Piiholo is the name of a summit near the town of Makawao in the picturesque Upcountry Maui region on the slopes of Haleakala Volcano.
The elevation of Piiholo is 2,260 ft (689 m) and the soils of the area are silty clays that are dark reddish brown in color. The fertile soils of Piiholo have been created from the long-weathered volcanic ash of Haleakala’s volcanic eruptions and have long supported the area’s ranchlands where many horses and cattle have been raised.
The Piiholo Ranch was created out of the larger Haleakala Ranch by Henry Baldwin, the son of Maui politician and businessman Henry P. Baldwin who founded the “Big Five” sugar corporation Alexander & Baldwin and was a major landowner in the Upcountry region.
Today Piiholo Ranch continue to be run by the Baldwin family and offers eco-tourism adventures. The Ranch also works to restore populations of the endangered nene, or Hawaiian goose. Piiholo Ranch offers horseback riding, ziplining (including Hawaii’s longest side-by-side ziplines), and shopping at the Piiholo Ranch Store.