Iowa Valley is the place to go if you want to see the lush tropical plants of Maui, Hawaii especially if you’re not up for a long hike or the perilous Hana Highway. Don’t miss the easy walking loop in the Iao Valley for a beautiful Maui nature walk!
Be sure to check out all 23 posts in my Maui Hawaii – First Trip Travelers Guide!
Iao Valley Hike or Walk
The walkways make this more of an easy nature walk than a real hike. This is more what we expected to encounter at the Bamboo forest, which turned out to be quite a long hike!
How long to plan for the Iao Valley
We spent an easy hour here on the loop walkway and it was well worth the small entry fee per vehicle. If you’re not up to the Hana Highway, this is a great way to see the rainforest/jungle side of Maui.
In the Iao Valley you’ll see tropical plants up close with gorgeous distant views.
The Iao Valley hiking trail walk has waterfalls! In some places the trail passes right over them.
Don’t forget to stop and watch the waterfall for a peaceful moment.
Iao Needle Spectacular Views
Views of the Iao Needle are a highlight of this easy walk.
Bonus! The views of the Iao Needle are breath-taking right from the road!
This is often mentioned in close proximity on information on the road to Hana, but we missed it on our Hana trip. If you’re coming from the resort areas of West Maui and South Maui, after you drive east across the island, the Iao Valley is to the north (your left), the road to Hana is to the south (your right).
Bonus! See the Hawaii roosters
Did you wonder what the rooster Heihei was doing in Disney’s movie Moana? If you don’t know about the roosters in Maui, it seems totally out of place. But did you know that roosters are common on Maui?
Before our trip, we didn’t! To our surprise, as we drove around Maui we kept seeing roosters and other chickens foraging at the edge of the jungle forests. We saw so many we began to wonder if it was the state bird of Hawaii! Then we found out that roosters were brought to Maui for cock fighting for the entertainment of laborers. Thank goodness there’s not cock fighting. I’m not sure of the impact on the native plants and animals, but colorful roosters do look pretty against a jungle backdrop. We saw a big group (not quite a flock) on our drive to the Iao Valley.
And I admit I Ioved the character Heihei in Moana. He’s a great tension reliever for little kids.
Be sure to check out all 23 posts in my Maui Hawaii – First Trip Travelers Guide!
Pro Tip for the Iao Valley walk
If you need to kill some time before getting to the airport, this is a great detour. It’s the perfect thing to do in Maui near the airport!