Iao Valley State Park Maui: shit is about to get hell-a illegal here. The Iao Valley has been covered in a barrage of metaphorical red tape since 2016, when massive destructive floods hit Maui. These flash floods literally changed the landscape of the island, completely washed away a large touristic part of the valley, and cause the permanent closure of areas like the 7 Sacred Pools in Hana. Serious business. As Maui tries to rebuild the are and ensure safety, the whole area up the mountain creating the valley (which is federal land) is closed off. You can legally walk along the actual valley hollow (along the water-way/ river), but crossing up into areas that were previously hiking paths is forbidden. Signs stating incarceration and $10,000 fines + jail time are plastered all over... so you’ve been warned. Anyways- I packed water, snacks, and entered on what turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life. I’ll save the details for a separate post, but there is a “secret” hike up in the Iao Valley that even when the park was open, was still off-trail and illegal to do- this hike while the park is actually closed is a double (perhaps triple? quadruple?) whammy because of the federal land closure, but if you want to do it- make your way to this sign, and keep going. The hike took me about 8 hours round trip, up to the top of tiny muddy mountain peaks, though bamboo forests, and ended by scaling an insanely steep side of a tree-covered mountain side where I ended up in natural rock pools. There is absolutely no cell service in this area of Maui, and I did this hike alone with no idea where to go other than that it started at the “do not enter” sign. Thrill seekers and nature warriors lace your hiking boots up because this one is a life-changer. If you get lost, make your way down the mountain towards the Iao River (west side of the cliff), and you know that the river leads back into town so just follow the water.