Aloha Friends: Will be returning to beautiful Maui in approx. 3 weeks and will be staying in Kihei. We have done the Road to Hana on 2 previous trips, both the "front" way and the "back way". We prefer the back/counterclockwise route but can't remember how we did it. Can someone please give directions from Kihei routing us the counterclockwise route?
Thanks in advance for your kind responses.

It might help if you post this tagged Hawaii instead of California. I can't answer your question because any agency I've ever rented from has told me all bets were off if the car broke down or was damaged along the "back way" road to Hana.

I'm looking forward to the answer. We were at La Perouse Bay in September, and saw all these cars coming "down the hill", but couldn't figure out where those roads connected to any main road!

You take Rte 37 from Kahului that goes to Ulupalakua and continue on the Pi'ilani Highway(Rte 31) that leads toward Kaupo. There are great views over LaPerouse Bay . It's paved for 19 miles, passes Huakini Beach and Nu'u Beach. At Nu'u Landing, you can stop, cross a dry riverbed, walk to a pool where there are petrogyphs and caves.

The unpaved road continues from there.

All this info is in the Driving and Discovering Maui and Molokai book by Richard Sullivan--beautiful photo book with great driving directions and maps that indicate stopping points and photo ops.

Alas, you have to backtrack to Kahului from Kihei; that road connecting 37 and the coast is off limits (so near and yet so far)! However, I love the microclimates that you drive through on 37 between Ulupalakua and Pukalani.

LindsinOhio......This is exactly what I was looking for. I remembered going through Kahului but was blank from that point.
sylvia3.....yes, so near and yet so far.

A BIG thank you to both for responding.

off limits in what way? Rental car rules? Law? Local residents?

sf7307...Rental car contract. I have read that your Rental Agreement states you are not to drive vehicle on "unpaved or off-road" highways and the contract is void if there is a problem/accident. Have also read that if using your personal insurance it may also be void if Rental Agreement is violated. Evidently there are a lot of thoughts on both sides of this issue.

It is simply not true. This is a myth that gets repeated all the time.

Then what did you mean when you said it's off-limits?

"It is simply not true."

So rental agency staff are perpetuating a myth?