We love to take walks here during the midday hours when Maui is hot. This is a very short hike and should take, with kids, probably, 20 minutes or so. They may want to linger over the rushing stream or stare up at the cliffs. Most adults do. Located in Central Maui, I'ao Valley is one of the wettest places on Earth. The trail runs through a pint-sized (6 acres) state park located at the end I'ao Valley Road (map). The mostly-paved trail leads through a section of the crater of a dormant volcano (as in, extremrely dormant), Pu'u Kukui, which runs back 10 miles into some of the most pristine rainforest in the islands. The whole scene is dominated by I'ao Needle, a lava rock spire that juts 1,200 feet into the air and is a phallic symbol according to Hawaiian legends (don't tell the tykes that part). A rushing stream runs through the park and the wind blows hard through the valley, rustling the trees. I'ao is very cool, quiet and calming. No wonder its a place of the Gods, according to Hawaiian legends.

More: Trip Advisor Reviews, Wikipedia, Myth of I'ao Valley, Good Article, Flickr Pics

—Alex, 08/14/06