Sight · West Maui Scenic Drive
A roadside bellstone with a story, if you can stop safely.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
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 area
Olivine Pools: Keep to the Overlook“You’re approaching the roadside overlook for Olivine Pools, near mile marker sixteen. Choose it for a quick high-ground view of pale greenish pools in black lava, with the open ocean beyond.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from Pōhaku Kani (Bellstone) in the Parkwolf West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Pōhaku Kani, also called Bellstone, is a large basalt boulder on the mountain-facing side of Kahekili Highway just before mile marker 16. It is a brief stop near the Olivine Pools area, but the pools are a separate destination. The shoulder is narrow, so only stop if you can pull completely clear of the road; otherwise keep driving.
Local accounts say the boulder can make a bell-like tone when struck in the right spot. On-site signs are reported to ask visitors not to hit, rub or deface it. Treat the sound as a story, not something to test: look without touching.
The boulder stands beside the highway with the ocean beyond it. From a safe pull-off, keep some road and coast in the frame with the stone; that shows the setting that makes this a distinctive roadside landmark.
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
ModerateOlivine Pools Trail0.4 mi · 45 min · 0.1 mi awayA short lava scramble to tidepools on an exposed coast.
EasyKahakuloa Head Trail0.1 mi · 10 min · 1 mi awayA tiny coastal walk, if ranch access is confirmed.
ModerateʻŌhai Loop Trail1.2 mi · 54 min · 1.3 mi awayA short coastal loop with a long look at Kahakuloa Head.
EasyʻŌhai Overlook Trail0.1 mi · 15 min · 1.3 mi awayA quick paved lookout over Maui’s rugged north coast.
ModerateNakalele Blowhole Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 2.4 mi awayA short rocky approach; watch the blowhole from uphill.ModerateAcid War Zone Trail1.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayA rough coastal path to a lighthouse beacon and blowhole.
ModerateMakamakaʻole Falls Trail (13 Crossings)2 mi · 2 hr · 3.7 mi awayA waterfall hike with bamboo, creek crossings, and two falls.
ChallengingWaiheʻe Ridge Trail4.3 mi · 3 hr · 4.2 mi awaySteep ridge climb with deep gorge views and a cloud-prone summit.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayOlivine PoolsA high-ground view of lava pools and surf; don’t go down.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayKahakuloa HeadTwin green headlands meet the sea in a dramatic roadside view.
Food · 1 mi awayLorraine’s Shave IceShave ice and banana bread make a sweet break in Kahakuloa.
Food · 1.1 mi awayJulia’s Best Banana BreadA treehouse-style stand for soft banana bread on the coastal drive.
Store · 1.1 mi awayKaren Lei’s Gallery at KahakuloaBrowse a broad art collection with Kahakuloa Bay below.Sight · 2.5 mi awayNākālele BlowholeWatch Pacific surf burst through lava from the dry roadside overlook.
Scenic pullout · 3.9 mi awayHonokōhau Bay LookoutA quick view of the curved bay and red-brown coastal cliffs.
Beach · 4.5 mi awayPunalau BeachA rugged shore for walks and surf watching, not swimming.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.
