Hale Hālāwai

Hale Hālāwai is a traditional Hawaiian gathering house where the Pīpīwai Trail and Kūloa Point loop meet in Kīpahulu. It is a short cultural stop, and visitors can walk inside for shade. From here, the 4-mile round-trip Pīpīwai hike heads toward Waimoku Falls; the half-mile Kūloa Point loop goes to views of the Pools of ʻOheʻo. There is no food service in the district, so bring food for your Kīpahulu visit.

Staff from Haleakalā and Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site built the hale in 2010 with guidance from Kumu Sinenci. It was first planned as a hale kuʻai, or store, then repurposed as a meeting house for cultural demonstrations and interpretation. After weathering and damage, rebuilding began in 2019. Programs are offered when available, so count a demonstration as a bonus rather than planning around one. For a photo, include the thatched roof and low stone foundation together; the open sides and raised base show the hale's form.

Kīpahulu was a coastal settlement beside a freshwater stream. Stone walls and house foundations remain in the forest behind the hale. The interpretation describes separate Hawaiian house types for meetings, cooking, eating, sleeping and storing canoes, each built for its own use. It also says archaeologists have found more foundations of these house types in this part of Maui than across Hawaiʻi as a whole. Look without disturbing the remains: do not sit on fragile walls or add rocks.