Two liters of water per person, shoes with lugs you do not mind ruining, mosquito repellent applied in the parking lot, a light rain shell, sun protection, and snacks. There is no drinking water, no food, and no shop anywhere in the Kīpahulu District, and cell service quits well before you get here, so download the map and your pass before you lose signal.
Carry
There is no store past the gate. Pack for mosquitoes, mud, heat, and rain.
Mosquito repellent
Mosquitoes are a problem on Pīpīwai. Pack repellent.
Sturdy shoes
The trail is muddy. Sturdy shoes, waterproof if you have them.
Water
There is no store past the Kīpahulu gate. Carry the water you will drink.
Sunscreen
The hike is hot and humid, then rain. Wear sunscreen on the boardwalks.
Dress for hot, humid weather and rain
Heat and rain land on the same afternoon.
Leave and plan around
Pets are prohibited on Pīpīwai. Cell service is spotty or poor. A party larger than 12 people splits by 30 minutes.
Pets are not allowed on the trail
Dogs are not allowed on Pīpīwai.
Cell service is spotty or poor
Emergency medical care is more than 1 hour away.
Maximum group size is 12 people
A party larger than 12 people splits by 30 minutes.
How much water should you carry?
Two liters per person, which is about 68 ounces or two large bottles. Three if you are slow, if you are starting after eleven, or if you are carrying a child.
There is no potable water in the Kīpahulu District. Not on the trail, not at the trailhead, and not at the visitor center, and there is no shop or vending machine anywhere past the entrance. Fill everything you own in Hāna, 12 miles back up the highway, because that is the last town. The reason two liters is the working number rather than a cautious one is the humidity: sweat stops evaporating, so you keep producing it, and people routinely finish a liter before the bamboo without noticing.
Do not plan to refill from the stream. Water here carries leptospirosis, and treating it is more trouble than carrying it.
What shoes actually work here?
Anything with lugs and an intact tread pattern. Trail runners are ideal, old sneakers with real grip are fine, and hiking boots are more than you need but nobody has ever regretted them here.
The specific failure is a smooth or worn sole on the boardwalk through the bamboo. Those planks are milled flat, they sit under a canopy that never lets the sun dry them, and water stands on them in a thin continuous film. A lugged sole cuts through that film and touches wood. A smooth sole rides on top of it, and the moment your weight shifts forward the foot keeps going. It is the same physics as a wet tile floor, on a slight camber, with nothing to grab.
Bring shoes you are willing to ruin. The mud past the bridge stains, the crossings soak them, and nothing here dries for days.
When should you put the repellent on?
In the parking lot, before you take a step. Mosquitoes here find you within a minute of you stopping, and stopping is exactly what you will do at the overlook and under the bamboo.
The worst of it is inside the grove between 1 and about 1.8 miles, where the stalks kill the wind entirely and the air sits still and damp. Anywhere the trade wind reaches you, they thin out. Cover ankles and the backs of your legs, which is where people miss and where they get bitten, and reapply after the stream crossings if your legs got wet.
Rain, sun, and what to wear
A light shell rather than an umbrella. It rains in every month here, sometimes for ten minutes and sometimes for an hour, and you want both hands free on the stone steps and the crossings. Anything waterproof and packable will do, since the point is to keep the wind off you when you are wet rather than to stay dry, which is not on offer.
Sun still matters even though most of the walk is shaded. The first half mile up the steps is open, and so is the boulder field at Waimoku, and both come at the times of day when the sun is highest. Wear something quick drying. Cotton stays soaked from the first climb until you get back to the car.
Do trekking poles help?
More on the way down than the way up. The climb is short and steep and your hands are better used on the occasional rock, but the descent is 53 minutes of controlled braking, and the last half mile of it is the uneven stone steps you climbed at the start.
If anyone in your group has knees that complain on stairs, poles change their day more than any other item on this list. A single pole is enough. Collapsible ones fit in a daypack for the flat middle where you will not want them.
What to leave in the car
Flip flops and sandals with smooth soles. They are the single most common reason people turn around at the bamboo, and the boardwalk is where they fail.
Your dog, and preferably not in the car either. Pets are prohibited on every trail in the park, and there is no shade in the lot, so this is a hike to do on a day when the dog stays where you are staying. Strollers as well: the stone steps in the first half mile and the stairs above the bridge make the trail impassable with wheels, and Kūloa Point, half a mile to the coast, is the walk in this district that works for wheels and short legs.
Leave the cotton hoodie, leave the heavy camera bag if you are not committed to it, and leave anything you would be upset to see covered in red mud.
| Item | How much | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 2 liters per person | No drinking water in the district. Humidity means you sweat through more than the distance suggests. |
| Shoes with lugs | One pair, expendable | Wet stone steps, roots, and a smooth boardwalk that stays wet all day. Smooth soles hydroplane on the planks. |
| Mosquito repellent | Applied before you start | Worst in the still air inside the bamboo. Reapply after the stream crossings if you get wet. |
| Rain shell | One light layer | It rains here in every month. A shell beats an umbrella on stone steps because you need both hands. |
| Sun protection | Hat and sunscreen | The first half mile and the boulder field at the falls are both open to the sky. |
| Snacks | Enough for four hours | No food in the park and none between here and Hāna, 12 miles back. |
| Trekking poles | One or two, optional | Most useful on the 53 minute descent, especially the stone steps in the last half mile. |
| Downloaded map and pass | Saved offline | Cell service drops out past Hāna and does not come back. Screenshot the receipt. |
| Dry bag or zip bag | One | For a phone at the crossings and in the rain. The mist at the falls soaks a pocket. |
Questions
- What should I bring on the Pipiwai Trail?
- Two liters of water per person, shoes with real tread, mosquito repellent, a light rain shell, sun protection, snacks, and an offline map. There is no water, food, or reliable cell service in the district.
- How much water do I need for the Pipiwai Trail?
- Two liters per person, three if you are slow or starting late. Nothing in the Kīpahulu District sells or supplies drinking water, so fill up in Hāna, 12 miles back.
- What shoes should I wear on the Pipiwai Trail?
- Anything with lugs: trail runners, old sneakers with grip, or boots. Smooth soles slide on the wet boardwalk through the bamboo. Bring shoes you do not mind ruining in the mud.
- Do I need bug spray on the Pipiwai Trail?
- Yes, and put it on in the parking lot. Mosquitoes are worst in the still air inside the bamboo forest, roughly between 1 and 1.8 miles.
- Can I hike the Pipiwai Trail in flip flops?
- No. The stone steps, the wet boardwalk, and two crossings on rounded boulders all need a sole that grips. This is where most turnarounds happen.
- Are dogs allowed on the Pipiwai Trail?
- No. Pets are prohibited on all trails in Haleakalā National Park, and there is no shade in the parking lot to leave one in a vehicle.
Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/kipahulu.htm · https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/hiking.htm · https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/maui/waimoku-falls-via-pipiwai-trail