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The Valley of the Iao Needle is a lush pocket in the West Maui Mountains accessable only from Wailuko, Maui's County Seat and sister city to Kahului where the airport is. While off the beaten tourist track, it is non-the-less a wonderful place of waterfall and spectacular scenery including the wonderful Oriental gardens at  Kepaniwai Heritage Park. The valley is what is left of the crater of the West Maui Volcano after millions of years of erosion, and the Needle is a chimney that was once the plug of lava in the throat of the caldera.

     
Drive by the old Union Church and the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku up Highway 32 into the circular valley

   
The sheer walls of the valley set off the Needle
 

      
The peaceful river drains the valley where it rains daily. 

This is the rainiest spot on the island and one of the rainiest in the world!. However it was not always this peaceful. When King Kamehameha united  the islands in early 1800's, the last great battle was fought here in this valley between his forces and the chiefs of Maui. King Kameahameha won with the help of some European cannons. They say the river ran red with blood for days after the battle.