Piiholo Ranch

An exciting experience with real cowboy.
This is our third times visit of Piiholi Ranch.
We went through with the owner of this ranch and taught us how to guide cattles.
This was not ordinary horseback riding and completely different experience.

We had an awesome time on our 3 hour ride with Joanna! The ranch, horses, guides, and view are all top notch! They provide helmets and rain coats and each horse is selected specifically to match each rider’s ability/​needs. After about 1 ½ hours riding we arrived at the cabins to a wonderful lunch spread, complete with champagne and a gorgeous vista prepared by Susie, the owner’s wife. Highly recommend Piiholo Ranch’s horseback ride to explore upcountry and a different view of Maui!

Setting is great. Guide Joanna and the staff made us feel at home. It’s nice to see this part of Maui, being well taken care of also.

I went on my third private ride at Piiholo– it just keeps getting better! My guide was Morgan, and she was so knowledgable about the area and Maui in general. She made an awesome lunch, complete with champagne! My horse, Pecan, was one of the best I’ve ever ridden, and the views are to die for! The wranglers are all very safety oriented, but still allow you to have a fun, relaxing time. I look forward to coming back next year, and hopefully recruiting friends for the ride of their lives!

This was a fabulous ride. I was wonderful to see another part of Maui. The guides, Joanna and Kim were fun to be with and made the whole experience even more wonderful!

What a great experience! Beautiful vistas, knowledgeable guide, great horses topped off with a nice lunch at a quaint log cabin. Clean, nice barns. Really top notch.

I rode at Piiholo Ranch twice in June 2015. Both rides were private, customized rides that were a mix of exploring the ranch and cow work (which I had not done before.) I have two horses at home and ride competitively in Eventing, so I was looking for more than a group trail ride. I initially spoke with Susie and was referred to Konnie. Konnie helped me brainstorm options and put together two incredible rides for me.
I was honored to ride with Peter Baldwin, who was generous with his guidance (and very patient when I made rookie mistakes) regarding cow work. Peter and his family are among the most influential ranchers on Maui, and have been for seven generations. I could feel the history and tradition of the ranch through Peter’s stories, which he shared with me as we brought the cows down from their pasture to the round pen.
We were joined by Peter’s grandson, Owen, and Owen’s awesome cattle dog (Bob), along with expert guide, Kristen. Kristen was my partner in working the cows, and I enjoyed her friendly camaraderie and helpful hints. My trusty steed for both rides was Pecan.
Being a long-​time horse owner, I was very pleased to see that the ranch is immaculate and in good repair, the barn is tidy and well-​organized, and the horses are maintained in excellent condition. On the days that I was there, I saw horses getting preventative joint care by a veterinarian and in-​depth evaluations along with some specialty shoeing by a farrier.
I could certainly go on with my praises, but will close by saying that if you are looking to go horseback riding on Maui, look no further… you have found your place at Piiholo Ranch.

5 stars doesn’t quite cut it for our experience at Pi’iholo Ranch. My girlfriend became my fiancé during our private ride with Joanna (our horses were Mouse and Wosco), and we can’t imagine a more perfect experience. Joanna was an outstanding guide, and knows the area and her horses very well. The ranch has absolutely gorgeous views everywhere you look during the ride, and has a fantastic location in upcountry Maui (we did see some of the Axis Deer as well0. Upon arriving, we were greeted by Peter and Suzie, who immediately made us feel like family. They shared stories, showed us their book and newspaper clippings to explain the family and the ranch to us (both are very impressive), and were very genuine in wanting to know about us. Peter and Suzie went out of their way to call me ahead of time to discuss my proposal, and took the time to set out some snacks and champagne at their cabins after we set off to enhance the setting where I proposed. The ride itself was not your typical trail ride, as we often ventured off of the trials and got to ride through the beautiful grasses of that area. I was blown away by the hospitality and the quality of the ride, and the whole experience in general. We live in Colorado, and my fiancé is from Kansas, so it takes something special when it comes to horseback riding and views to really impress us… and we were blown away by both at Pi’iholo. This place is the real deal, and you are missing a truly unique Maui experience if you don’t visit this place. I hope to visit again someday.

This is our second visit to Piiholo Ranch for a private horseback ride. This year Morgan was our riding expert and guide. Morgan knows the horses well and selected the best ones for our ride. She took us off the normal paths onto beautiful pastures where we get could let the horses have fun at full speed.
The views from the ranch in Up Country on Haleakala are spectacular and there isn’t a better way to explore the area.
They also have a great zipline area too. We did that last year right after our two hour ride.
I would recommend the afternoon ride for cooler weather with nice winds. If you really know how to ride then this is the place to go for well trained horses that don’t just follow a trail.

Fantastic time. Can’t get more non-​equestrian than me, but loved the experience riding a horse amid the scenic expansive ranch. The horses were gentle and wranglers fun and personable. During the ride the feeling was more Montana open field than Maui. Great change of pace from beach and surf. Tour group was 9, not too big. Highly recommend. Morgan and Frenchy our guides were so great and made the ride safe and enjoyable. Be sure to get them as guides. Our family loved it and will do it again and again.

We took a private ride with Frenchie as our guide. totally entertaining.
The horses were beautifully cared for and quite spunky. I am a lifelong rider, my husband a bit of a novice. The horses were well suited to each of us and made the ride all that more enjoyable. Beautiful landscapes, happy cows and a nice change from the beach.

The initial wait time to get everything set up took off with a slow start. Although it was late morning, things were moving a little slow for us city slickers.
Our main guide was not an American but was someone from France. He spoke with a deep French accent in English but he was friendly and cared about showing us around. Took time to pluck the local Guava fruits from the trees along the way to let us taste them.
The trail had a lot of variety in its terrain. I went through tightly wooded areas to wide open plains. It was refreshing.
The horses were mostly compliant except for mine. My horse was pretty hard-​headed and fought with me all through the ride when I want him to change directions and to slow down because he was tailgating the horse in the front.
Cool bottled water and candy at the end after the ride has a nice touch to it.

Great horses (most aren’t just «dude horses») and fun guides (Hi Frenchie!). Beautiful property and a ride that afford you views that you would be hard pressed to beat.
Highly recommend and will be back!

This was THE highlight of our Maui trip!!! I’ve always loved horses and riding, but most of the trail rides are extremely dull, which is why I’ve never been able to get my husband to go riding before.
However, I was determined to go horseback-​riding during our time in Maui, but we definitely didn’t want the typical trail ride experience. So I did some research, and when I saw that Piiholo offered private rides that go at the pace of the riders and match their riding level, I knew that was the way to go.
Morgan was our guide, and she was an absolute doll! She made sure we got the ride we wanted, letting us trot, gallop and canter. It was absolutely amazing!!! The ranch is incredibly beautiful and scenic with fabulous views of the mountains and ocean.
We had such a wonderful time! Even my husband who was very skeptical leading up to the ride, thinking it was going to be the typical boring trail ride, LOVED it! We got the best rides of our lives! I can’t recommend this place enough! Do the private ride — it’s so worth it! If we ever get back to Maui, we’ll definitely be doing this again! Thanks, Piiholo for a fabulous experience!!!

I just spent the most amazing morning at Piiholo Ranch. My mom, fiancé and I had a three hour private ride with Tamalyn, which I’d highly recommend if you get the chance. Tamalyn basically gave us a full groundwork clinic with our horses to start off, which set us up for a truly connected ride when we ventured out on the trail. Tamalyn exemplifies true horsemanship, and is incredibly skilled in the Buck Brannaman/​Ray Hunt methods. I’m a huge Buck devotee, so it was a plus for me to have hands on experience with an expert of her caliber.
The horses at Piiholo are not your typical trail horses — they are all incredibly responsive, none of the dull, ploddy walking you get in your every day trail ride. You can tell that they are truly cared for and kept in top athletic condition. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go on a trail ride anywhere else — Piiholo totally spoiled me.
I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend coming for a trail ride at Piiholo — it’s well worth the investment (and was incredibly affordable for the time that Tamalyn spent with us).
I can’t wait to go back — it’ll be a mandatory stop for me on all future Maui trips.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tamalyn and everyone at Piiholo for making this a truly unforgettable experience.

We chose this zipline over the other options on the island, we couldn’t have been happier. We had a great time! The tour guides were Fantastic and the zip and scenery was equally awesome! They also do a nice job of taking pictures. Thank you so much!!! Definitely worth a repeat when we return.

My husband and I came to Maui for our honeymoon and we each chose a few activities for us to do. As I am an active rider, and as I have been trying to sucker my husband into being a horse person, naturally I chose horse back riding. Our hotel, the fancy schmancy Four Seasons, set us up at Piiholo for a private ride. We arrived a bit early to a beautiful barn set on the side of the Haleakala volcano, with miles of green grass and rainforest scenery. Our guide, Morgan, was uh-​mazing. She matched us with great horses who were obviously well fed and happy. She took us on our 2 hours tour, talked about the history of the ranch and the family who owns it, and let us in on some great local things to do.
The husband and I had a really great day with the ranch and I would highly recommend anything they offer (we also zip lined with them in the AM). Ask for Morgan as a guide and you won’t be disappointed!

My family booked this zipline adventure through the condo we stayed at during our vacation on Maui. It was fabulous! Our youngest participant was 11, our oldest 76 and everyone had a blast. I’m an AK amputee and was able to do the ziplining wearing my prosthesis. The guys that worked with our group were so friendly and enjoyable. We’d do it again in a heartbeat, but now that I see they have horseback riding, that may have to be on the agenda next time as well.

I had SOOOO much fun on this horseback ride. Frenchie was the tourguide; he was so helpful, friendly, fun. He’s an ex-​jockey from France (yes, lol), and he was really amazing. He remembered everyone’s names immediately and kept checking in on everyone to make sure they were all right throughout the ride — lots of expert tips on handing the horses.
Nice if somewhat un-​exciting ride through the ranch and up into the rainforest a little bit. You climb up to some plains up high that have good views.
The horses seem well-​cared for and not over-​worked, and everyone was super friendly.
It’s a very beautiful drive up there, and there was a roping competition going on at the ranch, so I got to see some real cowboys and some real rodeo riding and roping.
You walk past that area to the ranch house in back to the left, and that is where you meet the guide.
I’ll go back on my next trip to Maui.

Did the 2 hour horseback ride with Marlene as the guide during a recent vacation to Maui. Marlene was very informative and just plain fun to talk to — she is a wonderful asset to the ranch.
The greatest thing about this horseback tour was that you get to ride around open pasture — something that most tours don’t allow you to do (you are confined to paths). The scenery was stunning.
All in all, great experience. What really tipped the scale to me giving this place a 5 star was Marlene!