Location: 3 miles west of central Wailuku
Features: Iao Needle, valley
Iao Valley in the West Maui Mountains is a beautiful State Park, although it tends to get really crowded on the weekends.
The major attraction is without any doubt Iao Needle, a rock pinnacle that rises 1200 feet from the valley floor. There are some short, paved (!) walkways in the park, from where you can get different views of Iao needle.
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However...if you wanna see how Iao valley looks like, there is a small trail (unmarked), starting right behind the last viewpoint, a platform with a shelter and a low wall. The trails starts off 'on top' of that wall, leading towards the mountains. I don't know how far it actually goes (probably as far as you like), but already after half an hour you'll get a fantastic view of the valley with mountains rising on every side and waterfalls splashing down into the valley. It's defefnitely worth the short sidetrip...
Home - Attractions and Hikes of Maui
Other Attractions:
Haleakala Crater National Park / Road to Hana / Iao Valley
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