Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ʻIao Needle
The velvety green pinnacle that rises straight up 2250ft takes its name from ʻIao, the
daughter of Maui. ʻIao Needle is said to be ʻIao's clandestine lover, captured by an angry
Maui and turned to stone. A monument to love, this is the big kahuna, the ultimate phal-
lic symbol.
Whether you believe in legends or not, this place looks like it was torn from the pages
of a fairy tale. Clouds rising up the valley form an ethereal shroud around the top of ʻIao
Needle. With a stream meandering beneath and the steep cliffs of the West Maui Moun-
tains as the backdrop, it's a prime photo-op.
Just a few minutes walk from the parking lot, you'll reach a bridge where most people
shoot their photos of the needle. A better idea is to take the walkway just before the
bridge that loops downhill by the stream; this leads to the nicest photo angle, one that
captures the bridge and ʻIao Needle together.
If the water is high you'll see local kids taking bravado jumps from the bridge to the
rocky stream below. You might be tempted to join them, but expect to get the stink-eye -
not to mention that the rocks below are potentially spine-crushing for unfamiliar divers.
Instead, take your dip in the swimming holes along the streamside path. Even there,
however, be aware of potential dangers - the rocks in the stream are slippery and there
can be flash floods.
WALKING TRAILS
After you cross the bridge you'll come to two short trails that start opposite each other.
Both take just 10 minutes to walk and shouldn't be missed. The upper path leads sky-
ward up a series of steps (133 to the top), ending at a sheltered lookout with a close-up
view of ʻIao Needle. The lower path leads down along ʻIao Stream, skirting the rock-
strewn stream-bed past native hau trees with their hibiscus-like flowers. Look around and
you'll be able to spot fruiting guava trees as well. The lower path returns to the bridge by
way of a garden of native Hawaiian plants, including patches of taro.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Puʻunene
Sugar is the lifeblood of Puʻunene. Endless fields of sugarcane expand out from the
sits smack in the center of the village. If you swing by when the mill is boiling down the
sugarcane, the air is heavy with the sweet smell of molasses.
