Road	Length	High point
Aunty Sandy's Banana BreadStop Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread is the iconic roadside food stop on the Road to Hana, operating for over 30 years at 210 Ke'anae Road on the Ke'anae Peninsula, reached by turning left off Hana Highway just past mile marker 16. The family-run stand bakes fresh banana bread on-site daily and serves hot dogs and kalua pig. The stand faces the ocean on the black-lava Ke'anae Peninsula — a short detour from HI-360 that drops riders into a dramatically different seascape. Open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until sold out (often by noon in peak season). No entry fee.	—	—
Hana Highway (HI-360) — Maui Kahului/Pā'ia to Hana, ~52 mi. ~620 curves and 59 bridges (46 one-lane), mostly 25 mph or below. Sea cliffs, waterfalls. The closest Hawaii equivalent to the Dragon, slowed badly by tourist traffic — ride at dawn.	48 mi	—
Kahekili Highway (HI-340) Kahekili Highway (Route 340) is a 20-mile coastal road along Maui's remote north shore, running from Kapalua westward to Wailuku. The road is paved throughout but narrows to a single lane with infrequent pull-outs along its most dramatic section between mile markers 6.9 and 16.3, where sheer cliffs drop directly to the Pacific on one side and the West Maui Natural Area Reserve rises on the other. Blind corners, no guardrails, and occasional rocks from above demand slow, deliberate riding. The payoff is total solitude, vertical sea cliffs, and views that rival the Hana Highway with a fraction of the traffic. Car rental restrictions apply; riders must use genuine judgment.	14 mi	—
Pi'ilani Highway (HI-31) Pi'ilani Highway (Route 31) is the 38-mile back road that completes the loop around Maui's eastern tip, running from Kipahulu (near Hana) along the remote southern coast to Ulupalakua. The road passes black-sand beaches, sea cliffs, and undeveloped coastline with almost no services. A 6-mile section remains rough, narrow, and one-lane in places, making it distinctly different from the groomed Hana Highway experience. Some rental-car providers prohibit the road; motorcycles handle it well in dry conditions but should avoid it after heavy rain due to potential washouts and rockfall. The section is genuinely remote with no cell coverage.	11 mi	—
Pololu Valley LookoutStop Pololu Valley Lookout sits at the northern terminus of Highway 270 (Akoni Pule Highway) near Kapaau on the Big Island, approximately 8 miles east of Hawi at the end of Kohala Mountain Road country. The paved pull-off overlooks a wild, cliff-bound black-sand valley and the dramatic Na Pali-style sea cliffs of the Kohala coast, with views stretching northwest along the rugged windward shore. There is no entry fee and no reservation required. A steep trail descends to the valley floor for those who wish to hike, but the overlook itself is the motorcyclist's destination. Parking is at 52-5100 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kapaau, HI 96755.	—	—
Pu'u 'Ualaka'a State Park (Tantalus Lookout)Stop Pu'u 'Ualaka'a State Park is the primary scenic overlook on the Tantalus–Round Top Drive loop above Honolulu, accessible via Round Top Drive off Makiki Street. The paved viewpoint atop a 1,048-foot cinder cone offers a sweeping 180-degree panorama of southern O'ahu: Honolulu's skyline, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Manoa Valley, and Pearl Harbor on clear days. The drive itself — a forested, narrow, and continuously curving 7-mile loop — was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 as the first road on O'ahu to receive that designation. Open daily; no entry fee. Best visited near sunset when Honolulu's south shore is fully lit.	—	—
Wai'anapanapa State ParkStop Wai'anapanapa State Park is a 122-acre Hawaii State Park at mile marker 32 on the Hana Highway, reached via a short spur off HI-360 at the end of Honokalani Road. The park's centerpiece is Maui's most dramatic black-sand beach, formed from lava and polished sea rock, with blowholes, sea arches, lava tube caves, and a coastal hiking trail completing the scene. The park requires advance reservations (gostateparks.hawaii.gov/waianapanapa); non-resident entry is $5/person plus $10 vehicle. Open 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. daily. It is the natural reward stop at the far end of the Hana Highway run.	—	—
Wailua Valley State WaysideStop Wailua Valley State Wayside sits at mile marker 18.9 on the Hana Highway (HI-360), offering one of the finest dual-aspect panoramas on the Road to Hana. From the roadside pull-off, riders can look mauka (inland) into the broad Ke'anae Valley — including the Ko'olau Gap and cascading waterfalls on Haleakala's flanks — and makai (seaward) over the Wailua Village taro fields and the Pacific. The stop requires no entry fee, has restrooms, and is large enough for motorcycles to park clear of traffic. It is the natural mid-point breather on the Run to Hana.	—	—
Waimea Canyon Drive (HI-550) Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550, also called Kokee Road) climbs 18 miles from the town of Waimea on Kauai's southwest coast to Koke'e State Park at over 4,000 feet, tracing the western rim of Waimea Canyon — a 3,600-foot-deep gorge known as the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific.' Multiple paved lookouts appear roughly every mile along the ascent, with the main Waimea Canyon Overlook (mile marker 10) offering the deepest views into the red-walled canyon. On clear days the distant island of Ni'ihau is visible from the upper lookouts. The road is well-paved and manageable but narrow in places; morning arrivals are essential as clouds typically fill the canyon by late morning.	19 mi	—

By Switchback · Updated 2026-07-08

Best season

April–October (dry season)

Helmet law

Required under 18 only

Lane splitting

Illegal (HRS 291C-153)

Signature terrain

Sea cliffs, volcanoes, canyon

Hawaii is not a one-island riding destination — it's four distinct road libraries separated by water. Maui has the corridor density: Hana Highway threading sea cliffs and waterfalls, Kahekili Highway threading sheer drops on the north shore with no guardrails, and Pi'ilani Highway completing the eastern loop on terrain that rewards patience over pace. Kauai offers Waimea Canyon Drive, a paved climb to 4,000 feet with canyon views that get better the earlier you start. The Big Island gives you the most room — Saddle Road crossing between two massive volcanoes, Kohala Mountain Road on a breezy ridgeline, and Crater Rim Drive inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where portions remain closed due to ongoing Kīlauea activity. Oahu keeps things compact but delivers the Tantalus–Round Top loop above Honolulu with real character. The challenge in Hawaii isn't finding a good road — it's choosing your island order, booking a motorcycle in advance, and reading conditions before you roll.

Riding Hawaii on Two Wheels

Hawaii's roads are short by mainland standards — no island offers a continuous 200-mile day — but what they lack in distance they make up in density. A 52-mile run on the Hana Highway packs roughly 620 curves and 59 bridges into a corridor most riders take the better part of a day to complete. That compression rewards a different mindset: slow down, stop often, and let the scenery earn the miles.

Choosing Your Island

Each island rides differently, and they are not interchangeable:

Maui is the technical rider's island — Hana Highway, Kahekili Highway, and Pi'ilani Highway form a connected loop around the island's eastern half with genuinely challenging road character and serious consequences for inattention.
Kauai is the canyon island. Waimea Canyon Drive (HI-550) is the one paved road worth the flight on its own, though check the Hawaii DOT's weekly closure schedule before you go — resurfacing work has caused recurring weekday closures.
Oahu is the most accessible: Tantalus–Round Top Drive loops above Honolulu on a narrow, forested road with a legitimate history and a city-view payoff at Pu'u 'Ualaka'a.
Big Island has the most geographic range. Saddle Road (Daniel K. Inouye Highway, HI-200) crosses the saddle between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa at over 6,600 feet — fuel before you climb, there are no services on the crossing. Kohala Mountain Road (HI-250) is shorter and milder but delivers sweeping ranch-country views. Crater Rim Drive inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has portions permanently closed from the 2018 eruption, and additional sections buried by tephra from renewed Kīlauea activity — always check NPS conditions before planning that route.

Hazards Worth Knowing

Hawaii's roads carry real risks that don't appear on tourist maps:

One-lane bridges and blind corners are standard on Hana Highway and Kahekili — not anomalies.
Rockfall is a documented hazard on Kahekili Highway and Pi'ilani Highway; no guardrails on the cliff-side sections.
Tourist traffic on Hana Highway is heavy by mid-morning in peak season. Dawn departures from Pā'ia are not optional if you want the road to yourself.
Weather shifts fast — the windward (north/east) coasts receive significantly more rain than the leeward (west/south) coasts. A dry morning in Kahului can become a wet afternoon in Hana.
Cell coverage is absent on Pi'ilani Highway's remote southern section and portions of Saddle Road. Carry fuel and water.

Logistics

Motorcycle rentals are available on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island, but inventory is limited — book well ahead of your travel dates. Wai'anapanapa State Park on Maui requires advance reservations; walk-in access is not guaranteed. For Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the entrance fee for motorcycles applies and road conditions should be verified at nps.gov/havo on the day of your visit.

// ShareFacebook Reddit X

// Frequently asked

Hawaii requires helmets only for riders and passengers under 18. Adults 18 and older are not legally required to wear a helmet under Hawaii Revised Statutes § 286-81, though eye protection or a face shield is required if your motorcycle is not equipped with a windscreen. Wearing a helmet is strongly advisable regardless of legal requirements, particularly on remote roads like Pi'ilani Highway and Kahekili Highway where conditions change without warning.

No. Lane splitting is illegal in Hawaii under HRS 291C-153(c). Hawaii does allow two motorcycles to ride side by side within a single lane, and a separate provision permits riding on the shoulder under specific circumstances, but weaving between lanes or traffic is not permitted.

April through October covers Hawaii's dry season and is generally the best window for motorcycle travel across all islands. September through November is often cited as the ideal period — crowds thin out after summer, roads on Maui and Kauai are more manageable, and visibility improves at elevation on routes like Waimea Canyon Drive and Saddle Road.

Portions of Crater Rim Drive remain closed due to ongoing volcanic activity at Kīlauea. Sections of the road have been buried by tephra from eruptions that began in late 2024. Always check the National Park Service alerts page at nps.gov/havo before visiting, as conditions change with little notice. Chain of Craters Road, when open, is a separate and worthwhile route inside the park.

Yes — Waimea Canyon Drive (Route 550) has been subject to active resurfacing and reconstruction work, with daytime closures along portions of the road on weekdays. The road reopens overnight and on weekends and holidays. A detour via Kōkeʻe Road in Kekaha reaches Kōkeʻe State Park when the main route is closed. Check the Hawaii DOT's weekly closure schedule at hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/roadwork/kauai/ before riding.

Yes, but with real caveats. The roughly 6-mile rough section of Pi'ilani Highway is narrow, one-lane in places, and entirely without services or cell coverage. Many rental-car providers prohibit it; check your motorcycle rental agreement before committing. Avoid the road after heavy rain — rockfall and potential washouts make conditions unpredictable. In dry conditions, most road motorcycles handle it adequately, but expect slow going.

//Sources & references

Hawaii Revised Statutes § 286-81 — Motorcycle Protective Devices (Justia) ↗Motorcycle and Moped Safety — Hawaii Department of Health ↗Waimea Canyon Drive Resurfacing Closure — Hawaii Department of Transportation ↗Crater Rim Drive — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (NPS) ↗Is Hawaii a Good State to Ride a Motorcycle? — Riders Share ↗