The Seven Sacred Pools of 'Ohe'o are just a warm up for a blockbuster hike.
The seven sacred pools tend to be a notable stop on the road to Hana, but they're often closed or overcrowded.
The more worthwhile part of this stop if trekking through a massive bamboo forest to one of the greatest waterfalls that you will ever witness.
To begin, you'll have to enter the Haleakala National Park with a $25 admission fee. There is ample parking on site, along with restrooms and a water station if you forgot to fill up (but you will need a container to hold the water in.
You'll follow the signs to the Pipiwai trail, where at the start, you'll notice an aging Hawaiian structure known as Hale Ku'ai. Here you can make a loop past the Seven Sacred Pools or just continue straight to the Pipiwai Trail
From here, you'll start a modest ascent on the trail and eventually cross a road. Then you'll start to notice the warning signs, letting you know of the possibility of flash floods, slippery rocks, and swift currents. You'll also note that many parts of the trail are uneven, and this does require some balance.
You'll continue to have a tempered incline with a variety of vegetation making apparances. What I really loved about this trail is that it felt like you were going through multiple different ecosystems on the way to the destination. At no point was the scenery stale or repetitive.
Eventually you'll hear a sizable waterfall on your right, but also see the "Danger! Steep Cliff/Fatal Drop" sign nearby. It's tempting to take a peek, but the waterfalls ahead are so remarkable that its best to continue on.
Several steps will start to appear on the trail as you continue your upward rise on the trail. You'll come upon a stone wall that acts as a viewing spot for a large waterfall (Makahiku Falls) below. Again, it's beautiful, but there is so much better yet to come.
The forest area will become more dense and you'll come to a large banyan tree. This makes for a good spot to stop if you're exhausted, but the true gems of the hike are yet to come.
The ground becomes increasingly wet from here as there are multiple smaller waterfalls. There are some high bridge crossings that offer views of the falls below. These bridges tend to bottleneck, so try and help limit the congestion on them by moving on quickly.
Finally, you'll begin to see signs of the bamboo forest. You'll be tempted to snap photos right away, but it takes some time to get to the best parts. There is an area where you can truly walk among the giant bamboo a few minutes in. Then, there is the boardwalk through the bamboo forest that makes for some compelling photos.
Eventually, as beautiful as it is, you'll be over the bamboo forest and eager to see what awaits at the end of the hike. After a bit of time hiking through the bamboo, you'll encounter a stream on your right, which will take you to the final phase of the hike.
As you begin the final part of the hike, you begin to hear the roar of falling water. Before too long, you look up and see an impressive plume of water falling from a giant cliffside. You'll begin to get excited, thinking that this is your destination, but it's just a teaser.
You'll continue to walk along a boardwalk and eventually will spot the absolutely incredible Waimoku Falls. The view from hundreds of yards away was impressive enough, but I needed to get a closer look.
Next up are two water crossings and they can be a bit difficult. Sometimes its easier to just get your feet wet rather then to try and balance on slippery rocks and logs.
A sign will appear warning you of the danger ahead: "Do Not Pass This Point - Fatalities Have Occurred." Pretty much no one was heeding the signs advice and heading towards the bottoms of the falls.
When you arrive at the bottom of the falls, it is absolutely breathtaking. You are staring up at these massive canyon walls while the mist from the waterfall is spraying everything around you. The waterfall is so large that you can hardly hear the person next to you over its roar. When a person stands at the bottom of the waterfall, it provides incredible perspective of the sheer size of it.
Wanting to get as far from the winding roads as possible before sunset, we bid the falls adieu and headed back the way we came. The trek back went much faster as it was downhill and we were not as tempted to stop every five minutes for photos.
One of my favorite hikes of all time - the diversity of the scenery was incredible and then the bamboo forest and Wiamoku Falls on their own merit were worthwhile sights.
Know Before You Go
Plan for roughly 4 hours on this hike.
Ensure that you have plenty of water and sunscreen.
Sneakers will good traction are needed. Lots of uneven footing on the trail.
Flash floods could occur at any time. If it is raining, you may want to head back.
Stay clear of the cliffsides, if any soil/rocks give way, it could make for a painful fall.
Do not stand under the waterfall. Even a small rock falling 400 feet could inflict serious harm.
Resources
Video
The video below provides views all along the hike, viewing several waterfalls and the bamboo forest.
Location
Park at the Haleakalā National Park. Follow signage to the Pipiwai Trail.
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