Pu‘u Kukui

April 15-16, 2026

1764m

Maui, HI

Pu‘u Kukui is the highest peak of West Maui and boasts over 1500 m prominence making it one of the “ultra prominent peaks” in the world. This is therefore on an important peak-bagging list that many of us pursue. The area however, features the Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve – the largest private nature preserve in Hawaii which is owned by Maui Land & Pineapple Company. Recreational access has been strictly prohibited and requires some special kind of permission that is extremely difficult, if not impossible to obtain. Over a decade ago they used to provide guided tours to those who spent some time volunteering for the conservancy but these days they don’t even offer that anymore. The situation or the importance of the conservation had escalated due to invasive species that had been spreading on the other Hawaiian islands, that even themselves are required to undergo some special kind of cleaning process before entering the area. There’s no legal access to this peak and don’t even bother to ask. The landowners told me with firm words that they would not grant permission and they take it very seriously. I’ve learnt during and after this trip, that this is simply not the typical private properties that I would dare to trespass in other parts of the world, so hopefully I’m able to send the right message out, that this trip report is not meant to “invite” or provide some sort of “beta”.

And because of that I probably should keep the story brief and vague. This was right after a storm system had passed, so the weather was quite promising. I got dropped off by a Lyft driver at the base of the mountain at around 10:30 pm and my plan was to ascend through the night to hopefully summit at around sunrise. I got the beta from an online trip report with GPX so the direction was clear. I did carry a sleeping bag and air mattress in case I felt too tired and needed some sleep, which happened to be the case. This is a long hike from sea level, after all. While walking up the access road I hopped over 2 fences but the 3rd one was open. Again, this was not my first time doing that and I sensed no major difference from the other trespasses I’ve done in various parts of the globe, but they actually had a ton of hidden cameras so they knew my presence. A few hours into the hike I got to the boardwalk section and decided to catch a few hours of sleep as I was quite fatigued from the travel. I got up at 5:30 AM and resumed the hike. The lower half of the boardwalk had been repaired but the upper half was still a mess with lots of rotten planks that could easily result in injuries. Fortunately I was careful enough. The views were definitely spectacular but again, this place isn’t meant to be hiked so please use this trip report only as a reference of what you shouldn’t do.

The West Maui night time skyline as I walked up the access road
The start of the boardwalk, still in the pitch dark
The gorgeous morning horizon
The plants on this mountain are definitely unique
For a long while the route goes up a steep ridge crest
The morning fog above the coastline
As you can see, the lower half of the boardwalk had been repaired
Cresting the ridge with incredible views
Another view of the crater and the West Maui Mountains
In the foreground is a gigantic waterfall
Traversing through some very sensitive environment
Finally coming to the openings, looking back
Upwards and onward. The boardwalk here weren’t in a good shape
Looking back towards Kamakou, the highest peak on Molokai
Starting to get higher than the mountains nearby
Another view looking down. This is the 2nd wettest place on Earth…
The summit’s not too far from here
Near the summit I could see Haleakala, the objective for the following day
The summit view from Pu‘u Kukui
This impressive peak to the south probably doesn’t have a name
Another view towards Haleakala, from Pu‘u Kukui

I got to the summit, sent out a few texts and then quickly made my way down. Descending the boardwalk was uneventful but took a while. I then packed up the ditched overnight gears and went down the road. Three ATVs with over 10 people from Aloha Pu‘u Kukui, the company that actually manages the area then came to catch me on the descent. They got my name, pictures, phone number and a bunch of things all recorded. The polices came, and I had to show up for a proper meeting with the landowner the next day as how to go forward from here. The details need not to be shared. I did propose that I could help them spreading the words out that why this peak is closed (and hopefully you get it, that Hawaii is at its own with so many sensitive species and habitats), and how serious they are at protecting the land. There is only one trail to reach the summit and they have a lot of motion senser cameras along the way, and they even got alert of my presence. They could have easily flown a helicopter to catch me on the upper mountain but they decided to wait for my return. If you are really keen on learning then I’m more than happy enough to link you to some of those guys, and I’m sure they would be willing to give more information from their perspective.

One of the only ponds on the route
Going down the upper mountain
One last look at Kamakou. The ocean’s now visible mostly
Some parts of the boardwalk had been seriously damaged
Going down the ridge section
A long while later, I was back at the beach rejoining Clair
Our camp at Olowalu
The evening glow from our campsite over the West Maui Mountains
Walking around the beach after a long and exhausting hike
It’s almost time to go to sleep. It was hot with lots of mosquitoes…