Somewhere Past Hana: Chasing Waterfalls on Maui

We got the itch. After a long winter, buds finally emerge. At the commencement of every cold season, almost by nature, we get the itch to go out and search for new places to explore, and new swimming holes to discover. We have always loved wild swimming. It is healing in some ways that we can’t describe.

This time, we set out on the Island of Maui to search for waterfalls on the road to Hana. The 65 Mile Road felt otherworldly. A winding road with over 50 old stone bridges, often only wide enough to fit one car, was just the beginning. It curled along the coast and tucked itself deep into canyon pockets of jungle.

We woke up early before first light and set off. The awesome thing about the road to Hana is the wide variety of difficulty levels for waterfall access, with some being visible from the road, while others require miles of hiking through unpaved, dense-rooted forest floors.

Mile Marker 2: Our first stop was the iconic Twin Falls. The trail felt like Eden. Red clay paths and dense, lush, green foliage with blooming flowers surround you. There are several small falls dotting the trail along the way. This was one of the most beautiful falls we saw on Maui. It is tucked away in a wide open cave area with the waterfall cascading off the top edge to the middle of the pool.

You can walk around the back and see the sunlight streaking through the falls. We swam until the sound of the jungle was muffled by water, as we swam under the falls. The water falling 50 feet onto our heads took our breath away.

Mile Marker 20: Waikamoi Falls was the next stop. There were rocky ledges surrounding these falls that we jumped off of into the water. This waterfall can sometimes be completely dry as it’s seasonal, but we managed to catch it at a good time.

Many of our favorite spots were deep in the jungle following the river. Some we discovered overhanging branches and long-forgotten rope swings. And at the end of the road to Hana, the jungle opens up. The long sloping mountainside covered with fog comes into view.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and the sky was on fire, and watched the burning sky and cool green mountain touch the edge of the ocean. And in that moment, somewhere past Hana, we felt free.