Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As any outdoors enthusiast might expect, it's this isolation and remoteness that
make Polipoli such an enchanting place. Set between 5,300 and 7,100 feet in elev-
ation, this section of mountainside sees mists that slowly roll across it to create a
panorama which at one minute can offer sweeping views down to the shorelines,
and in the next completely envelop the treetops and reduce visibility to a couple of
feet. Bathed in the scent of redwood and pine (yes, there are redwoods and pines on
Maui), it's a magical, spooky, and refreshing place that offers visitors a literal breath
of fresh air.
This 10-acre recreational area of the Kula Forest Reserve was extensively
planted with nonnative trees (such as redwoods) during the 1930s as part of the Ci-
vilian Conservation Corps (CCC). A large clearing at 7,000 feet is nicknamed The
Ballpark because this is where corps members would gather on their lunch break to
play high-altitude games of softball and baseball. Although no more ball games take
place on the mountain, Polipoli is frequented by hikers and hunters looking for wild
boar, goat, and ring-necked pheasant. A massive wildfire in 2007 ignited over 1,000
acres of the mountainside, and charred stands of trees still poke out from areas of
new growth. This is also the island's premier mountain biking destination, where a
forested woodland of downhill and single-track provides a ride that's more akin to
something you'd find in Northern California than high up on a tropical island.
Mornings offer the clearest views for hiking in Polipoli, and for anyone wanting
to get an early start on the trail, there is one small campground as well as a rustic
cabin which can accommodate up to 10 people (no electricity). Both are reachable
by following the steep, switchbacking Waipoli Road 9.7 miles upland from Kekaul-
ike Highway (Hwy 377), the last four miles of which are unpaved (four-wheel drive
recommended). For cabin reservations ($60/night residents, $90/night nonresidents)
contact the Division of State Parks in Wailuku (54 S. High St., Rm. 101, 808/
984-8109, weekdays 8am-3:30pm). Make campground reservations ($12/night) on-
line at www.hawaiistateparks.org .
If you don't feel like dealing with bikers on your relaxing morning stroll, you're better
off heading to the two-mile-long Waihou Spring Trail toward the top of Olinda Road.
This trail is only open to hikers and doesn't have as steep of an elevation gain as the one at
Kahakapao. It's uniquely situated among a pine tree experiment so that all the pines appear
like towering rows of corn. While the wooded trail is nice enough for walking, the treat
is at the end where a brief, steep switchback descends down into an old irrigation gulch.
In the 30-foot rock face at the end of the trail you can make out tunnels bored through the
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