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Na’ili’ili-haele Four Waterfalls Hike (KAPU)
You might read about this spot online or in another guidebook. A half-mile beyond the missing 6 mile marker a trail leads mauka to four different falls. The spot should be considered Kapu, or off-limits. Its located on private EMI property.
EMI is the East Maui Irrigation company, and they have ditches running most of the way to Hana. Since they do divert water from various falls and occasionally prevent public access to certain locations, keep that in mind as you explore along the highway. Some waterfalls may be flowing at a lower than usual rate due to EMI diverting water from the stream above the falls.
Their tunnels and ditches feed the cane fields in central Maui. Occasionally they also will block public access to certain locations with No Trespassing signs. A few waterfalls along the Hana Highway are completely on or inside EMI areas. The last we heard, EMI was not permitting anyone to hike on its property.
Location: Na’ili’ili-haele Four Waterfalls Hike (KAPU) is located in the Northeast Maui Region
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Author: J.C.Derrick
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The problem is that a good portion of the hike back relies on using the boulders in the creek as a trail, which is not possible once the water level rises. It took us 4 hours of strenuous crawling through the rain-forest & mangrove thicket to get out. Not to mention we had to jump off the 4th waterfall (about 8-10 drop) into the pool without knowing the depth or being able to see into the muddy water. Luckily it was deep enough, but was very hard to fight the current once in the pool.
Our biggest fear was if we had to cross the creek once we made our way through the thicket because you end up on the opposite side of the creek from where your car is when you swim to the fifth falls. Fortunately, you do not have cross the creek on the way out if the water level is too high. About a 1/2 mile below where you initially crossed the creek on the way up to the falls is a bridge. There is a path through the bamboo to the bridge. Put simply, if the water level is too high to easily wade across the creek, donft risk it and walk down to the bridge!