#1 of 44 sights in West Maui Scenic Drive
Sight · West Maui Scenic Drive
Watch Pacific surf burst through lava from the dry roadside overlook.
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The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for West Maui Scenic Drive. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the West Maui Scenic Drive audio tourRecorded for this place
Nākālele Blowhole from Above“You’re coming up on Nākālele Blowhole, where ocean waves force water through a hole in the lava and send spray into the air.”
Plays as you drive up to Nākālele Blowhole in the Parkwolf West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Nākālele Blowhole is a natural opening in the volcanic shoreline at Nākālele Point, where Pacific surf can burst into a plume of water and spray. It's one of West Maui's most striking stops, but the upper roadside viewpoint is the smart place to watch from. The blowhole is intermittent, not a timed fountain, and you don't need to climb down to see it.
The shorter approach is near mile marker 38.5 on Kahekili Highway (Hwy 340). A longer walk starts near mile marker 38 and covers about 1.25 miles round trip across sharp, loose lava and gravel. That descent is exposed and rough; the shore below is no place for a casual scramble.
Stay well back from the hole and the wet, wave-washed shelf. A large wave swept a visitor into the blowhole in 2011. Don't wade, turn your back on the surf, or move closer just because the water looks calm.
Waves push through an opening in the rock and send water upward in irregular bursts. The blowhole can be more active with strong surf and higher tides, but those conditions also make the shoreline more dangerous. You may have a quiet wait, and there is no guaranteed height or timing.
The dark cliffs and shelves come from West Maui's volcanic rock, then years of surf and wind working at the coast. Accounts differ on the blowhole's precise formation: wave erosion, a collapsed lava tube, or some combination. The dependable part is the ocean-powered show, not a fixed eruption schedule.
Naupaka kahakai grows along the cliffs, and wedge-tailed shearwaters may glide over the water. They're easy to miss if you're focused only on the plume.
The nearby heart-shaped rock was a famous part of older photos of this stop. Ocean waves broke roughly half of it away in 2020, so don't expect to find the intact heart shown in older guides.
From the upper viewpoint, frame the spray against the dark lava and open Pacific; there is no reason to climb toward the water for a photo. The coastal road is narrow and winding, so allow time for the drive. No food or water service is confirmed at the roadside stop, and reports about portable toilets conflict; plan accordingly.
Wildlife
152 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
71 sightingsHawaiian Monk SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
23 sightingsSpinner DolphinMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
401 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
14 sightingsHawksbill Sea TurtleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
92 sightingsWedge-tailed ShearwaterMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across West Maui Scenic Drive. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateNakalele Blowhole Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 0.1 mi awayA short rocky approach; watch the blowhole from uphill.ModerateAcid War Zone Trail1.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA rough coastal path to a lighthouse beacon and blowhole.
ModerateʻŌhai Loop Trail1.2 mi · 54 min · 1.2 mi awayA short coastal loop with a long look at Kahakuloa Head.
EasyʻŌhai Overlook Trail0.1 mi · 15 min · 1.2 mi awayA quick paved lookout over Maui’s rugged north coast.
ModerateOlivine Pools Trail0.4 mi · 45 min · 2.5 mi awayA short lava scramble to tidepools on an exposed coast.
EasyHonolua Bay Access Trail0.8 mi · 24 min · 2.9 mi awayA shaded forest walk to a rocky, protected bay.
EasyKahakuloa Head Trail0.1 mi · 10 min · 3.5 mi awayA tiny coastal walk, if ranch access is confirmed.
ModerateHonolua Ridge Trail2 mi · 2 hr · 3.7 mi awayA two-mile ridge walk to Puʻu Kaʻeo and a Sugi grove.
Scenic pullout · 1.6 mi awayHonokōhau Bay LookoutA quick view of the curved bay and red-brown coastal cliffs.
Beach · 2.3 mi awayPunalau BeachA rugged shore for walks and surf watching, not swimming.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayPōhaku Kani (Bellstone)A roadside bellstone with a story, if you can stop safely.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayOlivine PoolsA high-ground view of lava pools and surf; don’t go down.
Sight · 3.2 mi awayLīpoa PointA cultural headland above Honolua Bay; check access before going.
Beach · 3.2 mi awayHonolua BayForest walk, coral-rich reef, and slippery rocky entry.
Scenic pullout · 3.3 mi awayHonolua Bay Scenic LookoutBlue water and green cliffs, seen from a quick roadside pull-off.
Food · 3.4 mi awayLorraine’s Shave IceShave ice and banana bread make a sweet break in Kahakuloa.Parkwolf’s West Maui Scenic Drive ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
