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Short answer: It is a narrow, mostly one-lane road with sheer drop-offs, and some rental agreements restrict it. Check your contract before you drive it.
Kahekili Highway (Highway 340) gets nicknamed “Death Highway” for a reason, and unlike the Road to Hana, some rental companies genuinely restrict driving it. Here is what actually matters before you go.
What the road actually is
Kahekili Highway runs about 20 miles along Maui’s rugged northwest coast, connecting Kapalua to Wailuku on the opposite side of West Maui. Long stretches are a single paved lane roughly 10 to 12 feet wide, wedged between rock walls and sheer, guardrail-free drop-offs to the ocean. Hairpin turns are frequent, and in several spots there is nowhere to pass except by one car backing up for the other. It is scenic in a way the Road to Hana is not, quieter, rougher, and far less traveled, but it demands real attention the whole way.
Check your rental agreement before you drive it
This is the part that actually matters for renters: multiple independent travelers report that driving Kahekili Highway can void a rental car agreement and any associated insurance coverage, the same way the unpaved Hana backroad does. Not every company restricts it, and policies vary, but “some rental car companies won’t cover you on an unknown road like this one” is a real, recurring warning, not a myth. Call your specific rental company and ask directly before you go. Don’t assume either way.
What to actually expect
- Closures happen. Rockslides, debris, and accidents close sections of the road with some regularity. Check current conditions the morning you plan to go, not the night before.
- Budget real time. The full West Maui loop (combining Kahekili Highway with the rest of the coastal route) takes most of a day once you include stops. This is not a quick detour.
- Direction matters to some drivers. Some drivers prefer starting from the Kapalua side: heading toward Wailuku keeps you in the lane next to the hillside rather than the one along the drop-off. Opinions differ on this. It’s worth reading current trip reports before you commit to a direction.
- It is not the same road as Oahu’s Kahekili Highway. If you’re researching this from a mainland trip-planning search, make sure you’re reading about Maui’s Highway 340, not the busier Oahu road with the same name.
Comparing it to the other big Maui drive? See the Road to Hana rental car guide: the two have similar rental-agreement caveats but very different characters.
Picking up your rental at the airport first? The Kahului Airport rental car guide covers what happens between landing and getting on the road.
Check current road conditions and closures on Hawaii DOT’s Maui lane closures page before you go. Rockslides close sections of Highway 340 with some regularity.
Trying to figure out how much of the island you can actually see in your trip? See how long it takes to drive around Maui, and why most rentals can’t do the full loop anyway.
Starting from Kaanapali? Kaanapali Beach parking covers the free stalls and county lots there.
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Photo: Jess Loiterton on Pexels.
Researched and written by Neo Pecorro. Facts on this page were checked against Hawaii DOT, plus the other sources linked above. Hawaii rules change often, so confirm on the official page before you go.
Last updated: September 7, 2026.