivals between 3:00 and 7:00 a.m.; tickets open 60 days ahead at 7:00 a.m. Hawai’i time, a second batch opens two days before each date, and you can hold one sunrise reservation per three-day period. The reservation is separate from the park entrance fee of $30 per private vehicle, which is valid for three days.

Wai’anapanapa asks visitors to reserve a timed parking slot online and pay $5 a person plus $10 a vehicle; Hawai’i residents with a state ID or driver’s license get in free. Iao Valley works the same way, with a reserved $10 parking pass and $5 a person for non-residents, and it is about 30 minutes from Kihei, so it fits a morning before lunch in Wailuku or Kahului.

Closer to home, nothing needs a reservation. Kealia Pond’s boardwalk is five minutes up North Kihei Road and free, and the Molokini boats leave from harbors about ten minutes away. Makena State Park collects its visitor fee ($5 a person, $10 a car) on arrival, and La Perouse Bay at the end of the road costs nothing.

More to explore

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Maui Trails

Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US
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Maui Beaches

Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 4.0
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Maui Restaurants

Photo: ImagePerson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Plan the trip

Maui Itineraries

Photo: Jonathanking, CC BY-SA 3.0

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