Koʻolau Ditch

The Road to Hana


For more than a century the Koʻolau Ditch has been carrying up to 450 million gallons of water a day through 75 miles of flumes and tunnels from Maui’s rainy interior to the dry central plains. You can get a close-up look by stopping at the small pull-off just before the bridge that comes up immediately after the 8-mile marker. Just 30ft above the road you’ll see water flowing through a hand-hewn, stone-block section of the ditch before tunneling into the mountain.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Road to Hana attractions

1. Waikamoi Falls

0.95 MILES

There’s only space for a few cars before the bridge at the 10-mile marker, but unless it’s been raining recently don’t worry about missing this one. The…

2. Garden of Eden Arboretum

1.38 MILES

Why pay a steep $15 per person – not per carload, mind you – to visit an arboretum when the entire Road to Hana is a garden? Well, the garden does offer a…

3. Puohokamoa Falls

1.62 MILES

Immediately after the 11-mile marker you’ll pass Puohokamoa Falls. This waterfall no longer has public access, but you can get a glimpse of it from the…

4. Haipuaʻena Falls

1.76 MILES

For a secluded dip, Haipuaʻena Falls, 0.5 miles past the 11-mile marker, provides a deep and serene pool. Since you can’t see the pool from the road, few…

5. Kaumahina State Wayside Park

2.03 MILES

Clean restrooms and a grassy lawn with picnic tables make this roadside park a family-friendly stop. The park comes up 350yd after the 12-mile marker…

6. Honomanu Park

2.5 MILES

Honomanu Bay’s rocky black-sand beach is usually empty or being used by local surfers and fishers. Surfable waves form during big swells, but the rocky…

7. Kaulanapueo Church

2.55 MILES

Constructed in 1853 of coral blocks and surrounded by a manicured green lawn, this tidy church remains the heart of the village. It was built in early…

8. Kalaloa Point

2.64 MILES

For a fascinating view of the coast, stop at the pull-off on the ocean side of the highway, 0.6 miles past the 14-mile marker. From the point you can look…