Hana Highway

The Hāna Highway (also known as the Hana Road or Road To Hana) is the name given to the 68-mile/109km long stretch of Hawaii State Highways 36 and 360 which connect the population center of Kahului with the town of Hāna in east Maui. On the east after Kalepa bridge Hana Highway continues to Kipahulu as Hawaii Highway 31 (Piilani Highway) first section of which is often (unofficially) also considered to be a part of Hāna Road. Although Hāna is only about 52 miles/84km from Kahului, a typical trip to Hāna takes about three hours, as the road is very winding, very narrow and passes over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one-lane bridges, requiring oncoming traffic to yield and occasionally causing brief traffic jams if two vehicles meet head-on. There are approximately 620 curves along Highway 360 from just east of Kahului to Hana, virtually all of it through lush, tropical rainforest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use. That one bridge, badly damaged by erosion, has been paralleled by a portable steel Bailey bridge erected by the Army Corps of Engineers. Signs on the old bridge warn pedestrians to stay off due to imminent collapse.

In August 2000 it was designated by President Bill Clinton as the "Hana Millennium Legacy Trail", with the trail start designated in the surfing community of Paia. The Hāna Highway is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tourism

The Hana Highway is a popular tourist attraction in Maui. Guidebooks often devote large sections to traveling the highway leading to the eastern side of Maui and document the many waterfalls and attractions that can be found along the way. Some of these attractions lie within or through private property and will often have "no trespassing" signs posted or even signs claiming that the attraction does not exist. All beach property in Hawaii, public or private, must allow public access. Some guidebooks document the "keep out" areas and ways past barbed wire fences and locked gates to reach attractions.

At the end of the Hana Highway (actually past Hana in a clockwise direction around eastern Maui) is the famous "Seven Sacred Pools", originally known as Oheo Gulch. This series of waterfalls and pools is located inside the Haleakala National Park. Presently, Highway 31 is closed a short distance past Hana after Kipahulu due to earthquake damage. It is not known when the road will reopen. As a result, motor tours generally begin in Kahului and head east on highways 36 and 360 toward Hana, then return the same way since it is not possible to circumnavigate eastern Maui via this route at this time.

Scenic turnouts abound, including one for South Waimea Falls near the aforementioned Seven Sacred Pools in Oheo. It is common to find rented cars and tour buses at these turnouts photographing the falls and buying souvenirs from roadside vendors.

tate highway numbers

* Hawaii State Highway 36 from Kahului to Haiku-Pauwela
* Hawaii State Highway 360 from Haiku-Pauwela to Hāna
* Hawaii State Highway 31 from Hāna to Kalepa Gulch

Communities served

* Kahului
* Paia
* Haiku-Pauwela
* Hāna
* Kipahulu

Intersections with other highways

* Hawaii State Highway 32 in Kahului
* Hawaii State Highway 380 in Kahului
* Hawaii State Highway 37 in Kahului

External links

* [http://www.mauiinformationguide.com/road-to-hana.php Road to Hana Tips] , "The Official Maui Information Guide", 2007
* [http://starbulletin.com/2000/10/27/news/story2.html On the Road to Hana] , "Honolulu Star-Bulletin", October 27, 2000