
Scenic view along the Hト]a Highway
The 'Hト]a Highway' (also known as the 'Hana Road' or 'Road To Hana') is 68-mile roadway and the main highway connecting the population center of
Kahului with the town of
Hト]a in east
Maui. Although Hト]a is about 52 miles from Kahului, a typical trip to Hト]a takes about three hours, as the road is very winding and passes over many one-lane bridges.
In August 2000 it was designated by
President Bill Clinton as the "Hana Millennium Legacy Trail", with the trail start designated in the surf commune of
Paia. The Hト]a Highway is also listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Tourism
The "Road to Hana" is a popular tourist attraction for those visiting
Maui. Guidebooks for the island often devote their largest chapters to traveling the highway to and from the eastern side of Maui and document the many waterfalls and attractions that can be found there. Some of these attractions lie within or through private property and will often have posted "no trespassing" signs or even signs claiming that the attraction does not exist. All beaches in Hawaii are public and private properties must allow public access. Guidebooks document many of the "keep out" signs and the many ways past barbed wire fences and locked gates.
At the end of the "Road to Hana" (or actually past Hana itself in the regular clockwise direction) is the famous "Seven Sacred Pools", originally known as
Oheo Gulch. These waterfalls and pools lie inside a national park.
State highway numbers
★ 'Hawaii State Highway 36' from
Kahului to
Haiku-Pauwela
★ 'Hawaii State Highway 360' from
Haiku-Pauwela to
Hト]a
★ 'Hawaii State Highway 31' from
Hト]a to Kalepa Gulch
Communities served
★
Kahului
★
Paia
★
Haiku-Pauwela
★
Hト]a
★
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
★
On the Road to Hana, ''
Honolulu Star-Bulletin'',
October 27,
2000