Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area


On the upper slopes of Haleakalā, this remote and heavily forested park is the place for solitary forest hiking. Check the park website or call before you make the drive (4WD only) or hike in. Trails and facilities can be closed due to weather damage, with downed trees and flash floods affecting the trails. There's a cabin and camping facilities, but the park sits at 6200ft, so it can get chilly at night. Bring wet-weather gear.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Kwock Hing Society

2.34 MILES

This colorful two-story period building (1907) was constructed to provide services to immigrant Chinese workers. Now on the National Register of Historic…

2. St John’s Episcopal Church

2.48 MILES

Overlooking a gorgeous view of the coast, this local landmark (c 1907) still bears its name in Chinese characters. It hosts the annual Kula Fest in early…

3. Sun Yat-sen Park

3.23 MILES

For a time Sun Yat-sen, father of the Chinese nationalist movement, lived in Keokea. He’s honored at Sun Yat-sen Park, found along the Kula Hwy (Hwy 37),…

4. Aliʻi Kula Lavender

3.87 MILES

On a broad hillside with panoramic views of the West Maui Mountains and the Central Maui coast, this charming lavender farm is a scenic place to relax and…

5. Lava Flow

4.34 MILES

This field of black ʻaʻa (rough, jagged lava) dates from the last volcanic eruption on the island, 400 to 500 years ago. The flow drops down the southeast…

6. Harold W Rice Memorial Park

4.37 MILES

On a hillside between the Kula Hwy and Lower Kula Rd, this grassy park is a nice place to enjoy a picnic while soaking up the sweeping views of the West…

7. Kula Botanical Garden

4.43 MILES

Walking paths wind through themed plantings, including native Hawaiian specimens and a ‘taboo garden’ of poisonous plants. Because a stream runs through…

8. Science City

5.22 MILES

As the sun rises, this collection of domed observatories shimmers just beyond the summit. Nicknamed Science City, this area is, unfortunately, off-limits…