Hiking the Waiakoa Loop Trail on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Distance: 4.2 miles / 6.8 km
The Waiakoa Loop on Maui is one of the few standalone day hikes in the Kula Forest Reserve.
By this, I mean that the vast majority of trails within the Kula State Forest Reserve, also referred to as Polipoli, are often linked together with a number of other trails to create one longer loop trail, as is commonly done with the Polipoli-Redwood Loop Trail.
However, the Waiakoa Loop is the one exception to this, as the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) day hike is generally hiked on its own. With that in mind, there is still the option to link the Waiakoa and Māmane Trail, as well as Waipoli Road, which can be better understood below, but for the shortest and easiest option, the Waiakoa Loop Trail on its own makes for a fun and casual adventure, allowing visitors the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful cool weather on the upper slopes of Haleakalā.
Waiakoa Loop Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Waiakoa Loop Trail is located directly off Waipoli Road, about 4.8 miles (7.7 km) up the switchbacks on the left-hand side.
Note that most hikers will need to use the lower parking area, as the upper area is reserved for handicap vehicles only.
Google Maps Directions: Waiakoa Loop Trailhead
Hiking the Waiakoa Loop Trail
The Waiakoa Loop Trail begins on a service road for the first 0.8 miles (1.3 km), before the Waiakoa Loop truly begins.
This first section before the second trailhead is a bit hilly and would most likely require a 4x4 vehicle if you have access to the first gate.
Waiakoa Loop Trailhead
Then, after 0.8 miles (1.3 km), the Waiakoa Loop Trail begins beyond the second gate.
Additionally, the map below is a great way to see how linking the Upper Waiakoa and Māmane Trails, along with Waipoli Road, would create an alternative loop.
Waiakoa Loop Trail
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from the second gate, the Waikoa Trail splits into the Waiakoa Loop Trail.
That being said, I personally prefer to hike on the upper side of the loop first because it makes the climb back out relatively short, as opposed to going left first, where the climb back to this junction would be nearly constant over the course of the loop, following the initial descent.
With all that said above, I chose to hike the upper side of the Waiakoa Loop first.
For the most part, the Waiakoa Loop Trail simply meanders in and out of a handful of small drainages through a mostly non-native forest, with a handful of native Hawaiian plants here and there.
Note that this, and all of the trail markers, are only indicating the distance from the Waiakoa Loop Trailhead at the second gate, not the parking area.
Waiakoa Loop-Upper Waiakoa Junction
After 1.4 miles (2.3 km), the Waikoa Loop and Upper Waiakoa Trail split.
Go left to continue on the Waikoa Loop, or go right if you’re interested in hiking the separate Waikoa-Māmane-Waipoli Loop, as previously mentioned.
Following the split, the Waikoa Loop Trail begins descending more noticeably, down a handful of switchbacks, toward the lower half of the Waikoa Trail.
In my opinion, these switchbacks that descended on the northern side of the loop were among the most beautiful sections of the entire hike.
Toward the bottom of the Waiakoa Loop, I ran into a number of boars on the trail.
However, in my experience, they typically run away at the first sound of a human coming near.
Compared to the upper half of the loop, which is a bit longer, the lower half of the Waiakoa Loop only extends for about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) before it begins the climb back up to the beginning.
This is where the Waiakoa Loop Trail noticeably begins climbing the 6 or 7 switchbacks, depending on how you count, back up to the beginning of the loop.
Waiakoa Loop Junction
Finally, the Waiakoa Loop Trail completes the loop, with only about 0.9 miles (1.4 km) of hiking to return to the parking area.
Overall, the Waiakoa Loop Trail is one of the easier and most straightforward day hikes in the Kula Forest Reserve; and for those who are up for the challenge, the Waiakoa Loop also makes for one of the best hikes to trail run on Maui.
Native Plants on the Waiakoa Loop Trail
On account of reforestation efforts that took place in the early 1900s, the vast majority of plants that can be found in the Kula Forest Reserve area are all non-native/ invasive overstory and understory plants.
However, there are a few natives that hikers can see on the Waiakoa Loop Trail, such as ʻŌhiʻa lehua, Koa, Palaʻā, and Pūkiawe, to truly only name a few.
If you would like to learn more about these and many other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to check out my separate post linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
