CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsHike· Maui· Hawaii
Iao Valley State Monument (Iao Needle)
20° 52.8′ N · 156° 32.8′ W
The lush valley above Wailuku where the 1,200 ft Iao Needle (Kukaemoku) rises from the valley floor, scene of Kamehameha's 1790 Battle of Kepaniwai; a paved 0.6-mile walk leads to the Needle lookout and an ethnobotanical garden.
Practical
Coordinate is the Needle viewpoint (OpenStreetMap). Open 7am to 6pm daily. Out-of-state visitors must reserve entry and parking in advance at gostateparks.hawaii.gov: $5 per person entry (age 3 and under free) and $10 per car (DLNR State Parks, 2026); Hawaii residents free. Paved Iao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop, 0.6 mile. Kepaniwai Park and Heritage Gardens are on the way up the valley road. Flash-flood country: stay out of the stream after rain. About 4 miles from Kahului Harbor via Wailuku.
Best for
Half-day crew outing from Kahului or Maalaea
Nearby
- Bailey House Museum (Wailuku)2.2 NM away
- Sam Sato's (Wailuku)2.7 NM away
- Kaahumanu Church (Wailuku)2.8 NM away
- Maui Memorial Medical Center3.2 NM away
- Halekii-Pihana Heiau State Monument3.4 NM away
- Maui Nui Botanical Gardens3.4 NM away
- Kahului Ramp3.9 NM away
- Kahului Harbor Small-Craft Anchorage4.2 NM away