Parking
No Akia-specific parking location could be confirmed. The loop starts at a junction on Mahana Ridge; the walk from a public access point is additional distance.
Overview
About ʻĀkia Loop
Why go
- A compact circuit off the longer Mahana Ridge route
Heads up
- Akia-specific parking and public access are unclear
- Published distances conflict
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the West Maui Scenic Drive map
Full mapElevation1,049–1,164 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active West Maui Scenic Drive alert
- CautionWest Maui daytime lane closures on Routes 30 and 340, Oct. 26–30Expect daytime single-lane closures on Route 30 near Honokōhau and Route 340 between Waiehu and Waiheʻe on scheduled weekdays Oct. 26–30; follow traffic control and allow for alternating traffic.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide
Your drive to ʻĀkia Loop, narrated.
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Kapalua Village: The Cardio Loop
- D.T. Fleming: Beach, Burgers and Ridge Walk
- Mokulēʻia Bay: The Beach Below the Cliffs
- Honolua Bay: Forest and Reef
- 65 audio storiesacross West Maui Scenic Drive’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Humpback Whale, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Spinner Dolphin, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 28 trails, 54 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking ʻĀkia Loop
A small loop off Mahana RidgeʻĀkia Loop is a short circuit above Kapalua, branching from and rejoining Mahana Ridge.
ʻĀkia Loop is a short circuit above Kapalua, branching from and rejoining Mahana Ridge. The mapped route follows the named ʻĀkia paths, then uses a brief section of ridge trail to close the loop. I’d keep it as a small add-on if you’re already walking Mahana Ridge; it isn’t a destination hike on its own.
Distance and effortPlan on about 0.6 mile for the loop itself; any approach on Mahana Ridge adds walking.
Plan on about 0.6 mile for the loop itself; any approach on Mahana Ridge adds walking. The connected mapped line measures about 0.63 mile. A shorter 0.25-mile figure is also published, but it does not fit the complete mapped circuit. Allow around 30 minutes for the loop, plus the approach.
AccessThe loop begins at a junction on Mahana Ridge, but Akia-specific parking and visitor access…
The loop begins at a junction on Mahana Ridge, but Akia-specific parking and visitor access directions aren’t established. Confirm that the ridge approach is open to visitors before setting out, and count the approach separately from the loop.
Wildlife
Wildlife in West Maui Scenic Drive
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.
