The Hana Highway—with its umpteen one-lane bridges, countless curves, rain forests, and waterfalls—is a rite of passage for Maui visitors. In fact, if you begin the journey at prime time, say 10 in the morning, you are likely to be in a conga line of rental cars competing for parking spaces at turnouts. 

But if you start at an off time, and concentrate on the journey (rather than the destination of Hana and the Pools of Oheo that lie beyond in the lower section of Haleakala National Park) you can find a day’s worth of adventure and solitude—including this jaunt to Wahinepe’e Falls (above) and Lupi Road (top photo).

Tangled in the jungle of the Ko’olau Forest Reserve are roads and infrastucture of the island’s water-conveyance systems, some of which date from sugar cane days.

Public access is limited to some of the areas. Maui Trailblazer has the details on how to get permits, if needed, and specific directions to a dozen or more spots on the Hana Highway that most cars drive right on by.