‘Iao Valley State Monument

I wouldn’t say this is a hike, but it’s still a fun outing nonetheless. Parking is $ 8 so come prepared. There are paved paths that take you down to the riverbank as well as up into the hills where you can see the needle up close (though unable to actually hike/​climb on it). There are a lot of informative signs/​place markers that tell of the area’s place in Hawaiian history.
My wife and I spent about an hour walking around before moving on to the next destination. I recommend making a quick stop here!

One of the many tourist attractions here on Maui that draws locals and visitors alike is here at the ‘Iao Valley state monument. It’s a place of pride of historic significance and a place of serenity. Definitely one to do on your visit to Maui.
I’ve had the privilege of coming here and seeing this for a few years before the county starred to levy a parking fee of $ 5.00 for non residents who comes and visits. Not sure if it’s residents of Maui or residents of the state of Hawaii, but for what it’s worth, it’s worth coming here at least once to experience the valley and the lush surroundings. The fees are kind of minimal to park here, but it was fun when it was free for all. Now, it’s just a nuisance and a revenue stream for the county. ‘Iao Needle is culturally and historically significant to the native Hawaiian people. In 1790, there was a fierce battle between the king of Maui and King Kamehameha I. In an effort to unify the islands, many men died and was said to have been to be one of the most bloodiest military campaigns in pre modern hawaii’s history. ‘Iao Valley state monument is a one to see, if you are in Maui. The overall experience I had was very nice and expect to spend about 2 hours to just enjoy and see everything.
‘Iao Valley state monument is located about 3 miles west of Wailuku. Best bet would be to drive in or walk in, if you’d like. Not sure if there’s public transit service here, but it’s best to have a car and credit card only for the parking fee. The garden surroundings are really lush and you can tell that they really do keep the area surreal and very much tranquil. Maybe you could hear the battlecries of the ancient warriors late in the night here, but I wouldn’t chance that. The river crossings are quite beautiful if you stay awhile to admire the beauty. There are hiking options here, but be careful about where you go and what you do. Wear covered footwear to protect yourself if you come across some dangerous points along the hike. There are secret hiking options too, but be wary of your surroundings and you should be okay.
I’ve been here at ‘Iao valley state monument a bunch of times over the years and apparently I haven’t filed a Unilocal review till now in 2016. The ‘Iao needle itself is basically is a phallic symbolic rock, dedicated to the Hawaiian God Kanaloa, the God of the underworld. Best to come here early in the morning at 7am for an hour or so and take in the atmosphere before heading out to the beach or wherever the day takes you. It was definitely any highlight of my many Maui trips over the years and hope it will be one for you and your family too on your vacation to Maui.
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A+

The 5-​starts given on this review can only be applied if you go on one of the «secret hikes» or unofficial hikes These hikes are past the signs the say to stay on the trail but are well worn hiking trails that let you explore the valley in a more real way.
We took one the secret paths and followed the river down for about an hour and it was of the best experiences I’ve had. The secret trial is a challenge and not for those that don’t have a basic level of fitness.
If you don’t do one of the «off-​roading» paths I would say that the Needle, while very breath taking, is very underwhelming if you were planning on spending your whole day hiking here. The whole trail will take 10−15mins max and can be disappointing if you were looking for more.
If, however, you make to make this a quick stopover and not do the secret paths, that I feel would be worth it.

The Iao Valley State Monument was one of my top 3 places that we visited while on Maui. Unlike most of Maui which is green and grassy, the valley was super lush and reminded me of the Road to Hana side of the island. Super beautiful!
We lucked out and got to the monument at 10:30am on Thursday and only had to wait behind a car or two to get in. When we were leaving there was a line of at least 10 – 15 cars waiting to get in… And there’s not enough room! It costs $ 5.00 (credit only, no cash) and it is well worth it. We also lucked out and got one of the last parking spaces in the smallish lot. There are a few tour bus parking spaces which seem to take up most of the room. There are also bathrooms available.
The monument consists of many different areas, each very different from each other. The first area is the «garden» which when we were there was rather sparse and unimpressive. You then take the trail down to the river and under some pretty trees. Afterwards take the trail back up and over by the small waterfall before ascending the flight of stairs up the hillside to the monument at the top. There’s not much to see at the top other than the view, but the view by itself is amazing! Definitely worth the trip just by itself. You get the lush green mountains in front of you, and a cool view of the ocean in the background.
Plan for the whole trip to take about 20 – 30 minutes and prepare for the crowds. There are a lot of people walking around and you have to maneuver around them to walk around and get good pictures. I would definitely mark this as a must see while on Maui.

Get to the POINT.
My friend and I made a short visit to see the Needle before our lunch and afternoon engagements. I’ll just summarize my review with a few key points:
1. Limited parking. There are upper and lower lots. The upper lot is for the public, and the lower lot is shared between the public and tour buses.
2. Pay up. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay any attention at all to how much the fees were since parking for local residents, such as myself (visiting from Honolulu), is free.
3. Caution! Please use caution when ascending and descending the stairs.
I’d recommend covered footwear as the trail/​stairs leading up to the viewpoint for the Iao Needle is uneven and at times steep.
4. Small spaces. The top level is a small area, and therefore it can be challenging to snap that one perfect picture with the Iao Needle in the background. Sadly, I wasn’t able to get that perfect shot as there were many others visiting the park that day as well.
5. Take a hike. To the lower level/​area of the park that is. After viewing the Needle, there is a trail/​paved walkway that visitors may use to explore the lower level of the park by the stream. Some visitors were brave enough to venture onto the rocks by the stream to take pictures, while others exuded more courage and took a dip in the raging waters of the stream itself.
6. Breath. Take a breathe of fresh air and enjoy the surroundings. This is nature at its finest.
BOTTOM LINE: A worthwhile visit to the Iao Needle.