ʻĪao Valley State Monument — Attraction in Maui

I spent a few hours exploring beautiful ʻĪao Valley State Monument. The short, paved loop trail through the botanical garden is a good starting point to get a brief history of the area and a great view of Kuka‘emoku (ʻIao Needle). The trail into the jungle is a different story: it is sometimes muddy with rocks and tree roots to step over or tree branches to duck under – in other words, a nice hike. The trail parallels the Kinihapai Stream and the further you hike into the jungle the more likely you are to find your own personal swimming spot. Along the trail you’ll find mango and guava trees. Picking the fruit is apparently allowed. It wasn’t mango season while I was there so the trees had no mangoes. However, many guava trees were loaded with fruit ready to be eaten. The guava type is apple guava – pink inside with lots of crunchy edible seeds (don’t bother picking the fruit if this doesn’t appeal to you). The jungle trail is well maintained and clean, although a bit challenging as previously mentioned. The monument and trail were not crowded and only a few people were swimming in the stream. The wildlife I encountered was just a few birds. The parking fee is $10. The entrance fee is $5 per person. Both require on-line reservations. Reservations cover the whole day, not a particular hour. Reservations are verified at the monument’s entry. No cost or reservations required...

This is definitely a tourist attraction more than anything else. Think of it as a quick trip to Hana minus the long winding road, the waterfalls, and the ocean views. Whispers "Maybe you should just go to Hana!" All joking aside, here's my take on this state park.

THE PARK: Parking is limited so you could find yourself circling the lot for a while or double-parking illegally. Don't park in the bus stalls because the wrath will just ruin your day. They've implemented a parking system which charges visitors but is free for locals.

At the front of the park is an elevated lookout point which has views of the valley and park entrance, nothing really spectacular after walking up all those steps.

A further walk into the park allows you views of the Iao Stream, foliage, a small foot bridge, and the Iao Needle - a ridge on the mountain that looks like a rounded, pointed needle when viewed from the vantage point. Again, nothing amazing but pretty nice.

Don't fret though, there is a pretty cool thing to see here! Before you get to the parking lot, at one of the bends on the right side of the road, is a rock outcrop that looks like the side profile of JFK. It's pretty uncanny.

OVERALL: It's a great way to see one of the valleys on the Valley Isle that's close to civilization yet feels like...

This place is beautiful! Hiking trails are well marked. Keep in mind there's a bit of hiking steps up and down. Take your time go at your own pace. There's a few unpaved side trails people can use to go off the paved trail where there's a stream for people to take a dip in. We didn't have trunks or towels to get in but looked nice. People seemed to enjoy the water. Hiking up to the observation area to see Kuka'emoku peak is worth the view. There's a gazebo with benches to rest if you need it. You can't hike further into the valley. At least not when we went. I was hoping you could. Looking at one of the steep slopes behind the peak it appeared that there had been a land slide so maybe that's why. Just speculating. Over all it's a nice place. You can easily explore and do in an hr. At least we did. Don't forget to purchase your pass ahead of time if you want to park near by. Seems like others avoided it and parked along the road heading in. It is beautiful to see and interesting part of Hawaiian history . BTW hit the banana bread stand on the road up or back. She makes good banana bread...