Puʻu Olai

There are two access points that I am aware of, one from just west of Oneuli Beach and the other from the east side of Makena. I suggest starting from the Oneuli beach side seems safer. Hike is well worth it!

Pretty short hike, with some paths more intense than others. Lots of loose rocks, so good hiking boots are a must, and a walking stick helps. The sights were beautiful though. You can see the crystal clear waters of Makena beach from above, and Molokini in the distance.

Great views after a nice hike up. You can see excellent views of West Maui, Haleakala, Molokini, and all of Kihei as well as South to the old lava flows. Be careful when walking many of the trees in that area have long thorns that will go through the bottom of your shoe. Parking: as of August 2021 if you drive into the parking lot it cost $10 for the car and $5 for each person we parked out on the road and just walked in.

A fairly easy 30 minute hike with amazing views. The trail is steep with loose rocks, so NO SADALS! Seriously, sturdy shoes only for this one. Lots of plants and birds to observe during the hike.

Pu'uolai Cinder Cone is a beautiful hike. It took about 30 minutes to climb up, walk all the way around the crater, and walk down. There are also many trails that branch out to explore, but I did not have enough time to do many of them. I believe one goes down to the rocky beach in front. The climb is steep and loose and very narrow and off-camber in many spots and if you're uncomfortable with it in the first minute, then you probably shouldn't do the rest. It does get hot up on the cone, since there's not much shade, so definitely do it in the early morning or evening. To access, go down the gravel access road to Oneuli beach. Soon after the beach comes into view, there is a metal post on the left side of the road that you can see in one picture. Here is where you turn. You can park on the side of the main road outside the gravel road, or drive down the gravel road and pay $10 for parking. I highly recommend this hike in the right time of day for those confident in their experience.

Amazing views, nice hike but a little steep. We saw whales and deer.

Nice easy hike. Great view at the top.

Unreal. Do it. Gravel ain’t a problem unless your feet are weird and slippery

Bring those walking poles (wish I had mine) and some sturdy shoes as the trail is covered with small rocky pieces and thorns. I later extracted a ~0.75 inch thorn from my trail-running Hoka! Part of the path near Little Beach is treacherous (cliff climbing, depending on the tide) with warning signs at the foot of Makena beach to avoid due to falling rocks.

Adorable meandering path through trees. Not only do you get the ocean breeze, but also shade from the hot sun.
That being said, being next to a clothing optional beach is fine, but there are some activities that have drifted into the forest - stuff that should probably stay in a hotel room.
Walked into several “activities”. What a shame. Such a beautiful place to see.

Cinder cone hill between little beach and black sands. Some slippery paths, or are they sliding cinder rock, axis deer trails?