A Guide To Maui’s State Parks And Reserves.

People come from far and wide to experience Maui’s beaches; they’ve been the fodder for posters and desktop backgrounds forever. Equally as impressive, however, are the vast stretches of peerless natural landscapes that make up The Valley Isle’s interior. From the dusty, rocky slopes of Haleakala Crater to the silencing presence of Waihee Ridge, Maui’s beauty propagates the romanticism of old–giving people that unique and overwhelming sensation of wonder that only nature can provide. Going for hikes through the many forest reserves and parks can be a nice change of pace after spending your time on the beach or shopping around the Hotel Wailea. Whether you’re hoping to take in the views, break a sweat, or just make the afternoon dip in the ocean all the more pleasurable, making one of the following parks your destination is sure to behoove you.

West Maui Forest Reserve

You may have seen pictures of the lush green valleys of the West Maui Forest Reserve before–now is your chance to catch a glimpse for yourself. Lined with ridges that provide wonderful views of the mountains and the Pacific beyond, picking one of the many trails and setting out is sure to yield a whole mess of photos and moments of speechlessness. One favorite is the hike to Iao Valley Overlook, where you’ll find a botanical garden running alongside a stream. Or if you’re hoping for a more mild hike with an equally impressive payout, making your way up to the Olowalu Petroglyphs, 300-year old stone carvings, will not disappoint.

Haleakala National Park

Photo by eleephotography via on Flickr.

Seeing as it makes up more than three-quarters of the island, you’d be remiss to not pop in to Haleakala National Park for a visit to the volcano that gave Maui its shape. From the visitor’s center, you can look into the vast stretches of barren fields within the crater, dotted with rare plants found only in this region. The park stretches all the way down to the ocean, so starting at the summit and hiking down, or vice versa, is a great way to run the gamut of natural landscapes, from the lush greens of the forests below to the dusky reds above.

Koolau Forest Reserve

Just north of the Haleakala National Park is another preserve that showcases the stunning beauty of Maui. Due to its place along the windward side, this area is known for its rainfall, and while that may not sound all that appealing on what you’d hoped would be an exclusively sunny trip, a little bit of moisture goes a long way on this part of the island when it comes to waterfalls. There are many trails throughout the Koolau Reserve that make their winding way to drops of peerless quality; beneath the canopy of the forest, dipping your feet into these pools with the splashing water as your soundtrack, you’ll truly know the Aloha spirit that is so sought after.