The Hāna Highway is a popular tourist attraction in Maui. Guidebooks often devote large sections to traveling the highway leading to the eastern side of Maui and document the many waterfalls and attractions that can be found along the way. Some of these attractions lie within or through private property and will often have "no trespassing" signs posted or even signs claiming that the attraction does not exist. All beach property in Hawaii, public or private, must allow public access. Some guidebooks document the "keep out" areas and ways past barbed wire fences and locked gates to reach attractions.

At the end of the Hāna Highway (actually past Hāna in a clockwise direction around eastern Maui) is the famous ʻOheʻo Gulch, also known as the "Seven Sacred Pools". This series of waterfalls and pools is located inside the Haleakala National Park. Presently,^[when?] the dirt road just past Highway 31 is open, having re-opened in early October 2008. Previously, Highway 31 had been closed a short distance past Hāna due to damage from the 2006 Hawaii earthquake. As a result, motor tours generally beginning in Kahului and heading east on highways 36 and 360 toward Hana had to return the same way since it was not possible to circumnavigate eastern Maui via this route.

Scenic turnouts abound, including one for Wailua Falls near the aforementioned Seven Sacred Pools in Oheʻo. It is common to find rented cars and tour buses at these turnouts photographing the falls and buying souvenirs from roadside vendors.