Haleakala Bridle Trail

A special event

Maui DLNR has scheduled a Haleakala Bridle Trail hike for Saturday, Aug 24 @ 9 am. Currently there are some 16 hikers who have signed up so even with cancellations, the hike looks like a go. The maximum number of hikers is around 30. Haleakala Bridle Trail is 5.6 miles downhill from 6,500′ to 4,000′ across land owned by Haleakala Ranch. It begins 8.6 miles up Haleakala Hwy and ends at the top of Olinda Road in Makawao. Hike participants are required to download, print and sign two waivers (one for DLNR and one for Haleakala Ranch) and bring same to the trailhead on hike day. Maui DLNR recommends long pants, hiking poles, and rain gear. 

Haleakala Bridle Trail is part of a historic trail used for horse trips to the summit long before construction of Haleakala Highway. According to Jill Engledow’s highly recommended “Haleakala – A History of the Maui Mountain“, this bridle trail was used by Jack London and Mark Twain on their horseback trips up the slopes of Haleakala.

Public ownership of Haleakala Bridle Trail is currently being litigated in the Maui Circuit Court. More information is available on the website maintained by Public Access Trails Hawaii (PATH).