Haleakalā National Park · Hawaii

Pipiwai Trail

1.6 mi of trail, end to end · Short Hike to Makahiku Falls: 1 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 550 ft of climbing · 138 ft–1,023 ft · native surface · trail class Developed · hiking

Waterfalls

138 ft 414 ft · 0.5 mi high 414 ft

Along the way Falls At Makahiku Waimoku Falls

Short Hike to Makahiku Falls 1 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

1 Hour · no dogs

Start Makahiku Falls Overlook

White waters fall over a cliff surrounded by verdant trees.
Makahiku Falls Photo: NPS

Hike to an overlook of Makahiku Falls by taking the Pīpīwai Trail. Make your way through a verdant canopy along the way to the falls. About 0.5 of a mile (0.8 km) into the trail you will reach the overlook of the nearly 200 foot (61 m) tall waterfall and the valley carved by these powerful waters.

Turn around here for a 1 mile (1.6 km) roundtrip hike. This hike is great for visitors looking for a shorter hike that does not require a half day.

The Pīpīwai trail continues past this point for another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and terminates at another waterfall, Waimoku Falls. If you decide to continue, be sure to have water, snacks, rain gear, and sun protection. Reaching Waimoku and returning to the parking lot is a 4 mile (6.4 km) roundtrip hike.

Accessibility The trail is unpaved, rocky, contains exposed tree roots, and is often muddy. There are stairs along the trail in several locations and a significant amount of elevation gain in a short distance.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 21 trails in Haleakalā National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.