Maui Destinations: Pools of ‘Ohe’o (Seven Sacred Pools)

After literally years of openings and closings, the Pools of ‘Ohe’o, AKA the Seven Sacred Pools, has re-opened to the public. One of the most popluar tourist destinations on Maui, the Pools had been closed while park staff made software updates and repaired the stream monitoring system. The repairs were necessary because the stream is fed from the forest above and can lead to dangerous flooding situations. The river flows out to the ocean, so it can be potentially deadly if you get swept out to sea.

The Pools go by many names, but Seven Sacred Pools is probably the most commonly used. They are popular amongst locals and tourists alike due to their beauty and the good times they provide. Wading in the fresh river water and cliff-jumping (discouraged, but still doable) makes for a fun day.

The area is also near the Pipiwai Trail trailhead. At the end of the easy, yet sometimes muddy, two mile hike lives the spectacular 400-foot Waimoku Falls, the tallest waterfall on Maui. In between the trailhead and the falls, you'll walk through a bamboo forest and see plenty of indigenous plants.

The Pools of ‘Ohe’o can be found in Haleakala National Park. Being in the national park means you’ll need to pay a  $25 admission fee. The fee is good for three days, but if you time it right, and aren’t an avid hiker, you can probably hit the sunrise at the summit of the mountain as well as the Pools in one day. But we recommend you break that up into two separate trips. Or instead of waking up early to see the sunrise, go to the Pools and explore the park before driving up to the summit for sunset, which is just as stunning as the sunrise with the added bonus of seeing millions of stars. Another pro-tip is to drive to the Pools the reverse direction, meaning through Haiku rather than the traditional “Raod to Hana”. Doing it backwards gets you to the Pools before the majority of tourists who will generally arrive after the Road to Hana.

Whenever you decide to see the Pools, you won't be disappointed!

By the way, did you know that you can now save $10/person on our Maui Princess Dinner Cruise or a Snorkel Adventure to the island of Lanai? Well you can! Just use the promo code VIP20 after clicking on this link: Hawaii Ocean Project Adventures.