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Short answer: Non-residents need an Iao Valley reservation: $5 per person entry plus $10 per car for parking, booked online up to 30 days ahead. Arrive within 30 minutes of your slot.
Iao Valley reservations are required for anyone visiting from outside Hawaii, and a rental car doesn’t get you in without one. The good news: this is one of the easiest state park bookings on Maui, and the drive from the airport is short.
Do you need a reservation for Iao Valley?
Yes, unless you hold a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID. The state’s reservation FAQ says anyone without a reservation is turned away, except residents with valid Hawaii ID. Out-of-state friends traveling with a resident still need their own entry tickets.
What it costs
The state park page lists non-resident entry at $5 per person and parking at $10 per non-commercial vehicle. Children 3 and under enter free. Both are bought online through the same reservation, so if you’re driving in, you pay for the car and every adult in it at checkout.
When to book, and when to arrive
- Booking window: up to 30 days in advance. The state says the park can sell out at busy times.
- Hours: the park is open 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. The last reservation is at 4:30 p.m., and you must enter by 5:00 p.m.
- Arrival: show up within the first 30 minutes of your reservation period. Later than that and you may be refused entry or parking, with no refund.
- Leaving: if you bought parking, you have to exit by the end of your time slot so the next group can park.
The state puts a typical visit at 30 to 60 minutes. The main walk is a paved 0.6-mile path to the Kuka‘emoku (Iao Needle) viewpoint, so this fits easily into a half day around Wailuku.
Getting there in a rental car
Iao Valley sits at the end of Iao Valley Road, just west of Wailuku. From Kahului Airport it’s about 9.5 miles, or roughly 25 minutes without traffic. From Kihei, allow about 35 minutes; from Ka‘anapali, about an hour. Any standard rental handles the road. Those times are free-flow estimates, so give yourself a cushion, because the 30-minute arrival rule is strict.
Picking up at Kahului? Iao Valley is the closest major sight to the airport, so it works as a first or last stop.
Changes, refunds and rain
Refunds are allowed up to 3 days before your entry date. You can change a reservation until midnight Hawaii time the day before, if space is open, though a $5 cancellation fee and service fees may apply. The state doesn’t refund for weather unless it officially closes the park. If a storm closure cancels your day, Hawaii State Parks says refunds are automatic, minus service charges.
Check the park status first
Maui state parks closed for a stretch after this fall’s storms and have since reopened. Before you drive out, check the Hawaii State Parks notices page.
Planning other Maui bookings? See Wai‘anapanapa State Park reservations and Haleakala sunrise reservations. Picking up your car first? Start with the Kahului Airport car rental guide.
Official booking: Hawaii State Parks, Iao Valley State Monument.
Planning more than one booking? The Hawaii reservations calendar lists every window and release time in one table.
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Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Researched and written by Neo Pecorro. Facts on this page were checked against Hawaii State Parks, plus the other sources linked above. Hawaii rules change often, so confirm on the official page before you go.
Last updated: October 14, 2026.