Favorite Bicycling Routes

Looking for the ideal ride on Maui for you? Check out these recommendations from our members and friends in the bicycle community. 

North Shore Greenway

Want a car-free, family friendly place to ride? Check out the North Shore Greenway, located on the makai (ocean side) of the Kahului airport runway. Park at either Kanaha Beach Park in Kahului or Kaunoa Senior Center at 401 Alakapa Place in Spreckelsville to access this 1.7-mile mostly-flat path. When the trade winds are gusty, you will work hard; think of the wind as providing the equivalent of a hill workout without a hill.

Add another 1.6 miles roundtrip to your ride by pedaling on quiet roads from Kaunoa Senior Center to Baby Beach in Spreckelsville. From the Kaunoa Senior Center parking lot, turn left onto Alakapa Place, then right onto Makahiki Street. Follow to the stop sign, turn left and take your second left turn to Baby Beach.

Coming from Paia? You can ride from Paia to Baldwin Beach on the other section of the North Shore Greenway. Note that the two sections of the North Shore Greenway are slated to be joined in late 2017, which will allow bicyclists and walkers to travel safely —  away from cars  — from Paia to Kanaha Beach Park. Get the latest updates about the North Shore Greenway expansion here.

Mokulele Bike Path

This 5.9 mile path runs runs parallel to the Mokulele Highway between Hansen Road and the Piilani Highway. It’s best ridden in the morning, before the trade winds kick up. On our wish list is an extension of this bike path, to allow bicyclists to safely travel on an off-road path along the Airport Access Road to access the North Shore Greenway.

South Maui Greenway

An excellent choice for families and beginning bicyclists, this flat greenway along Liloa St. features night time lighting and offers an easy way to travel between the 

Kihei Regional Park/Lokelani Intermediate School and E. Waipuilani Rd. It is less than a mile long. Read more about plans to extend this greenway. 

West Maui Greenway

This is a project that’s currently in planning. However, parts of the proposed route can be bicycled. Check out our map.  Learn more about the West Maui Greenway here.

ROAD RIDES: SOUTH MAUI

Polo Beach to Ahihi Kinaui

Park at Polo Beach Park  (by the Fairmont Kea Lani) and follow Makena Road along the coast past White Rock Beach, Makena Landing and the Keawala’i Church. Take the cobblestone pathway (carefully) then follow the pavement to return to Makena Alanui Drive. Ride past the entrance to Makena Beach State Park. The road narrows and enters Ahihi Kinau Preserve. Enjoy the great ocean views and the remnants of Maui’s last known lava flow as you ride towards La Perouse. The road becomes very bumpy and if you have a road bike, you’ll want to turn around. No worries, this is an out and back route, with lots of places for taking a cooling ocean dip along the way! Approximate distance: 10 miles.

Kihei to Wailuku Loop

Travel North Kihei Road along the ocean and past Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. Turn right at the Honoapiilani Highway to ride toward Wailuku. Turn right onto the Maui Lani Parkway to the Kuihelani Highway. Turn left and proceed to Puunene Avenue. Turn right onto the Mokulele Highway to join the Mokulele Bike Path, to take you back to North Kihei Road.

ROAD RIDES: WEST MAUI:

Lahaina to Kapalua

From Lahaina, travel north along Honoapiilani Highway to Kapalua. In Kapalua, turn left onto Office Road. Turn left again at the end of Office Road onto the Lower Honoapiilani Road. Follow this road through Kapalua and into Napili. Continue south along the Lower Honoapiilani Highway through Honokowai to the Upper Honoapiilani Road back to Lahaina Town. Approximate distance: 25 miles.  

Pali Lookout Bike Ride

Provided by Boss Frog’s
Moderate, Flat Terrain Mileage: 13 one way
This is a great bike ride if you have minimal time or you just want to ride a short distance. From Boss Frog’s bike shop in Lahaina, take Highway 30 South, or when you leave the shop ride up Lahainaluna Rd and turn right on the highway. You can check out the shop in Google street view on our Lahaina bike shop locations page. The highway has a nice shoulder however you do have to be careful coming out of Lahaina because there can be quite a bit of debris on the road. Also there are a few drainage grates you need to be careful of. These are obvious when you are riding, however they can become slick in the rain. By the way it rarely rains on this ride. Lahaina is the Hawaiian word for “House of the Sun” for a good reason. It is approximately 13 miles to the Pali lookout from the Boss Frog’s bike shop on Lahainaluna Road.

On this bike ride, you will cruise through Launiupoko, with its quaint little beach park. This is a great spot for introductory surfing and is also a great place for the kids to play. There is a little wading pool for the very little guys. After Launiupoko you will ride through Olowalu. There is a little store here where you can pick up a snack, water etc. It is mostly flat until you hit the beginning of the Pali, which is in the area of the tunnel. The Pali Lookout is a great place to view Maalaea Bay and the small island of Molokini, which is a popular snorkeling destination. The Pali is a great place to whalewatch during whale season which runs December through May. When leaving the Pali Lookout on your bike ride, be very careful when crossing the highway. The lookout is on a curve in the road so cars can come around the corner quite fast. Also when on this bike ride be sure not to stop on the shoulder of the Pali. It can be dangerous as people tend to sightsee while driving and they can drift into the bike lane. If you need to pull over to the side of the road, find a spot that has a good shoulder. This is not too hard to find. Have a safe and fun ride.

ROAD RIDES: UPCOUNTRY

Kula Highway to Keokea and Ulupalakua

Looking to beat the heat? Head Upcountry for this out and back ride. Park at Rice Park on the Kula Highway (across from Kula Farms), then ride the Kula Highway toward Keokea. Once in Keokea, you can bear left toward Kula Hospital and make a quick right to ride on Thompson Road, a quiet, one-lane dead end that’s popular with walkers and runners. Or bear right towards Ulupalakua Ranch and Kaupo, a scenic and hilly route for more ambitious cyclists.  You’ll find refreshments and snacks at the Ulupalakua Ranch Store and at Grandma’s Coffee Shop in Keokea.

Sea Level to Summit of Haleakala
Provided by Boss Frog’s
The Haleakala ride is one of Maui’s premier bike rides and also one of its most challenging. This route starts at sea level in Paia and travels up to 10,000 feet in 36 miles.

Get started early as this is when the conditions are best. Plan on at least 4 to 5 hours to get to the top. It should only take about an hour or so to get down. The best thing is to have someone pick you up at the top if you are not comfortable on long descents. Bring a windbreaker, arm warmers, food, gels and 2 water bottles. You can stop at the Kula Lodge if you need additional food items or need to fill up with water. You can also get water from the ranger station in Haleakala National Park. Also bring some cash ($10 per person) just in case you need to pay to get into the park. Also do not forget your sunscreen.

Ride from Paia town via Baldwin Avenue to Makawao.  It is a moderate grade up to this point so take it easy, you do not want to burn out early. There is lots of slow climbing ahead. Follow the road straight through Makawao. You will turn right on Hanamu Rd, the Makawao Rodeo should be on the left hand side of the road. At the end of Hanamu, hang a left onto Kekaulike Highway and then Crater Road;  just follow the signs to Haleakala National Park from there.

The Kula Lodge sits at 3,200 ft elevation. Your total climb is 10,023 ft. Your next elevation point of reference is the ranger station at the entrance to Haleakala National Park. It sits at the 6,500 ft elevation mark. By the time you get here you will have ridden up the grinding steep switchback portion of the ride. After the ranger station it is just a slow what seems like a never ending grind to the top; perfect for us crazy type A personality cyclists. You will start to see elevation signs periodically. 10,023 ft is your goal! As you come up on the top of Haleakala you will see a visitor center and you will feel very relieved. However, the last section, the climb to the summit, will hit you right between the eyes, It is crazy steep but short. Power it out and youʻre there!

GENERAL ROAD RIDES:

Bike Ride To Paia – Road Bike Favorite

Provided by Boss Frog’s
Moderate, Flat Terrain Mileage: 28.2 one way
If you are looking to do a long mostly flat bike ride this is the one for you. It is a great recovery ride after a West Maui Loop. Starting at Boss Frog’s bike shop in Lahaina, head out to Highway 30 and turn right. Follow the highway past Maalaea Bay, which is where Maui Ocean Center is and the first stop light you will hit. Go through this light and the next one and turn right at the light that says Kahului. Follow this long flat stretch of highway (Kuihelani Highway 380). Turn right at the first stop light which is S. Puunene Ave, make a left on Hansen Rd. Hansen Road runs past the now defunct HC&S sugar mill. There is a narrow shoulder so be careful. Follow Hansen Road until it intersects with Hana Highway 36. This road will take you to Paia. Just past Paia you will find Hookipa Beach Park. This is a world famous windsurfing spot. People from all over the world come to Maui and live in the Paia area just to frequent Hookipa.