It was a line on a map … it was an innocent suggestion … we were on Maui and there was a road I had never been on. We were staying with our former Kailua neighbors at their house on Maui.
On the map the road winds from Waiheʻe up and around the northwest side of the island and ultimately connects with Honoapiʻilani Highway by Honolua.
I should have known – it’s called Kahekili Highway.
Born at Hāliʻimaile, Maui, Kahekili was the son of the high chief Kekaulike. In 1765, Kahekili inherited all of Maui Nui and O‘ahu and was appointed successor to his brother Kamehamehanui’s kingdom (not to be confused with Hawai‘i Island’s Kamehameha I.)
While he gained much through inheritance, Kahekili wanted recognition and influence through his own accomplishments and chose to prove himself through warfare.
Kahekili was a formidable adversary by defeating the Hawaiʻi army led by Kalaniʻōpuʻu in 1775. Kalaniʻōpuʻu promised revenge and, in 1776, he again went to battle against Kahekili – Kalaniʻōpuʻu was defeated, again.
Peace and tranquility returned. Kahekili took his leadership seriously; he was faithful to his people, made changes, established rules and took active interest in the welfare of his people and lands.
During times of peace and celebration, when tournaments that required great strength, stamina and ability were held, Kahekili continued to amass great respect with his victories. Such victories assisted in further cementing his position as the son of the divine ruling family of Maui.
Later, Kahekili and his eldest son and heir-apparent, Kalanikūpule, were carrying on war and conquered Kahahana, adding Oʻahu under his control.
Through subsequent inter-island conquest, the marriage of his brother to the Queen of Kauaʻi, and appointment of his son to alternately govern Maui, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe and Oʻahu during his periodic absences, by 1783, Kahekili dominated all the Hawaiian Islands, except for Hawaiʻi.
In the late-1780s into 1790, Kamehameha conquered the Island of Hawai‘i and was pursuing conquest of Maui and eventually sought to conquer the rest of the archipelago.
In 1790, Kamehameha travelled to Maui. Hearing this, Kahekili sent Kalanikūpule back to Maui with a number of chiefs (Kahekili remained on O‘ahu to maintain order there.)
Kahekili’s rule stretched for almost thirty years. He became known for his extreme measures whether it was making sure his people were obeying the kapu and the gods, or by destroying his enemies.
(He ruled on Maui before he fell ill and returned to Waikīkī, until his death in 1793 at the age of eighty-seven. Kahekili’s son, Kalanikūpule, inherited his kingdom, but lost Maui and then Oʻahu to Kamehameha.)
OK, back to the road …
Another thing Kahekili was known for were the respective ‘Kahekili Leaps’ across the Islands; there is one ‘leap’ site along the route.
Kahekili excelled at the ancient Hawaiian sport of lele kawa (to leap feet first from a cliff into water without splashing.) Legend says that in the early morning, the King would climb up the hill and “leap” into the ocean below from about the 200-foot height.
That starts to give you a sense of what Kahekili Highway is like – a simple coastal line on a map, but once you get there, you see that goats would feel more at home here than autos.
Actually, calling it a ‘highway’ is being generous … although it has traffic in both directions, it’s a narrow, winding one-lane road, approximately 10 to 12-feet wide, cut into the side of the cliff.
It is said to follow an old pathway that was once used by King Kahekili and his court, known as the King Kahekili Trail.
The original construction into a road is estimated to have taken place during the 1930s. The road was later used by the military during World War II to transport tanks and other military vehicles.
The military conducted road improvements and stabilizations during this time to accommodate an increased level of vehicular movement. However, the transportation pathway existed as a simple dirt road that would often get flooded and slippery with the onset of rains in the area.
In addition to military vehicles, the road also served the needs of plantation workers and other residents who lived in the area.
It wasn’t until sometime in the 1990s that this road was completely paved, and open to travel for rental cars (though some companies may still place it off-limits, so visitors should check their rental contracts.) This place is not safe, news reports confirm it.
“Kahekili Highway is a strip of one-lane paved road framed by rock on one side and sheer cliff drops on the other, with a length of 21 miles, running from Kapalua to Wailuku. It’s a legendary road known for its snaking turns, narrow passages, and dangerous road conditions”. (DangerousRoads)
“A deadly crash in a remote section of the Kahekili Highway on Maui claimed the life of the driver on Monday afternoon. Police say the operator of a 2019 four-door Nissan sedan was traveling East (in the Wailuku direction) on the Kahekili HIghway, when she failed to negotiate a curve in the road and drove off the cliffside, landing on the rocky shoreline 200 feet below.” (Maui Now, 2021)
“Maui firefighters recovered the body of a 26-year-old Wailuku man Wednesday morning, the day after the van he was driving went over an embankment and down a 200-foot cliff along Kahekili Highway in Kahakuloa, officials said.” (Maui News, 2016)
“A female suffered fatal injuries in a single-vehicle crash in which a vehicle dropped 100-feet down a cliff in Kahakuloa, Maui.
The incident was reported at 1:44 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 near mile post 10 of the Kahekili Highway.” (Maui Now, 2014)
A local law firm is pretty direct …
“But while a number of Maui’s scenic highways can be treacherous, it’s the Kahekili that drivers most fear and that’s been the site of many serious accidents.”
“Despite numerous warnings online from motorists and public officials about the Kahekili Highway, some tourists choose to brave the road. Websites and guide books continue to promote the gorgeous landscapes along the route, including Pohaku Kani, the site of a natural pool where several tourists have died in recent years after being swept by waves into the sea.”
“And just as tragically, cars have gone over the cliffs along the highway, resulting in serious injuries and deaths. Locals say the highway needs more guard rails, reflectors, and caution signs. Unfortunately, the twisting road built on a mountainside has little room available for significant safety upgrades.”
“The Kahekili Highway and other treacherous Maui roadways often leave inadequate space for two cars. Drivers who see a car coming from the opposite direction in the distance often try to find a wider spot to pull off and allow the other car to pass.”
“Earlier this year, a man died when his vehicle failed to negotiate a turn and went over an embankment on the Kahekili Highway, landing at the bottom of a 200-feet-deep ravine. The driver was ejected from his vehicle and was fatally injured, police reported. Meanwhile, a passenger in the front seat was injured but climbed back to the road.”
“Many other accidents on the roadway have caused serious injuries and deaths among tourists and locals alike.” (Davis Levin Livingston)
For those who are vertically challenged, not in personal stature, but rather in the relationship of you to your surroundings, this is not the place to be.
I was a passenger – I still wasn’t able to get any photos along the way, I wouldn’t loosen my white knuckle grip … nor gander out to never-never land. (OK, been there, done that; there is no chance of a second chance – the photos do not give this ride justice – I, nor anyone else, was able to capture the ‘essence’ of this road.)
Stay away, there is nothing to see here.
