Don't know if I can handl 7 hours in the car-flight arrives around 12. Thinking about driving directly from the airport for maybe an hour , and then turning around back to Kaanapali. Would that be worth it? Everyone says go in the a.m.

Not worth it. If you are going to Hana you might as well enjoy the day. You will miss 90% of the RTH if you take an hour from the airport towards Hana. Take a full day or better yet stay one night, if you have the time, you will not regret it.

No, totally not worth it; you won't even be on the "road" proper after only an hour from Kahului. Go to your accommodations, relax, swim, and do the trip another time (and there's plenty of spectacular scenery on Maui that you don't have to feel forced to drive to Hana).

The Road to Hana isn't as spectacular right now as I suspect it usually is. There has been a bad drought on Maui and it was evident on the Road to Hana.

I would suggest you explore the area north of Kapalua. It is unbelievably rugged and beautiful. You will see Honolua Bay, which is a gorgeous snorkeling place, and so many spectacular black lava cliffs. Make sure you check the weather radar before you go as it is often raining up there when it's nice and sunny further south. And be sure to turn around when the State Road ends. Trust me on this one. You do not want to go further or you'll be on a VERY narrow one-lane road with a steep drop off on one side and a rock cliff on the other. Leave that one to the locals.

Agree with everyone else that it wouldn't be worth it. We did the Road to Hana as an all day event so we could relax and enjoy it.

Tried the RTH once. ONCE in 9 trips to Maui. Never again.

If you do want to be brave and try it - allow ALL DAY to do it.

The best way to do the drive is to spend at least one night overnight in Hana or Kipahulu. Two nights is better.

"Would that be worth it? "
No.

Agree with AustinTraveler about the road around West Maui. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Maui in March. I was at the wheel and I was such a Nervous Nelly with all the info out there about this road. It's true that in many places it's one lane wide (but so is the RTH!), but it was perfectly navigable and wasn't as heavily traveled as the RTH.

If you do the RTH (which I also loved, BTW) take time to stop several times. We also took the road all the way around instead of turning around @ Hana...also one of the highlights!!!!

You might look at mauiinformationguide.com/road-to-hana.php

The Road between Paia and Hana has many one-lane bridges, though I don't recall the Road otherwise being one-lane narrow. Past Hana it does get rather narrow in places, especially on some parts in the Road cut into the seaside cliffs. The Road is a great experience, but, it is best to take the time to enjoy it, stopping along the way. That is a slice of rural life very hard to see elsewhere on Maui.

Enjoy your trip.

With your time limit, I would also recommend the road around West Maui. We began with a stop at Iao Needle (not far from the airport) and made several stops along the road. One stop was at a roadside stand for fresh banana bread. Another stop was at an amazing blowhole. We made it all the way to Lahaina with no driving problems. (I would check the weather, though, before going.) My family enjoyed this drive as much as RTH.