The Seven Sacred Pools

The Ohe’o Gulch, or Seven Sacred Pools, call them what you will, is just one reason why you should drive past the town of Hana. Spectacular waterfalls, bamboo forests, incredible beaches are some more, but this post will focus on what you will find on your way to Ohe’o Gulch and the Gulch itself. We wanted an entire day to explore past Hana, so we stayed the night at Hana Kai Maui Condos off Hana Bay. It still wasn’t enough time, as you will see from this post, and the next few blog posts as well. Why anyone would want to rush through all of this beauty is beyond me. 

Hana Highway – Past the Town of Hana

If you thought the drive down to Hana was nerve-wracking, you are in for even more nail-biting, driving adventures. The highway is less traveled past Hana, so you will run into less drivers, but the road is narrower and still full of blind turns. The picture above that looks like a driveway, is actually the road. Again, you will be surrounded by amazing rainforests that grow right alongside the road. You will also pass several ‘neighborhoods’ before you reach Ohe’o Gulch. As you are driving along, marveling at the beauty, you will come around a turn and be astonished by an absolutely spectacular waterfall.

Wailua Falls, Maui

This gorgeous 80 foot waterfall is fed mostly by rainwater, so we were really lucky that the rainfall had been so heavy the few weeks prior to our visit. It is literally right off the side of the road, there is no missing this one! There is a small parking area, just past the falls, on the opposite side of the road. It is located between mile markers 44 and 45.  The waterfall ends in a large pool of water, which you can trek down to and go swimming in, or just get up close to get some spectacular photos.

Wailua Falls, Maui

We had to go down! There were people swimming in the pool, but the water was cold. They jumped in, took their pictures and jumped out! We opted to stay dry, as this was just the beginning of our day.

Wailua Falls, Maui

I had to get even closer, the tree branches kept interfering with my photos. I discovered this photo when I was going through my husband’s cell phone pics. He is notorious for taking pictures of me taking pictures. I’m glad he didn’t take any of my awkward descent down to the falls. It was really hard to leave here, so much beauty to soak in and savor. One word of caution, there are warnings about swimming under any falls on the island. Rocks have been known to come crashing down on occasion with no warning. In fact, the pools at the Ohe’o Gulch are closed to the public due to rocks being dislodged and coming down the waterfalls, resulting in injuries. 

Eventually, we dragged ourselves away and headed down to the Kipahulu Visitor Center. This is where you will leave your car while visiting both Ohe’o Gulch, as well as, Pipiwai Trail. There is ample parking, the visitor center is open from 9-4:30, they have bathrooms, park rangers to let you know weather and trail conditions, and souvenirs to purchase. The cost to enter is $25/car and is good for all of Haleakala National Park for three days. 

Kuloa Point Trail

You will see signs that will point you towards Kuloa Point Trail. The trail is a 1/2 mile loop, with an elevation gain of 80 feet. It is an easy trail and will take you to the lower falls and the mouth of Ohe’o Gulch. It was extremely windy during our visit. I am not sure if that is typical, but I have pictures of my hair standing straight up. I eventually ended up putting my hair up to keep it out of my face.

Ohe’o Gulch, Maui

This will be your first glimpse of the falls from the trail. This pool of water is one area that people used to be able to swim in. When you see that the National Park Service says the pools are closed, they are referring to swimming here and wandering off the trail. You can still hike the trail and see the stunning scenery. The bridge you see you will drive over to get to the parking lot and it has a fabulous view of the upper falls. Unfortunately, we didn’t walk over it, as we were too hot, tired and hungry after our 4 mile hike on Pipiwai Trail to see Waimoku Falls. I would recommend walking across the bridge before you head over to Pipiwai Trail.

The Seven Sacred Pools

How amazing is this? This is another area where you also used to be able to go down onto the lava rock to take photos, but landslides have made the park service deem the area to be unsafe and you will need to stay up on the path. Even with those restrictions, it is still a breath-taking sight. Your time spent on the road past Hana will be filled with moments to savor. Fun fact, the Seven Sacred Pools, were always simply known as Ohe’o Gulch until the 1940’s when the owner of the land wanted to bring tourists to the area and made up the name Seven Sacred Pools, as he felt that would entice people to visit. He was correct. To ensure that the area would always be open to the public the land was given to the state in 1969 and became a part of Haleakala National Park.

The Kipahulu Coastline, Maui

The gulch ends at the Pacific Ocean. The shoreline is simply spectacular. This area is not considered safe for swimming. If swimming is on your mind, you will want to check out Hamoa Beach, which is located about 10 minutes away, towards Hana. After enjoying this view for a while, we headed back to the visitor center to use the bathroom, grab our waters and more sunscreen from the car before heading across the street to Pipiwai Trail, but that experience was so incredible that it deserves its own post.

I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed about making the additional effort to visit Ohe’o Gulch. I would go back in a heartbeat and I recommend it 100%. I would do two things differently. I would have walked across the bridge that spans the gulch before we started our second hike, and I would have spent a minimum of 3 nights in Hana (I could easily plan a whole vacation centered around Hana). The usual recommendations apply, bring lots of water, sunscreen and wear hiking shoes or sandals that can get wet. Give yourself the luxury of time here, you will find it hard to leave. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.

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The Ohe’o Gulch