In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Kahului via Paʻia and hundreds of bends to Hāna and Kīpahulu, through Upcountry to the 3,055-metre summit of Haleakalā and on to the west coast at Lahaina, Kāʻanapali and Kapalua: around 400 kilometres between rainforest, volcanic crater and reef bays.
The spirit of the route
The Road to Hāna is not a road you drive to get somewhere. Beyond Paʻia it narrows, clings to the northern flank of Haleakalā and winds through hundreds of bends over bridges that take only one vehicle at a time. Through the sliding door comes the smell of wet ferns and ripe guavas, a waterfall roars in every gorge, and between bamboo and rainbow eucalyptus the surf flashes far below. In Hāna time slows down; in Kīpahulu the rain falls into pools of lava. Two days later the same camper stands at over 3,000 metres before dawn, and beneath a sea of clouds the crater of Haleakalā turns red. Finally, on the dry west side, lies Lahaina, being rebuilt piece by piece after the 2023 fire – a place you approach as a guest with restraint. On Maui you sleep only with a permit.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Kahului to Hāna (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From the airport and the supermarkets in Kahului, head east on the Hāna Highway (Route 36) through Paʻia and Haʻikū; from Kaupakalua the road becomes Route 360 and the mile markers start again at zero. From here it gets narrow: around 600 bends and almost 60 bridges, many of them single-lane, hardly any shoulder, speeds mostly 10–25 mph. Pure driving time is a good 2.5 hours; with stops you need the whole day. Fill up and shop beforehand in Kahului or Paʻia; the next petrol station is in Hāna.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Paʻia and Hoʻokipa: the old plantation and surf town with wooden façades, then a few minutes further on the lookout above Hoʻokipa Beach Park, where windsurfers and surfers ride offshore and green sea turtles (honu) come ashore to rest in the afternoon. Keep at least 3 metres (10 ft) away; the stretch of beach with the animals is usually roped off.
- Twin Falls and Keʻanae: just past mile 2 on Route 360, a path across private land to several waterfalls (parking fee, follow the landowner’s rules); later the flat lava peninsula of Keʻanae with taro fields, black surf and the church Lanakila ʻIhiʻihi o Iēhova Ona Kaua, built of lava stone around 1860. Keʻanae is a lived-in Hawaiian village – drive slowly and don’t park in driveways.
- Waiʻānapanapa State Park just before Hāna: a beach of black lava pebbles (Paʻiloa), sea caves, a lava arch and a coastal path over sharp rock through naupaka and hala. Visitors without residence in Hawaiʻi need a parking reservation and an entry reservation for a time slot, at least one day in advance; no reservation, no entry.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Waiʻānapanapa State Park: tent sites and basic cabins on the cliff above the black beach, toilets, outdoor showers; book through the Hawaiʻi State Parks permit system, camping up to 90 days in advance. As at all State Park sites, sleeping in a vehicle is not allowed, not even in the car park – so with a campervan carry on to Kīpahulu (stage 2, about 16 kilometres past Hāna) or book your first night there directly.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no legal free camping spot along the Road to Hāna. Pull-outs, lookouts and roadsides are often full during the day and off-limits at night; much of the land is private, and unauthorised parking is towed. The access road to Waiʻānapanapa State Park is not a parking area either.
- Insider tip for campers
- Set off early – before 7 a.m. from Paʻia – and the bridges won’t yet belong to the tour buses. At single-lane bridges, whoever arrives first has priority; vehicles in a queue cross together, then the other side takes its turn. Let locals who are pressing behind you pass at the next pull-out. Pay cash for banana bread and fresh fruit at the roadside stands.
2Stage 2: Hāna to Kīpahulu (Haleakalā National Park) (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- A quiet day: through Hāna to the bay, then south on Route 31 (still called the Hāna Highway here, later the Piʻilani Highway), narrow and winding, with more single-lane bridges and waterfalls right beside the road. It is about 16 kilometres and half an hour’s drive to the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park. Hāna has a small petrol station and two general stores; the range is limited and pricier than in Kahului.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hāna: Hāna Bay with its beach park and landing, the memorial cross on Puʻu o Kahaula above the town, and the general store that has sold everything from fish hooks to bread for generations. Hāna is a small community with a strong Hawaiian way of life; quiet and restraint are part of it.
- Hāmoa Beach: a crescent-shaped bay of pale sand beneath steep cliffs, good for swimming on calm days, with heavy surf and currents in winter. Park only at the roadside in the marked areas.
- Kīpahulu and ʻOheʻo: the pools of ʻOheʻo Stream step down over lava rock to the sea; entering the stream is prohibited throughout the national park – including swimming in the pools, because of flash floods and rockfall. The Pīpīwai Trail leads about 6.5 kilometres there and back through a bamboo forest to the roughly 120-metre Waimoku Falls. The national park entrance pass is also valid for the Summit District.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Kīpahulu Campground (Haleakalā National Park): an open meadow above the rocky coast near the Visitor Center, 20 sites (15 drive-in, 5 walk-in, plus one group site), pit toilets, picnic tables, grills, no drinking water at the site – there is a water point at the Visitor Center. Book on Recreation.gov, 30 days ahead on a rolling basis; bring a printed confirmation. Maximum three consecutive nights and three nights per 30 days in the whole park. Vehicles park only on the assigned pads; travel trailers and pop-up campers are allowed there with a site reservation. Have the park and your rental company confirm whether you may sleep in a campervan on the booked drive-in site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the national park, too: overnight stays only on the reserved campground. Hāna Bay, Hāmoa and the pull-outs on Route 31 are not places to stay; in the town of Hāna there are checks at night.
- Insider tip for campers
- Kīpahulu is the wettest part of the route – pack insect repellent and a tarp for over the table. Walk the Pīpīwai Trail early in the morning, before the day visitors from Kahului arrive; after rain the stream rises quickly – keep away from the water. Fill up with water at the Visitor Center before moving on: on the way back there is no resupply until Ulupalakua or Hāna.
3Stage 3: Kīpahulu to Kula / Upcountry (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- Two ways back. The Piʻilani Highway (Route 31) via Kaupō and the dry southern flank of Haleakalā to Ulupalakua is about 65 kilometres long, single-lane in parts, without guardrails, with potholes, cattle grids and very rough surfaces in places; after heavy rain fords and rockfall are possible, and there is no mobile signal. Many rental agreements explicitly exclude this road – breaking the terms costs you insurance cover and breakdown assistance. If it is prohibited, go back along the Hāna Highway via Paʻia and up the Haleakalā Highway to Kula, about 140 kilometres and five hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Kaupō and Huialoha Church: a whitewashed mission church from the 1850s on a headland on the south coast, behind it the gap in the crater rim through which lava once flowed to the sea. The store in Kaupō opens only irregularly.
- Ulupalakua: ranch land at around 600 metres with views of Kahoʻolawe and Molokini; the winery on the ranch grounds has been the usual stop after the southern route for decades.
- Kula and Upcountry: cool highlands at 900–1,200 metres with vegetable fields, jacaranda and protea, the octagonal Holy Ghost Church in Waiakoa and views across the isthmus to the West Maui Mountains. Parts of Kula also burned in August 2023; burned-out properties are private.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hosmer Grove Campground (Haleakalā National Park): a small campground with six sites on a meadow in the Summit District at almost 2,130 metres (nearly 7,000 ft), at the edge of an old experimental forest of conifers and native shrubland; each site has a picnic table, grill and drinking water, pit toilets at the car park. Vehicles park in the designated spaces of the paved car park. Book on Recreation.gov and bring a printed confirmation; the three-night rule applies jointly with Kīpahulu. The campground lies in the cloud belt and rain is frequent. At night it can cool to near freezing. Polipoli Springs State Recreation Area in the Kula Forest Reserve can only be reached by four-wheel drive, is off-limits for rental campervans and, as a State Park, does not allow sleeping in vehicles anyway.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Upcountry is privately owned farm and ranch land; side roads and lookouts on the Haleakalā Highway are not places to stay. In the national park, overnight stays at lookouts and in car parks are prohibited, even while waiting for sunrise.
- Insider tip for campers
- Pukalani and Kula have petrol stations and supermarkets – fill up here for the summit, as there is neither fuel nor food in the national park. If you are allowed to drive the Piʻilani Highway, drive it westbound from Kīpahulu: that way your lane is on the mountain side along the cliff sections.
4Stage 4: Haleakalā summit to Papalaua (West Maui) (approx. 110 km)
- The drive
- From Hosmer Grove or Kula, take the Haleakalā Crater Road (Route 378) up some 30 switchbacks to the summit: well built but without guardrails, with groups of cyclists, nēnē on the road and darkness on the sunrise drive. Drive downhill in a low gear to spare the brakes. Afterwards, via Pukalani and Kahului on the Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30) to the dry west side and along the Pali cliffs to Papalaua beach park. Driving time without stops about 2.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Puʻuʻulaʻula, the summit of Haleakalā at 3,055 metres (10,023 ft): sunrise over the sea of clouds and the crater. Access between 3 and 7 a.m. requires a per-vehicle reservation on Recreation.gov, in addition to the entrance fee; part of the allocation is released at short notice a few days beforehand. According to the national park, if you have booked Hosmer Grove you also get the sunrise reservation for the following morning.
- Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands Trail): the path leads from the Visitor Center into the crater between red and black cinder cones; even the first two kilometres show the landscape. The way back is steep and strenuous in the thin air – allow plenty of time and water.
- ʻĀhinahina (Haleakalā silversword) and nēnē: the silvery rosette plant grows only up here and flowers once in its life; the Hawaiian goose often crosses the road. Don’t touch the plants, don’t feed the geese.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Papalaua Wayside Park (County of Maui): a narrow beach park under kiawe trees between the Honoapiʻilani Highway and the sea south of Olowalu, with road noise and very basic: portable toilets only, no drinking water, no electricity. Permit holders park on the assigned camping spaces; camping is not allowed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Get a permit in advance from the County of Maui park permit office; ask about the conditions for vehicles when you apply. Alternative: Camp Olowalu, a privately run site by the sea at mile 14 with toilets and showers; check with the operator beforehand whether and on what terms campervans are accepted, and book directly with them.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): West Maui and the Pali stretch are checked at night; sleeping in vehicles on beaches, at lookouts such as Papawai or McGregor Point and in public car parks is prohibited. Since the 2023 fire, housing and parking around Lahaina are particularly scarce – wild camping here directly affects people still waiting to return.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before sunrise the summit is often only a few degrees above zero, and with wind it feels colder – take a hat, gloves and sleeping bag in the car. The sunrise reservation is valid only for the booked date; the holder must be present at the entrance with photo ID and the confirmation. Between December and April, look out for humpback whales from the Pali section, but stop only in designated pull-outs.
5Stage 5: Papalaua to Kapalua (via Lahaina and Kāʻanapali) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- North on the Honoapiʻilani Highway (Route 30): two lanes, 35–45 mph, past Olowalu and on the Lahaina Bypass above the town to its northern edge, then on along Route 30 to Kāʻanapali, then through resort land and pineapple fields to Kapalua. A short drive, plenty of time for beach and reef. Continuing on the Kahekili Highway (Route 340) around the northern tip is single-lane in parts, without guardrails and excluded in many rental agreements; for the return to Kahului take the same route via Route 30.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lahaina: the former royal capital and whaling port burned almost completely on 8 August 2023; around a hundred people died. Parts of Front Street are open to traffic again, some streets by the harbour remain closed for construction, and short-notice closures are possible. The banyan tree by the harbour survived the fire and is sprouting again; the park around it may be fenced off for its protection. Check the current situation with the County of Maui; don’t enter closed areas or private property, don’t photograph ruins or rebuilding sites, and support the businesses that have reopened.
- Kāʻanapali and Puʻu Kekaʻa (Black Rock): lava rocks at the northern end of the beach where, according to Hawaiian tradition, souls leap into the afterlife. Snorkel along the rocks when the sea is calm; public access points with limited, partly paid parking.
- Kapalua and Honolua Bay: the sheltered Kapalua Bay with its coastal path over lava, and further north Honolua Bay, a Marine Life Conservation District, reached by a short forest path from Route 30. A big-wave surf spot in winter, a snorkelling bay in summer; take nothing, don’t stand on the coral.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For the last night, go back to Papalaua Wayside Park or Camp Olowalu; there is no campground in Kāʻanapali or Kapalua. If you are returning the vehicle at Kahului airport, allow about an hour’s drive from Kapalua, more in rush-hour traffic along the Pali cliffs.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Resort car parks, beach access points and the pull-outs at Honolua are closed at night or private; sleeping in a vehicle is expressly prohibited here. The Lahaina burn zone is not a place to stop outside the roads and car parks that have been opened.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Lahaina, don’t stop at the roadside to look – it blocks construction traffic and residents. Better to park in Kāʻanapali and explore the reopened part of Lahaina on foot. In Kāʻanapali and Nāpili, supermarkets exist only as expensive convenience stores; do your big shop beforehand in Kahului.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Hawaiʻi has no BLM land and no dispersed camping. On Maui, overnight stays are allowed only with a permit at designated sites: Papalaua Wayside Park (County of Maui, permit from the park permit office), State Parks such as Waiʻānapanapa and Polipoli Springs (Hawaiʻi State Parks permit system, Department of Land and Natural Resources; tent or cabin only, no sleeping in vehicles, not even in the car park) and the NPS campgrounds Kīpahulu and Hosmer Grove in Haleakalā National Park (Recreation.gov).
- Sleeping in a vehicle on beaches, on roads, at lookouts and in car parks is not allowed on Maui; police and parking enforcement check at night, and wrongly parked vehicles on the Road to Hāna are towed. Permits must be shown on request.
- Waiʻānapanapa: visitors without residence in Hawaiʻi need a parking reservation and an entry reservation for a time slot via the Hawaiʻi State Parks reservation portal, no earlier than 30 days and no later than one day in advance; the parking reservation covers only the driver, and every additional person needs an entry ticket. No rebooking, no refunds.
- Haleakalā National Park: sunrise reservation (3–7 a.m.) per vehicle on Recreation.gov, in addition to the entrance fee; a camping reservation at Hosmer Grove includes it for the following morning. Entering the stream at Kīpahulu is prohibited. Campgrounds: maximum three consecutive nights and three nights per 30 days. In 2026 the NPS introduced higher prices and surcharges for visitors without US residence; check on nps.gov what applies at Haleakalā.
- Rental campervans: rental companies allow overnight stays only at approved sites and often exclude the Piʻilani Highway between Kīpahulu and Ulupalakua, the Kahekili Highway around the northern tip and all unpaved tracks. Read your rental agreement before planning your route.
- Lahaina and Kula: after the fires of August 2023, many properties are still construction sites or private land being rebuilt. Respect barriers, signs and the community’s requests; no drones, no disaster tourism.
- Cultural sites: heiau, burial sites and lava fields are sacred – don’t enter where it is prohibited, and don’t stack or take stones. Taking sand, lava rock or coral is prohibited.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium and The Dyrt; Park4Night plays practically no role in Hawaiʻi. Download offline maps – there is often no signal on the Road to Hāna and the Piʻilani Highway.
Waste disposal & supplies
- There are practically no public dump stations on Maui; rental campervans usually have no built-in toilet – empty grey water and cassettes as instructed by the rental company. Draining onto beaches, lava, into streams or storm drains is prohibited.
- Drinking water: Kīpahulu has no water at the site, only at the Visitor Center; Papalaua has no drinking water. Hosmer Grove has drinking water at the sites. Refill at supermarkets and water vending machines in Kahului, Paʻia, Pukalani and Lahaina. Water from streams and pools can transmit leptospirosis.
- Gas: campervans usually cook with butane canisters or small propane bottles; canisters may not travel by air and are bought on the island, most easily in Kahului.
- Shopping and fuel: large supermarkets and warehouse stores only in Kahului; smaller shops in Paʻia, Pukalani, Kula and Lahaina. Petrol stations in Kahului, Paʻia, Hāna and Pukalani – none between Paʻia and Hāna or between Hāna and Ulupalakua. Fuel is considerably more expensive than on the mainland.
- Electricity: County, State and NPS campgrounds have no hook-ups; plan to run your cool box and devices from the vehicle battery or a solar panel.
- Rubbish: take your waste with you where there are no bins. Clean your shoes before hikes in forest areas so as not to spread the fungal disease Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: on Maui mostly 35–55 mph, 25–35 mph in towns; on the Road to Hāna often only 10–25 mph. Roads are mostly two-lane without shoulders, and overtaking is rarely possible.
- Single-lane bridges: observe the “Yield” sign; whoever reaches the bridge first goes, oncoming traffic waits at the stop line. Never stop on bridges or in bends; take photos only from paved pull-outs.
- In Hawaiʻi, phones may be used at the wheel only hands-free; seat belts are compulsory in all seats. There are no tolls, vignettes or low-emission zones.
- Haleakalā Crater Road: an elevation gain of around 3,000 metres from the sea to the summit; use a low gear downhill and overtake groups of cyclists only with plenty of space. Because of the altitude, wait at least 24 hours after diving; pregnant women and people with heart or breathing problems should take care.
- Marine wildlife: keep at least 3 metres (10 ft) from sea turtles, around 15 metres (50 ft) from monk seals, 45 metres (50 yards) from spinner dolphins and 90 metres (100 yards) from humpback whales. Harassment is prosecuted under federal law.
- Sea and weather: strong currents and surf, especially in winter on the north coast and at Honolua; on the Road to Hāna, flash floods in streams and rockfall after heavy rain. Hurricane season 1 June to 30 November; note tsunami sirens and evacuation zones.
- Sun protection: Hawaiʻi bans the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate; use mineral sunscreen.
- Emergency: 911. Mobile coverage is mostly good in Kahului, Upcountry and on the west coast; long stretches without signal on the Road to Hāna, at Kīpahulu and on the Piʻilani Highway.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Down jacket, hat and gloves: at the Haleakalā summit it is near freezing before sunrise, while Kahului was at 30 degrees the day before.
- Rain jacket and insect repellent: the Road to Hāna and Kīpahulu are among the wettest parts of Maui, and mosquitoes bite in the rainforest and bamboo.
- Printed reservations: Kīpahulu requires the confirmation on paper, and for Waiʻānapanapa and the sunrise there is no signal on the way to reload them.
- 20-litre water container: Kīpahulu has no water at the site, and there is hardly any resupply between Paʻia, Hāna and Ulupalakua.
- Water shoes and sturdy hiking boots: for the lava pebbles at Waiʻānapanapa, the muddy Pīpīwai Trail and the cinder path in the crater.
- Mineral sunscreen, rash guard and snorkel mask: for Puʻu Kekaʻa and Honolua, where the reefs can’t tolerate chemical filters.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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