Where to Go Mountain Biking on Maui? Makawao Forest Reserve Trail

The Makawao Forest mountain bike trail map.

One of our favorite places to recommend for a cool mountain bike ride on Maui is the Makawao Forest Reserve. Less than an hour away from West Maui or the resorts in South Maui, bike riders will find plenty of single track trails running through the protected Makawao Forest Reserve located on the mid slopes of Haleakala in upcountry Maui. Situated in the midst of one of the many rain forests on Maui, riders will want to stay alert for slicked trail sections lurking in the shadows even on dry days. Mountain bike riders of all abilities will find a trail to ride in the Makawao forest! Depending on the trails you choose to ride, highly technical riders and weekend warriors alike will have a great time riding the mountain bike trails in the Makawao Forest Reserve.

Earlier this year, Heather Irmiger, a professional mountain biker, took a ride on the bike trails in the Makawao Forest and shared a video of her ride. Take a look at the short, 1 minute and 2 second bike ride video and then keep reading for more information about biking in the Makawao Forest Reserve or renting a mountain bike on Maui:

Thanks to Heather Irmiger for sharing her Makawao Forest mountain bike ride video! You don’t have to be a pro mountain bike rider like Heather to have fun on the trails in the Makawao Forest Reserve.

Full suspension mountain bike rental on Maui by Specialized bicycles.

What do you think? Ready for mountain biking on Maui? You say you planning on going cycling in Hawaii for warm weather and you don’t want to ride in cool upcountry weather of Maui? That’s ok. There are plenty of mountain bike trails to ride in West Maui, too. Join our Sunday afternoon group mountain bike ride to explore a few mountain biking options in West Maui. Regardless of the trails on Maui you decide to ride, West Maui Cycles offers several options for mountain bike rentals. From our full suspension Stumpy FSR Comp 26’ model or the 29’er FSR Comp to our Stumpjumper HT 29’er or Cannondale Hybrid mountain bike rental, we have a bike rental for you!

Already got your bike rental and just looking for all the information you can get about mountain biking on Maui? Use the following links for a Makawao Forest Trail Map and a few of our past bike blog write-ups describing the bike trails in the Makawao Forest Reserve: A fun 8x video of a rider taking the East Loop up and then riding back down the West Loop or this one explaining what to expect when you go mountain biking in the Makawao Forest Reserve. If you are staying in one of the West Maui resorts, you may want to map out the trek from Makawao Forest over to a few more trails to explore during an upcountry mountain biking session, including the bike trails in Poli Poli State Park! Only about 45 minutes from West Maui, if you only have one day to go mountain biking in upcountry Maui, we recommend arriving early enough to ride Makawao Forest in the morning. Then, plan to ride on the Poli Poli mountain bike trails in the afternoon. Pack your favorite carbs or grab a sandwich for lunch at Grandmas or a hot stone oven baked pizza at the Kula Lodge. After lunch, head a little further upcountry to enjoy the afternoon mountain biking in Poli Poli state park before returning to Lahaina in time to watch the sunset from West Maui. What a fun day of mountain bike riding on Maui!

Reserve Maui mountain bike rental by Specialized from West Maui Cycles in Lahaina

Still have questions about mountain biking on Maui? Use the comments section below or just stop by our Lahaina bike shop to talk story about biking on Maui! Or, make a reservation for a mountain bike rental on Maui now: