Maunalei Arboretum Hiking Trails

We did the 8-​mile Arboretum to Mahana Ridge Trail and it was the best hike we’ve ever done in Hawaii! A bit about us: we love the rain, bush whacking, overgrown trails and the challenge of figuring out if we’re on the right trail or not. And getting muddy is part of the fun. So if you like all of that, you will love this hike. Note that it is WET and muddy at the top of the hike, so it’s slippery in some parts. The abundance of fruit trees was pretty amazing — we were eating guava and lilikoi for the first couple of miles, it was hard to keep walking because we kept finding more fruit to eat. Further down, we found pineapples growing in the wild, how cool is that? The views were outstanding in some parts, and as we descended we kept entering different micro-​climates which meant different plant life in each stage (did I mention that we are botanists at heart?). The smell of eucalyptus trees and seeing the huge banyan trees totally makes this hike. About ¾ of this hike is under shady forest.
I will mention that the last mile was the part I didn’t like because all of a sudden we lost our shade and hiked in the blasting sun through the golf course, but we still had great views of the ocean. We took a right instead of a left at the overpass and ended up at DT Fleming beach, which isn’t all bad because a dip in the ocean is just what we needed. Even though it’s mostly downhill, this hike is a bit of a workout. Highly recommended for people who love to hike and don’t mind getting dirty. We used the Kapalua free shuttle in the morning and this service is great (must call to reserve, we called at 8:45am and got on the 9:30am shuttle). Make sure to tip the driver!

This is a terrific hike with amazing scenery and an opportunity to explore an environment that would normally be unaccessable. It is not Disneyland with a new thrill around every corner but if you want an opportunity to experience one of Maui’s treasures this is it. Our kids (4 & 6) love this trail and whenever we say — «wanna go to the Arboretum?» we get a rousing cheer in response. As with most of Maui there is very little «wildlife» but this area does contain endangered birds which while hard to spot, you will probably hear if you try. We spotted a pair of wild pigs the last time we were there also. Do plan on the possiblity of getting wet or hot — you never know in the rain forest. The hike back to the resort is not recommended for young kids as it can be long and hot but is awesome also, both for the scenery and the workout. Recommend calling ahead for the shuttle as they take reservations and seating can be limited. Aloha!

All the books and sites I checked on Maui said that Kapalua resort had a ton of hiking and lots of trails. My husband said I should have been wary that I hadn’t found any reviews, just the comment that there were over «100 miles of trails.» That’s because that literally IS the only selling point. Still, this was the closest hiking to our hotel in Lahaina so we decided to try it.
You head over to Honolua village (where you go to start the ziplining) and there is a free shuttle offered at 4 times throughout the day. If you miss it you have to wait as you aren’t able to just walk to the trailhead. They were out of maps that day (freaky!) so we bought an iphone app online and looked at their maps on the wall. We also had to sign a waiver.
After a 15 minute drive you arrive at the arboretum. At first there are fun flowers and plants, beautiful vistas and views and you feel a bit like you’re in LOST as the trails aren’t totally clear and you have to tread lightly through the tall weeds. However, once you are in there for a good hour there isn’t much else to see. There are no birds, no frogs, no random unnameable bugs… It’s the same thing over and over again. It gets very very rainy and wet (it’s a rainforest but again, no wildlife). It gets cold and dark. The weeds become tall painful over-​grown beasts that slice your legs as you try and walk. You find yourself walking on trails that run right next to roads. You see plastic from the vegetation that was installed!
There is hardly any wildlife whatsoever. We saw far more of that on the hiking we did off the Road to Hana. We didn’t want to sit around waiting for the shuttle which was so many hours out so we opted to take the trail that gets you back to where you parked your car. It was about 8 miles and we did it fast because we were super bored.
If you do go, it’s definitely good for the workout! I was sore the next day. Oh and fair warning… the ground is orange clay so definitely best to wear hiking boots, my sneakers are still red and they were soaked! Truly, I think there’s better hiking elsewhere! One local told us a place called Swinging Bridges that is supposed to be amazing… Think it’s on private property but maybe worth checking out!
Definitely a miss! I am kinda pissed at my fodor’s book for even mentioning it. I had to concede my husband a «told you so» and I really hate that most of all!