ao Valley State Park

Really cool. But the trail does not go officially too far, but it turns out at the top of the official trail that there is an unofficial trail. Apparently the sign do not go off trail is a guideline for locals, and a trail exists to go to the top, they say about an hour of walking.

This is a hidden gem in the middle of Maui! Highly recommend going for an hour or two... breathe in the fresh air and enjoy!

Beautiful place, good to spend 30 mins or so. Small hike and great photos. Make it a quick stop on longer trips in the area.

Peaceful and untoched part of Hawaii Islands.Well preserved and maintained.Totally worth to visit

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful place!!!Went out first day on Maui in 2012. A must see!When we went.. there were wild roosters all over. Very cool. Like Jurassic Park or garden of Eden!!

Its one of the best places on the Maui island. Beautiful waterfalls, calm atmosphere, cool breeze, clouds, shadows of mountains, chirping birds and trees all around. This place have its spiritual values as well as spectacular scenery. Its a short trip to see the peak from a lookout place. The parking is $5. Sometimes there is not enough space to park the vehicle, so prefer to visit early in the morning otherwise you will have to park on the road. I highly recommend to visit this beautiful Iao Valley State Park.

This is a great stop in Maui.Theres a few short trails to explore by the river. We also enjoyed the small little botanical garden by the entrance.The main view is up a few stairs. Its really gorgeous. We came early in the morning which didnt have the best lighting, but it was still gorgeous. There was almost no one else there around 8:30 with us.Like other Hawaii State parks, you have to pay $5 per car to get in. There are bathrooms, but they were closed/locked when we were there.If you like the outdoors, this is a great stop on Maui.

This place is an amazing hike. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you want. There is a stream there where we saw people enjoying the cool water in their swim suits. We were able to enjoy dipping our feet in the water. If we knew we could jump in, we would have brought our swim suits! We paid for parking at the top. But some people were parked right before the enterance to the park. We are glad we paid for parking because the extra walk uphill would have tuckered us out long before our actual scenic hike.

Charming little park with amazing view. However, this is not much of a hike. You can see the whole place in about 20 minutes. Great for kids & elderly! You won’t get tired.

When visiting Maui, make sure to take the short scenic drive to this beautiful valley. Its a picturesque & magical place where Hawaiians gathered a thousand years ago to celebrate and honor the bounty of Lono, god if agriculture, during the annual makahiki festival. The short hiking trail into the valley of the surrounding volcanic mountains makes for an otherworldly experience, both for its spiritual value and spectacular scenery! When you cross the bridge over the water, make sure to take a photo of Kūkaemoku, the oak commonly referred to as the Īao Needle. When you climb the 133 steps to the top, youll be rewarded with great views of Īao Valley and Wailuku. Took me 25min to climb up.

Incredible. This place is Narnia in real life. Highly recommend. Wear good hiking boots. Make sure to get the banana bread and a coconut on the way into the park. Bring a poncho it tends to rain off and on. Bring a camera you wont want to miss capturing the beautiful landscape. This place is heaven you wont go wrong

A nice little morning side trip near Wailuku. Easy to find and you can stop (before or after) at the Friendship Garden park which features sculptures and monuments honoring all the various peoples who have immigrated to Hawaii over the centuries (from all around the world). Iao Valley is very low-key ($5 parking - free for HI residents), port-a-potty facilities; an easy hike, but a variety of trails; a beautiful couple of streams; a rain forest that stays cool and misty; and a garden; along with some history and botanical guide posts.

A beautiful state Park that is so very peaceful. Great little walk up to view the Iao Needle with some trails that lead along the Iao stream. We found a quiet peaceful spot and sat quietly for what felt like hours before heading back through the jungle trails.We stopped off at the monument gardens which were cute and well maintained.Some beautiful picturesque views and stunning scenery.

Loved the place! It’s peaceful and a bit cooler than sea level. Unless you decide to stay to swim or hike you will be done very quickly however. It’s probably done in 1 hour if you stay in the path and don’t go in the water. Still fun.

Great park!! Look for the off the path trails and explore a bit.

This was a great spot in Maui. We stopped by for sunset and it was beautiful. If you use the Gypsy guide for Maui, it tells you about the history of the Iao Valley and the great battle that took place here. If youre in Maui, dont miss this gem.

Lots of fantastic views, especially when you start getting up in elevation. Very beautiful park. This is our second visit, just as beautiful the second time around.

Good place to visit on a sunny day.

Gorgeous views! Definitely a must see on Maui. Take your time and hike up and down the stream and take as many pics as you can. It is truly marvelous and seems to change with the weather. Dont be put off by a bit of rain as it is enjoyable regardless.

Absolutely beautiful! I could have sat and looked at the water and foliage for hours. Very peaceful.

A beautiful place. We visited here on our honeymoon in 1992. There have been significant upgrades! Parking, walking paths and information displays all add to the experience. The bathroom facilities seem to be excellent, though they were closed for repairs. Portables were available.

This was an awesome area. A really neat valley with mountains and both sides really good for pictures and lots of things to see. you can access the Stream and but theres so many restricted zones, that you cannot go deep into the jungle but I guess its for your own safety the washroom was not working but they had porta potties but it was a good family hike it was only about 20 minutes worth. good for pictures. They should have picnic tables though.

This was the first spot for us on our Maui vacation and it was a great place to start. Amazing views and a relatively easy walk up to the top. On the way down, be sure to take the path down to the river under the canopy. Its a great place to put your feet in the water and escape the sun. The needle is a really amazing thing to see as well as the Valley itself. Beautiful.

Beautiful short hike. Having knee damage restricts how long you can walk and limit even more the inclines. But the trails are super short and simple. Restrooms were out of commission but port-a-pottys were available. Parking was a bit hard to find but enjoy the place and be respectful when you get there as its already clean.

The park is easily accessible, has good parking and is just a short drive from the center of Maui. There is a paved parking lot right near the viewing point with access costing $5. If you don’t want to pay the minimal fee you can park just outside the entrance and walk in from there. A series of stairs leads you up to a good viewing point that allows you to have 360 degree views of the valley. You can also head down to a stream that is nearby if it hasn’t been raining too much. It rains on average 1 inch per day here so it may be tricky to hit a time in which it’s not clouded over. The view of the valley is worth the nominal fee.

This is a beautiful place to visit. You can also bring your stroller. This is a half of me trail. The river is there with an easy access to it.

Absolutely amazing scenery. There is little hike to top where you can take pictures. Another one downhill that takes you to water. You can get some amazing pics here.We didn’t expect it to get so windy and chilly, luckily we were prepared. The cascade at the bottom of hike can bring you one step closer to the nature. I enjoyed sitting on a rock listening to the stream.Parking is 5$ and there are limited parking spots. On either side of the entrance and the. if you drive a little further there are few more on lower level near the view point. You can also find some spots if you take a full circle to the entrance on the curve.Mobile restrooms were clean when we entered the park and not so much when we returned. I would recommend going early to enjoy the serenity by yourself. You can easily spend 1-2 hours walking leisurely and enjoy the sights all around you.

A short hike in breathtaking scenery. You can have a swim too if you fancy. Short drive from airport. Good for spending an hour or so. We parked onsite, it costs $5. Some people parked down the road, because the parking is small and seems to be usually full.

The history of this place is wonderful being the look out for the Hawaiians back in the day. They have restrooms at the base and nice trails. When we went we were only able to do a little part due to the flooding they had some trails were washed away and closed off. Well worth checking out it makes you feel so small in such a big valley.

Definitely worth the $5 to park. Incredible photo opportunities and a beautiful place to spend time. However, this is not a hiking trail. It’s really just a place to enjoy the Needle State Monument and take pictures.

Visiting Iao valley is extremely peaceful. The valley has beautiful views and is considered sacred in Hawaiian culture. Wear shoes while hiking up. It is a short and easy hike and requires a $5 entry fee. I would recommend this place.

P.S.A. First off-Great hiking and picture opportunities. Be mindful of the trail and enjoy it for what it offers. The river is clean and clear, there are pools u can stand in and enjoy yourself. Truly a unique opportunity to view the (mostly) native flora.Be sure when you park in the lot that you take anything valuable with you. Hide any backpacks or anything worth stealing out of plain view. We left our car for an hour and a half and returned to a smashed window and a missing backpack. Obviously this could happen anywhere and we were in a rental car but this is something to be aware of. Locals are probably not too fond of tourists and its always an opportunity to catch someone off guard. The security is minimal and the island relaxed approach extends to law enforcement as well. Im not trying to hate on the park or Maui at all, just be aware of what is at stake and your surroundings. Aloha!

Such a beautiful place to visit!The first time I was here I walked around the creek and went up to the lookout. You can see the ocean from up there!The second time it was even better! A group of hikers showed me the way to the top of one of the hills, and it was completely beyond my expectations. The guava forest was awesome and the view at the very top was mesmerizing! Go on a clear and sunny day!

Definitely worth the visit. Super beautiful area, and easy to get to. Pretty quick visit, unless you plan to swim (depending on weather conditions). Parking cost $5, which isn’t bad compared to the National park’s $25 parking. Couple of short 5-10 minute hikes. Perfect for kids.

Beautiful area! The hike itself is very short and paved, leading to a lookout where you can see the needle. Parking is $5 per car, or you can park on the street for free. There are plenty of small trails off the main one, that take you to the streams and waterfalls.

Really some amazing views up here! Very lush / tropical setting and very peaceful. Not too much of a trek and the hikes are small but nice and easy. Dont expect any hiking really though, just a small area. I climbed down and walked in the river and it was really nice. It was $5 for parking just so you have some cash on you if you go up.The sights and views are worth it!

Still a beautiful park with trails to explore and swimming spots but not the same as I remember growing up.It is a tourist spot now and you have to pay $5 per car to park and the lot is not that big. Some trails have been closed off so less to explore. A nice walk to the top, very humid so go during early morning hours. Wear hiking shoes or tennis shoes and comfortable, breathable clothing.Youll see yellow guavas on trees, (you can pick and eat), mountain apples, (in season), and see/smell variety of flowers.The view is amazing. Enjoy your day here and remember take lots of pictures for the memories will last a lifetime.

Fun place to play in the river while enjoying gorgeous views! Nice place to cool off! One of my favorite places in the world!

Very serene place. Has a mini trek to have a better view of the needle and a gorgeous view of the Valley. Parking will cost you $5. Parking is limited as well. On a bright sunny day this is worth a visit.

Very nice place and the walk to the top is not very long at all. There are also some nice rapids at the bottom.

Tucked in a beautiful valley Iao Valley State Park is a must see for those who visit Maui. A 0.6 mile path takes you through and over a bridge that allows picturesque views of the Iao Needle that rises 1200ft over the valley floor. There are plenty of photo opportunities here with the magnificent mountains that tower over you from both sides of the park. Not an overly strenuous walk/hike but there are steps and hills that some may find difficult.Parking is $5.00 per car and even though there are many parking spots on the paved lot, parking fills fast and you may have to park on the road outside the pay booth. We say many people parking on the road and taking the short walk into the park to avoid the $5.00 parking fee.

Great hiking trails and sights to see. Can be extremely difficult and hazardous on some parts, so be prepared if trying to complete full hike. Plenty of pools in the river deep enough to jump in if you follow the rivers path.

Climate changes in the drive from Kahana to Iao Valley.Very scenic..peaceful. Perfect place to sit and take photos. Worth the visit! Parking was $5.00. Not for handicapped people. Limited bathrooms.

Amazing up close view of this beautiful valley. Pro tip : Park below to save $5 parking fee. Its not a long walk so youre not increasing your time by much. Portal potties available. Short easy trail.

This is a beautiful park to spend a few hours. Hiking trails lead you to little swimming holes and up the stream. Bring a bathing suit with you. There is plenty of shade as well so you dont have to worry about being in the hot sun the whole time

This is such a lush, beautiful place to visit. The views alone are worth the visit. I recommend getting there early, as parking fills quick. Bring insect repellent. Easy climb up the stairs to the needle lookout.

This place is beautiful, has beautiful views and culture. But sad to see there is no maintenance and cleaning. Lots of trash everywhere, and no trash can, the little lakes so dirty, is really a shame.

Short lovely hike. Parking is $5 and pretty limited, so prepare to walk extra if you have a car. The hike itself involves stairs and is about half a mile. Its not that strenuous and not much elevation gain. The view at the top has a shelter for shade. For the adventurous, there is a walkway down rocks to a river.

Nice views from the inside of the valley, path is kept up well and the needle is an interesting formation to see.

Very beautiful place. Nice easy hike. Beautiful views and waterfalls. A lot of information on the history of the area.

Absolutely beautiful. There is paid parking closer to the entrance but if you dont mind a 3 minute uphill walk, just park on the side for free.

Beautiful scenery all around. Very walkable little trail for the kids. I just wish it had a longer trail option so you could see even more!

The park has a series of light walking paths that are pretty mellow. The real reason to show up is to look up at the sheer cliffs and the Needle.Avoid the $5 parking fee by parking outside the gate and walking a few extra feet.

A great stop! A short walk uphill with great views. Well worth the drive. Parking is $5. Very pretty.

Great spot to go to see quintessential Maui valley views and get a small hike in. You can do the very short loop trail, or venture off slightly down the river. The hike is very easy (I did it in flip flops), and the views and scenery are worth it. Amazing plant and tree-life for not having to go too far by foot. Great signage to learn a little about the history and the area. The parking usually gets full, but you can street park at the bottom right outside the park. Highly recommend popping in!

Great short hike experience! Beautiful.

Such a beautiful place. Close to the airport of you are trying to kill time. Parking is only$5

Great hike. Moderate difficulty. Little overgrown at parts with some steep inclines.

Beautiful state park with two interesting trails. Both are not taxing. Not a lot of parking so go on a week saying you can.

Otherworldly experience! Vast and powerful mountains! The short drive to the valley is full of absolutely insanely incredible views as well. This is not a stop to skip!

Beautiful state park with a short hiking trail and small river. Parking was scarce and the park was crowded on the Sunday we visited. There was a charge for parking as well.

Beautiful place for a short hike. The Iao Valley and the needle is beautiful. The hike is easy peasy and short. Great for kids! The cliffs are amazing as well. And the view of the valley below is pretty great! There are a few great photo ops. You can see old waterfall trails and depending on the season maybe even a waterfall. It is a fee area to get in per car but it is only $5.00 for non-residents. It is worth the drive

This natural location is a must for any hikers. Dont be satisfied with walking up to the lookout. At the top, just by the hut, hop the bars on the left and follow the trail into the jungle. Its a well worn path, but can be tricky if it has rained. The views at the top are fantastic. On a nice day its about an hours hike.

Beautiful site. $5 parking fee. Easy hike that all ages in the family can do.

Pretty park thats very accessible due to the short, paved walk to the monument. Unfortunately as soon as we arrived, the rain began and as it was an unexpected trip, of course we were not prepared for the weather. It was 10+degrees cooler than surrounding areas at lower elevation and the rain didnt help that much, so we didnt stay long, but I feel we saw all there was to see. A half hour is plenty of time to spend here.

Wonderful and peaceful spot in the heart of Maui. This was our first time back since the flooding and destruction of the park. A lot of rebuilding has occurred to make it safe to visit. On a clear day you can see the tower at Kahalui airport. The five dollar parking fee is well worth it but you can park outside the entrance for free if spots are available. The park gates close at 1800 and they will lock you in or have your car towed.

Cute place, but so many tourist and no parking. The place is beautiful, but the mass of tourist is catastrophic. Cant stay there more than 5 minutes...deceiving

Revelation to visit this sacred place and immerse in the history of the indigenous Hawaiians. Spectacular views. Fun walk up the mountainside. Great park. Have visited Hawaii many times and was moved to connect with this true island history. Should have found this place sooner.

Wow! Can it be anymore beautiful, and breath taking? This is a great place to go for a fantastic view, clean, some walking, but not bad at all, must see..m

Gorgeous park with an easy hike to good views. I suggest going off on some of the side trails along the river to see more nature.

Lovely views inside the valley! A couple easy walks where youll see waterfalls, beautiful flowers, green trees and of course the majestic mountains on all sides. The $5 entry fee per car (for non-Hawaiians) is more than worth it.

Cool park with some Jurassic park feels and views. Cost $5 a car to get in and is somewhat small. We spent only an hour there and saw most everything. There is a freshwater creek that is swimmable and are some deeper pools to enjoy if you find them off the trail.

So worth the hike... Take the trail into the bush... Wonderful place for a walk, but bring water and some swim clothes.

Nice was on a cool and foggy day. Taro plants in a garden area.

Must see. Easy to get to. Parking might be a hassle, but just stay and wait for a little bit. A lot of people do not stay long, so you will be able to grab a parking spot. When we visited it was very hot and humid. Take swimming suit and towel, you might want to jump in the river or natural pool .

Nice valley, the track in the park is quite short and gives a nice view to the famous green covered needle but not much more. I wandered up the river while crisscrossing it many times. After a while it splits. The area is most of the time cloudy and I think there are many more beautiful places on Maui. Maybe I was expecting to much since a lot of people had the valley on their favorits list.

Views are spectacular!!!! Would recommend heading there early as it gets quite busy throughout the day. Would also recommend asking about hiking trails as the longer ones arent as evident as the shorter ones

Loved this location, history and beauty all around!There are many little paths to follow, go next to the stream near the bottom and top it all off with an amazing view of the Needle!

The mountains were huge and beautiful.

The hike was much shorter than I expected. Nice view, rains a lot but not heavily. There quite a few natural pools you can play with in the park too

The area is beautiful. Im not a fan of what the state has done with it on other hand. They have closed off quite a few areas that Ive read are pretty awesome. The area available was quite small. The official lot had very few spots and we had to circle around until one was available. Im usually a proponent of entry fees for the parks because I view them as a donation, but in hindsight I wouldnt have bothered to pay the $5 fee on this one and instead park 100 ft down the street like many others did

Great place $5 parking fee provides well worth scenic view of the stream and flowers

Beautiful place for hiking and the scenery is gergous looked like something out of a jarrassic park movie

Not my first visit here, and definitely wont be my last. Its always a lovely place to visit anytime of the year. So much beauty to behold.

This is a beautiful place! There are people swimming in the stream below while others are enjoying the majestic mountain peaks that surround you.

A cool, local and small state park. Short hike up the 133 stairs gets you to a neat little observation point where you can see the Valley and Iao Needle. Hike is not strenuous at all, takes about 10 minutes to get to the top from the parking lot.There is a second, shorter hike (a walk really) through a garden. It is nice, has shade and some benches to relax on. Hike is quite easy with only a slight incline/decline.Also, there is a nice little waterfall. You CAN get in the water below the falls but it IS illegal.Lastly, the small parking fills fast. Price is $5 for non-residents to get in. If you are expecting a long trail that is also technical, this is not it. Still a nice little, paved trail with a picturesque view. Aloha!

Nice views, great short hike. You can keep going near the water, not obvious trail but really cool view also. Few parking spots, we were there at 8:30 am on a Wednesday. 5$ entrance fee, cash.

Lush, tropical state park with fairly easy and accessible hiking trails, views, and a rocky stream not far off the marked trails to cool off. Looks like something out of Jurassic Park and feels more like Kauai than Maui. Nice view over the shallow creek was the top of our list of the places we visited on our Maui Cruise vacation. This valley is so green and lush. Being tropical, there is a denseness to the foliage. Views are beautiful and seductive. It is worth to find a place and just sit and absorb it all in. This is a short, but very beautiful walk (easy “hike” on a paved walkway). The views and landscape are stunning. It is probably best to go early for more parking. We arrived around 10am and didn’t have any issues finding a spot. Iao Valley definitely worth the visit, even if you have to drive a distance to get there!

Very peaceful first thing in the morning before everyone arrives and destroys the tranquility, lol. A very easy hike to see streams, lush greenery, and gorgeous valleys.

An unexpected pleasure!! We just randomly drove West and followed the road until it ended at this beautiful, historic park. We saw everything--moderately difficulty walk, not ADA-compliant. Definitely worth the detour and the $5 entrance fee. You can play in the water. If thats your thing, bring your swimsuit and a towel.

A quick getaway to the heaven of fragrances, and much more including coming back to the natural garden within oneself to replenish that spiritual energy.

Was one of the first places we visited in Maui on our first trip 20+yrs ago.The Good: Read the plaques. VERY informative info about Valley.Beautiful Valley. TRULY magical place!!!The Cons:$5 for parking that you may not even get to use. Small lot and you just have to go around and around until something opens up.Bathrooms are a joke. They built a bathroom Year’s ago, but hasn’t worked forever. Now you get to use horrible portable potties.Crowds can be a little unruly. Many do NOT respect the marked off areas and jump rails to go wherever they want. We saw several Europeans do this on this last trip.

Beautiful place, but trail is only 10 minutes for walk

Loved how green and picturesque everything was!

Good stop well worth the $5 parking. More amazing Maui landscape.

Just go! Seriously! Its gorgeous. Most of the main trails are paved and it is easy to get around. That should not scare hiker types away though. There are formal and informal unpaved trails and everything is beautiful wherever you are. Its easy to spend 30 minutes or a whole day exploring the beauty.

Beautiful place!Great air

Beautiful park near Wailuku. Views of the west Maui mountains. And the creek flows cool water on a hot day. $5 admission to park.

Beautiful hiking spot. It was really busy so parking was slightly difficult but we drove around a bit. Bring swimsuits and towels as the river is beautiful and worth dipping into after hiking. Recommend a quick stop. And btw, there is NO WATERFALL....unless its raining. Still worth it but we heard there was one and we asked about it to the park ranger and she told us everyone asks. FYI.

Amazing! So beautiful! Great for everyone.