💦 Waterfall Plunge Pool
🟢 Easy $30 per vehicle (NPS entrance fee, valid 3 days) ⚠️ Safety Note
🌊 About ʻOheʻo Gulch / Seven Sacred Pools (Haleakalā National Park)
Long marketed as the 'Seven Sacred Pools' (a name NPS itself notes is inaccurate — there are more than seven, and none are especially 'sacred' in that specific sense), this is a series of stream pools and waterfalls near Hana. A 2006 incident in which a California woman and her cousin died — after mistakenly believing a warning sign on an adjacent trail didn't apply to the path they took — led to a lawsuit the plaintiffs later won, partly because a state worker's recommended safety improvements after an earlier non-fatal fall had not been implemented in time.
📋 Visit Details
Entry Fee
$30 per vehicle (NPS entrance fee, valid 3 days)
Water Temperature
💧 Cool stream water
Best Season
📅 Summer, and only when pools are open — closures are common after rain
Water Type
Series of pools and waterfalls along Palikea Stream — documented deaths, increased barriers after 2006 lawsuit
Managed By
National Park Service (Haleakalā National Park, Kīpahulu District)
County
Maui County, Hawaii
🗺️ Getting There
Address / Access Point:
Kīpahulu Visitor Center, Hana Hwy, Hana, HI 96713
Access Notes:
Easy access to lower pools near the visitor center; upper pools/trails require more hiking; pools are frequently closed to swimming after rain due to flash-flood risk and are sometimes closed for extended periods
✅ Before You Go — Checklist
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Check current water conditions — especially after recent rain
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Save GPS coordinates offline before leaving — cell service may be limited
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Bring cash or card for entry: $30 per vehicle (NPS entrance fee, valid 3 days)
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Pack reef-safe sunscreen, dry bag, water shoes and plenty of drinking water
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Tell someone where you are going before heading to a remote location
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Pack out everything you bring in — leave no trace