Best Hikes and Scenic Spots in Upcountry Maui

Which Hike Is Right for You?

• Kids: Waihou's upper loop, when reopened and dry.
• Strollers: none of the forest trails. Use Harold Rice Park for an easy scenic stop.
• A real workout: Kahakapao for most people; the Boundary Trail for experienced hikers who want a long, remote day.
• Views without much walking: Harold Rice Memorial Park.
• Light rain: Thompson Road is paved, but it's a public road, not a trail. In heavy rain, skip Upcountry hiking rather than forcing it.
• After Haleakalā sunrise: Hosmer Grove, because you're already inside the park on the way down.

Scenic Upcountry Stops That Aren't Hikes

Harold Rice Memorial Park: Best Legal Scenic Stop

The cleanest answer when someone wants a panoramic Upcountry view without hunting for a questionable shoulder. One public lot with 18 spaces, open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., with restrooms, water and picnic tables. Minimal walking. Good for families, strollers, picnics and the view. It's on Lower Kula Road near Mile Marker 13.

MauiBookIt take: If someone asks where to pull over for an Upcountry view, send them here. A legal lot, room to sit, and a better setup than stopping on a narrow road.

Open pasture, Upcountry

Thompson Road: Scenic Public Road, Not a Trailhead

Thompson Road is a beautiful public road through private ranchland. It has no hiking lot, and most of the roadside belongs to the neighboring properties. Don't block gates, mailboxes or driveways; don't pull onto grass or ranch entrances; don't climb fences or follow paths into fields; and don't treat "park anywhere along the road" as advice. Kēōkea Park is the nearest dependable public parking, two small lots with 12 marked spaces. Don't use Grandma's Coffee House parking for a walk unless you're a customer.

MauiBookIt take: Thompson Road is lovely, but it's not a trail with easy roadside parking. Drive it slowly, respect the ranches, and use Rice Park when the group mainly wants the view.

Kula Lodge

Kula Lodge is not a public overlook. Use the parking only while staying there or using an open business; the marketplace and food truck have been the reliable part, so check before you count on the restaurant. Don't send people there just to use the lot and take pictures.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park

A useful legal stop on the Kula–ʻUlupalakua drive. A small lot for about six cars, open about 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., about 0.1 mile of paved walking. Good for a quick view, a history stop, or a break for someone who can't hike.

Hosmer Grove and Waikamoi: Where They Belong

Hosmer Grove is inside Haleakalā National Park, past the entrance station, so it's a natural stop after sunrise, sunset or a summit visit rather than a core Upcountry hike. It's a 0.54-mile loop, 30–45 minutes, easy but not smooth enough for a stroller, with a paved lot at the campground and picnic area. Park admission applies; camping needs a reservation. It sits near 7,000 feet, so expect cold, mist and wind. Full details are in our Haleakalā guide.

Waikamoi Ridge Trail is reached from the Hāna Highway and belongs in a Road to Hāna day, so it lives in our Road to Hāna hikes guide. Don't confuse it with Waikamoi Preserve, which is protected land with controlled access: never follow unofficial directions into the preserve or assume an unmarked road is public.

Sliding Sands is a Haleakalā National Park hike and stays fully covered in the Haleakalā guide rather than repeated here.

Haleakalā. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

Upcountry Trails Compared

1. Kahakapao Loop: Best Real Upcountry Hike

This is the first actual hike we'd recommend in Upcountry. It's long enough to feel worthwhile, almost entirely forested, and far easier to combine with Makawao than a trip to Polipoli.

• Distance: About 5.75 miles round trip, East and West loops together.
• Time: Allow 2½–3½ hours.
• Difficulty: Moderate. About 975 feet of climbing, a long steady uphill rather than one brutal pitch.
• Trailhead: End of Kahakapao Road in Makawao Forest Reserve, via Piʻiholo Road and Waiahiwi Road.
• Parking: The upper lot near the recreation area holds about 25 cars. A separate lower area is for horse trailers.
• Gate: Automatic gate, open about 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Permit or fee: None for day hiking.
• Conditions: Muddy and slippery after sustained rain. It's a shared trail system, so listen for mountain bikes and stay off the bike-only side trails.
• Status: Closed for storm-damage repairs as of Oct 2026. See the notice at the top.

MauiBookIt take: This is the Upcountry hike we'd plan a morning around. Do the full loop once the trail has had time to dry, then stop in Makawao for breakfast or lunch.

2. Waihou Spring Trail: Best Short Forest Walk

Waihou is the better choice when you want an hour in the forest rather than a half-day hike. The thing to understand is the difference between the easy upper loop and the much steeper spur down into the gulch.

• Distance: About 1¼ miles for the approach and upper loop; about 1.7–2 miles with the spring and gulch spur.
• Time: 45–60 minutes for the upper loop; 1½–2 hours with the gulch.
• Difficulty: Easy on the upper loop. The spring spur drops about 600 feet on steep switchbacks and is not an easy family add-on.
• Trailhead: Off Olinda Road, about five miles above Makawao.
• Parking: Small area outside the gate, roughly a dozen cars. Not a big trailhead lot.
• Gate: Daylight hours; follow the posted gate.
• Permit or fee: None.
• Conditions: The upper forest holds moisture. After rain, roots, steps and the gulch switchbacks get slick. Skip the spur rather than assuming a short trail is automatically safe.
• Status: Closed for storm-damage repairs as of Oct 2026. See the notice at the top.

MauiBookIt take: Do the upper loop for a short, cool forest walk. Only go down toward the spring when the ground is dry and everyone is happy climbing the same steep trail back out.

3. Polipoli: Best High-Elevation Forest, When It Reopens

Polipoli is one of Maui's most unusual settings, but it is not a casual add-on. The drive is long, the last stretch needs a real four-wheel-drive vehicle, and it's colder and more remote than people expect.

• Distance: About 3½–5 miles, depending on how you combine the Redwood, Plum, Polipoli and Haleakalā Ridge trails.
• Time: 2–3 hours once you're at the trailhead.
• Difficulty: Moderate, with roots, rolling climbs and about 6,200 feet of elevation.
• Trailhead: Inside Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area at the end of Waipoli Road.
• Parking: Small campground and trail area. There is no big paved lot.
• Road: The upper unpaved part of Waipoli Road requires four-wheel drive. An AWD crossover is not the same thing, and most rental agreements don't allow it off pavement.
• Hours: Normally 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Permit or fee: No day-use fee. Camping needs a reservation.
• Conditions: Fog, rain and cold arrive fast. Winter nights can drop below freezing, and hunters may be present, so wear bright clothing.
• Status: Polipoli and the surrounding Kula Forest Reserve are closed as of Oct 2026. See the notice at the top.

MauiBookIt take: Worth the effort if you specifically want a high-elevation forest day and have the right vehicle. Not where we'd send someone looking for a quick hike between breakfast and the beach.

4. Boundary Trail: A Real Workout, Not a Polipoli Shortcut

The Boundary Trail is part of the Kula–Polipoli trail system, not Haleakalā National Park. Treat it as a remote hike, not a way around the four-wheel-drive road.

• Distance: About 4.4 miles one way; an out-and-back can reach 9 miles.
• Time: 4–6 hours for a full out-and-back.
• Difficulty: Strenuous, with sustained elevation change in a remote forest.
• Trailhead: Near where the paved part of Waipoli Road gives way to the rough access road.
• Parking: A small roadside pullout only.
• Permit or fee: None.
• Conditions: Cold, fog, mud and little or no phone signal. Carry an offline map and turn around before the weather closes in.
• Status: Do not use it to enter the closed Kula Forest Reserve or Polipoli.

MauiBookIt take: For strong hikers who want a long Upcountry workout. Most visitors get a better day from Kahakapao without the remote access, weather and vehicle complications.

What We'd Skip

• Any closed forest reserve. Don't walk around a locked gate or use an unofficial road to get in.
• Polipoli until it reopens. A capable vehicle doesn't override a closure.
• The Boundary Trail as a workaround. It enters the same closed forest.
• Waihou's gulch spur after rain. The switchbacks, roots and rocks get slick.
• Kahakapao right after sustained rain. Mud damages the trail and makes the long descent less fun.
• Waikamoi Preserve without authorised access. It's not an open hiking area.
• Private ranch roads, fields and overlooks. A social-media pin doesn't create public access.
• Random Thompson Road parking. Don't block a gate, driveway or travel lane.
• Kula Lodge as free lookout parking. Stop only while using an open business.

Before You Go

Do I need four-wheel drive?

Not for Kahakapao, Waihou, Hosmer Grove, Rice Park, Thompson Road or the ordinary paved Upcountry drive. A true four-wheel-drive vehicle is required for the upper Polipoli road when the area is open. Don't assume a rental-company AWD is allowed up there; check the rental agreement before leaving pavement.

How cold does Upcountry Maui get?

It depends on elevation. Makawao and lower Kula are often 5–15°F cooler than the beach, especially in shade or rain. Waihou sits around 4,000 feet: bring a light layer and a rain shell. Polipoli is around 6,200 feet and can feel 20–30°F cooler than the coast, with fog, wind and very cold winter nights. The Haleakalā summit is often near freezing around sunrise, colder with wind. Keep a jacket and a dry layer in the car even when you leave Kīhei or Wailea in warm sunshine.

Is there cell service?

Don't depend on it. Coverage is generally fine around Makawao, Kula and the main highways, inconsistent inside the Waihou and Makawao forests, and increasingly unreliable toward Polipoli. Download maps before you leave town, tell someone the plan, and keep enough daylight to find the way back.

Can I do an Upcountry hike after Haleakalā sunrise?

Yes, but pick by how tired everyone is. Easiest: Hosmer Grove on the drive down. A shorter second stop: Waihou's upper loop, when open and dry. A longer day: Kahakapao, only if the group slept and wants another 2½–3½ hours on foot. Not recommended: adding Polipoli or the Boundary Trail after sunrise; the driving and access turn it into a needlessly long day. A sunrise reservation is only for entering the park in the sunrise window; Hosmer Grove needs normal park admission and no separate reservation afterwards.

Two people at Haleakalā summit sunrise. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

One Last Tip

Relax and let the mountain decide. If the summit is in cloud and the forest is wet, Rice Park, a slow drive to ʻUlupalakua and lunch in Makawao make a better Upcountry day than a muddy loop.

Check before you go: Haleakalā conditions (NPS) · Forest reserve closures (DLNR) · Weather warnings (NWS)

What is the best hike in Upcountry Maui?

Kahakapao Loop in Makawao Forest Reserve: about 5.75 miles, 2½–3½ hours, moderate, forested, with a 25-car lot and no fee. For a short walk, Waihou Spring's upper loop takes about an hour. Both are closed for storm repairs as of Oct 2026; check the closure status before you go.

Do you need 4WD for Polipoli?

Yes. The upper unpaved part of Waipoli Road requires a true four-wheel-drive vehicle, and most rental agreements don't allow AWD crossovers off pavement. Polipoli is closed as of Oct 2026.

Where can I get an Upcountry view without hiking?

Harold Rice Memorial Park on Lower Kula Road near Mile Marker 13: an 18-space public lot, restrooms, picnic tables and a wide view, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun Yat-sen Park is a smaller stop farther along the Kula–ʻUlupalakua drive.