Granite Cliff Studio

After a couple year hiatus, Kipahulu district of Haleakalā National Park, reopened earlier this year using the Recreation.gov reservation system. In the past, it was a first come first serve campground which, if full would damper your plans after the 3 hour drive. Recreation.gov reservations always seem to be unavailable even when you are on the second they become available, insert conspiracy theory here, but we always try to score last minute cancellations. For whatever reason, cancellations are the best way to get reservations. It is extremely difficult to make future plans here on Maui, work life balance sometimes can be overlooked due to the high cost of living. Staycations at resorts and hotels in the past are no longer affordable so camping is an excellent and actually the preferred outdoor vacation. The last year we have been very lucky and have scored reservations on the website for all options available, Hosmer Grove, Paliku, Holua and Kipahulu. The only activities that seem to be impossible to get reservations are the sunrise at Haleakalā and the newly reservable Wainapanapa cabins and camping. It was nice that we were able to enter Wainapanapa with a Hawaii ID and no reservation needed.

Kipahulu is a magical place, a sliver of land between large ranches that protects the valley that is home to the 7 sacred pools and Waimoku Falls. Obviously, Maui is in a crisis right now and most endemic plants and birds are in a critical phase of existence. The amount of cats, pigs, mosquitos and diseases are infinitely growing which is causing declining vegetation and populations. I unfortunately, don’t have an answer to these problems, but the only way would be an extreme change and control of these areas. I even saw a cat near Paliku cabin a month ago and noticed there were far less native Hawaiian birds around the forest here. It is sad and most of these changes you wouldn’t notice in a lifetime but you now see declines in months and years. It has to be said, cats are a real problem, the ecosystems that support endangered plants and animals will not exist if nothing is done.

We were amazed upon arrival that the parking lot is constantly full all day and tour companies driving the counterclockwise route to Hana, which I had never seen before, made for a crowded day. You feel for the people who live out there. Albeit, a stop at the Hana Ranch store was met with that charm and aloha that you would expect from this slow lifestyle. On a rain day, plenty of locals were excited for the famous chili and rice and excited to share what they have been up to, asking each other if they were going to the baby shower later. Upon discovery, that we were visiting from Lahaina, genuine care and interest about our recent wildfire was displayed. “We wanted to send you some of our rain to help!” These are the reasons you love the people that live here on Maui, the west side of Maui and the east side of Maui although complete opposites share that compassion for what is happening to their communities.

Here are some photographs from our camping trip.