The bamboo forest is about 11 miles past the Haiku Community Center. There is another famous Bamboo Forest hike that is past Hana on the Pipiwai Trail - that is a different bamboo forest. Instead, this bamboo forest is close to Paia town and therefore much more accessible to those of us who live in Makawao. It is an awesome hike through a dense forest of bamboo with a waterfall, a river crossing and the music of bamboo trees tapping against each other in the wind. To see the waterfall, stay left when you enter the forest.
You'll see cars parked along the road. This is how to know you have arrived because there are no signs. Try to arrive early to get a parking spot because parking is very limited. There are three different entrances to the forest, and all of them are hidden by the bamboo so you will only notice them as you are walking along the road to find an entrance. There are many different paths through the bamboo. The paths twist and turn and eventually cross the river. The waterfall is a short hike from any of the trail entrances, just stay left. From the waterfall you will double back to get down to the river.
Barefooters say this is a great trail for going barefoot, although it is slippery after a rain and I've heard warnings for centipedes, but we never saw one. Good thing, because I am terrified of centipedes. They can grow really BIG in Hawaii. I recommend long pants and long sleeves, or bring mosquito repellent. After we crossed the river there were quite a few mosquitos. When the wind blows, the sounds of the tall bamboo stalks bumping into one another is beautiful music. This is the peak moment on this trail!
If you continue down the highway towards Hana you will see the Painted Trees (also known as Rainbow Trees). This is another magical spot, but there is no parking. And it is was recently marked as Private Property. So just keep a lookout as you leave the bamboo forest and head in the direction of Hana, they will appear on your left / ocean side (makai). In the past we walked up the road the from the Bamboo Forest to the Painted Trees and hiked in towards the ocean. There was a few hundred yards of head-high grasses and then a brief glimpse of the ocean. There is a dragon shaped tree just as the ocean appears.
