Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Maui's early history mirrors the rest of Hawaii's, with warring chiefs, periods of peace,
missionaries, whalers and sugarcane. At the time of statehood in 1959, Maui's population
was a mere 35,000. In 1961 Maui retained such a backwater appearance that director
Mervyn LeRoy filmed his classic
The Devil at 4 O'Clock
in Lahaina, where the dirt
roads and untouristed waterfront doubled for the sleepy South Pacific isle depicted in his
adventure movie. Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra not only shot many of their scenes at
Lahaina's Pioneer Inn, but stayed there too.
Enter sugar giant Amfac in 1962, which sweetened its pot by transforming 600 acres
of canefields in Kaʻanapali into Hawaii's first resort destination outside Waikiki. Things
really took off in 1974 with the first nonstop flight between mainland USA and Kahului.
Maui soon blossomed into the darling of Hawaii's tourism industry.
Its growth spurt hasn't always been pretty. In the mid-1970s developers pounced on
the beachside village of Kihei with such intensity it became a rallying call for anti-devel-
opment forces throughout Hawaii. Recent years have been spent catching up with Kihei's
rampant growth, mitigating traffic and creating plans intent on sparing the rest of Maui
from willy-nilly building sprees.
In the 21st century Maui has been a leader in eco-activism. Parks, forest reserves and
watersheds cover nearly half of the island. Maui was the first island to approve a ban on
single-use plastic bags, which went into effect in 2011. Thirty-four wind turbines line the
slopes above wind-whipped Maʻalaea Harbor, enough to power more than 18,000 homes
annually. In 2012, eight more windmills went online in east Maui on land leased from
ʻUlupalakua Ranch.
Climate
Maui's west coast typically boasts dry, sunny weather, with conditions improving as you
approach Kihei and Makena in the south. Hana and the jungle-covered east Maui offer
rainforests and gushing waterfalls. The Upcountry slopes, beneath Haleakalā, commonly
have intermittent clouds, making for a cooler, greener respite and ideal conditions for
land-based activities like hiking and horseback riding. For an islandwide recorded weath-
er forecast, call 866-944-5025.
National, State & County Parks
Maui's marquee park is Haleakalā National Park, its lofty volcanic peaks giving rise to
east Maui. The park has two distinct faces. The main section encompasses Haleakalā's
volcanic summit with its breathtaking crater-rim lookouts and lunarlike hiking trails. In
the park's rainforested Kipahulu section you're in the midst of towering waterfalls,
swimming holes and ancient Hawaiian archaeological sites.
