Driving east out of Kaunakakai on Hwy 450, it is 28 miles to the far east tip of Molokai at Halawa Valley. The drive takes over an hour without stops, but you should plan to make a few stops along the way.
Around mile marker 3 is One Alii Beach Park. This is a small campground and picnic area.
There are two historic churches next along the drive. At around mile marker 10, there is St. Joseph’s Church, built by Father Damien in 1876. Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church, a few miles farther on the left, is a reconstruction of another Father Damien church. This one was built in 1966.
All along the southern coast of Molokai you will see fishponds. These fishponds are pre-European (from about 13th-century on), and Molokai was supposed to have more than 60 productive fishponds. The fishponds were built with lava rock. The rock walls made an enclosure that had small gates going in from the ocean. Small fish could swim in through the small gates, then they were handfed breadfruit and sweet pototoes. They became large enough that they couldn’t swim back out, and were easily caught. These fish were used to feed royalty, and commoners were not allowed to eat them. Many of the original fishponds are degraded, but recent efforts have been made to restore these historical structures.
The Neighborhood Store N Counter is the only place on the east end for groceries or lunch. It is near mile marker 16.
At mile marker 20 is the unoriginally named Twenty-Mile Beach. This is a nice sandy beach on the sunniest and driest part of the island. If you get rained out elsewhere, try coming to Twenty Mile. There is another smaller beach a mile back at mile marker 19 called, you guessed it, Nineteen-Mile Beach.
At this point the road becomes curvier and hillier. You are driving directly on the coast at this point, and you will see picturesque bays and Mokuhooniki Island, which is a seabird sanctuary. Next you pass near Puu o Hoku Ranch, which is supposed to have guest accommodations. I didn’t see any signs of life, but I think the main buildings are farther off the main road than I could see. The ranch can be contacted at (808)558-8109.
After the ranch, there are some gnarly curves and one-lane sections of road for the final three miles. Drive slowly and be careful of oncoming traffic. Also, be careful to pay attention to the road. I know that I came around one curve to find myself face to face with the most stunning valley that I have ever seen. It was Halawa Valley, and it was virtually exploding with waterfalls. One waterfall was the largest I’ve seen in Hawaii. I think there is a hiking trail that goes into the valley, but I don’t know how long it is or if it is on private or public land. One thing I read (from the Visitors Association) says it is accessible only by guided hike, and something else I read said that some local folks are saying it is private but it actually is a public right-of-way. So I didn’t try hiking it, even though I wanted to more than anything.
At the very end of the road is scenic Halawa Bay. It is actually two separate coves. One can be dangerous when Halawa Stream is flowing fast, and the other is more calm. Parking, restrooms, and picnic tables are available at Halawa Park (the end of road).