Updated July 2026
Makahiku Falls
Makahiku Falls is a nearly 200-foot waterfall viewed from an overlook about 0.5 mile up the Pīpīwai Trail in Haleakalā National Park's Kīpahulu District on Maui. It is the first major attraction on the trail to Waimoku Falls, making a roughly 1-mile round-trip if you turn back at the overlook.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check National Park Service - Haleakalā National Park (Kīpahulu District) for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Makahiku Falls drops about 200 feet. That makes it the 84th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 89% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Pīpīwai Trail (Makahiku Falls Overlook) reaches it about 1 miles (out-and-back), rated easy. The nearest town is Hāna. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with National Park Service - Haleakalā National Park (Kīpahulu District) for closures and current conditions.
Year-round (subject to flash-flood closures after heavy rain). Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Hawaii waterfalls
- ʻAkaka Falls · 442 ft
- Alelele Falls · 65 ft
- Hanakāpīʻai Falls · 300 ft
- Hanakoa Falls
- Hanawi Falls · 200 ft
- Hiʻilawe Falls · 1,450 ft
- Hoʻopiʻi Falls · 20 ft
- Kahiwa Falls · 2,165 ft
Sources
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