Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area

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View down to Kihei, Lahaina, and the rest of southeast Maui from entrance to the park

Humidity in the park can at times be exceptional

Very tall, non-native trees dominate the landscape, the higher one ascends.

The Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area, or Polipoli state park, is part of the 21,000-acre Kahikinui Forest Reserve on the slope of Haleakala. The park occupies the slope of Haleakala which does not have a paved road reaching to the top and thus the crater. However, there is a trail blazed through the park that does reach up to the crater. This road can be treacherous (and is strictly a four wheel drive-only expedition), and at times, the forest service will block off the last two miles of the road, which lead to the crater.

The elevation in the park ranges from 5,300 to 6,200 feet above sea level. The climate is generally humid and misty (as this is approximately the cloud level for the eastern side of Maui). Another interesting feature of the park is the smell. The park was originally a deforested area (originally containing Koa, Mamane, and Ohia) which was reforested in the 1930s with Pine, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Ash, and Sequoia/Redwood trees). As none of these trees are native to Maui or any of the other islands of Hawaii, the park has a distinct smell to it.

The main attractions of the park are the off-roading trails, hiking trails, and hunting for boar, pheasant, and goat. There are at least two picnic areas in the park, as well. Lastly, there is a single cabin available through the Hawaii Division of State Parks.