Haleakalā National Park
Haleakalā National Park
Why Go?
To fully experience Maui – or at least peer into its soul – make your way to the summit of Haleakalā. Like a yawning mouth, the huge crater opens beneath you, in all its raw volcanic glory, caressed by mist and, in the experience of a lifetime, bathed in the early light of sunrise. Lookouts on the crater’s rim provide breathtaking views of the moonscape below, and the many cinder cones marching across it.
The rest of this amazing park, which is divided into two distinct sections, is all about interacting with this mountain of solid lava, and the rare lifeforms that live upon it, some of them found only here. You can hike down into the crater, follow lush trails on the slopes, or put your mountain bike through its paces. For the ultimate adventure, get a permit, bring a tent and camp beneath the stars. However you do it, the experience will stick with you.
When to Go
ATemperatures at the summit can be extreme, and they may fluctuate rapidly. Year-round temperatures range from below freezing to 50°F to 60°F. Expect temperatures to drop 3°F for every 1000ft rise in elevation. Crowds clear quickly after sunrise so, if you want to avoid congestion, plan to visit an hour or two after the sun comes up.
AThe Kipahulu area is warmer and wetter. Expect daytime temperatures averaging 70°F to 80°F year-round. At night, the temperature average is 65°F to 75°F.
APark visitation numbers remains fairly consistent year-round, but winter and summer are considered the busiest seasons.
Best Places to Hikes
Best Viewpoints
Haleakalā National Park Highlights
1 Haleakalā Summit Watching the day break above the clouds, or peering at the cosmos after sunset.
2 Pipiwai Trail Checking out gorgeous waterfalls and a magical bamboo forest.
3 Haleakalā Crater Hiking past cinder cones and other natural wonders on the Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail.
4 Hosmer Grove Scanning for native birds while ogling the towering – but non-native – trees
5 Waterfalls Taking a photo of the cascading Oheʻo Gulch pools from the Kuloa Point Trail.
6 Cabins & Campgrounds Spending the night in the depths of the crater or steps from the pounding sea.
8Information
Haleakalā National Park (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 
%808-572-4400; www.nps.gov/hale; Summit District: Haleakalā Hwy, Kipahulu District: Hana Hwy; 3-day pass car $20, motorcycle $15, individual on foot or bicycle $10; 
p
c) has two very different sections, the ethereal Summit Area and the coastal Kipahulu Area. There is no direct road connection between them. Thus travelers typically visit the summit on one day, and the Kipahulu Area on another (usually heading to or from Hana). One entrance ticket is good for both areas.
If you plan to watch the sunrise, remember to make a reservation at www.recreation.gov within 60 days of your visit, which covers your vehicle, or sign up for a commercial tour. You cannot enter the park between 3am and 7am without the reservation receipt and photo ID of the reservation-holder.
RESPONSIBLE HIKING
To protect Haleakalā’s fragile environment, keep to established trails and don’t be tempted off them, even for well-trodden shortcuts through switchbacks. And for your own sake, come prepared. Remember the climate changes radically as you cross the crater floor. In the 4 miles between Kapalaoa and Paliku cabins, rainfall varies from an annual average of 12in to 300in! Take warm clothing in layers, sunscreen, rain gear, a first-aid kit and lots of water. Hikers without proper clothing risk hypothermia.
Here are recommended day hikes, depending on how much time you have available:
Ten hours If you’re planning a full-day outing, and you’re in good physical shape, the 11.2-mile hike that starts down Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail and returns via Halemauʻu Trail is the prize. It crosses the crater floor, taking in both a cinder desert and a cloud forest, showcasing the park’s amazing diversity. Get an early start. As for getting back to your starting point, hitchhiking is allowed in the park and there’s a designated place to hitch on Haleakalā Hwy opposite the Halemauʻu trailhead.
Three hours For a half-day experience that offers a hearty serving of crater sights, follow Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail down to where it goes between two towering rock formations, before dropping steeply again. It takes one hour to get down. However, the way back is a 1500ft elevation rise, making the return a strenuous two-hour climb.
One hour Take to the forest on the Hosmer Grove Trail and see the green side of Haleakalā National Park.
Summit Area
History
Ancient Hawaiians did not inhabit the summit, but they came up the mountain and built heiau (temples) at some of the cinder cones. The primary goddess of Haleakalā, Lilinoe (also known as the mist goddess), was worshipped here. Today, Native Hawaiians still connect spiritually on the summit, and also come to study star navigation.
In 1916 Haleakalā became part of Hawaiʻi National Park, along with its Big Island siblings, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. In 1961 Haleakalā National Park became an independent entity; in 1969 its boundaries were expanded down into the Kipahulu Valley. And in 1980 the park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by Unesco.
There are currently 51 federally listed (endangered and threatened) species in the park, the largest number in any US national park. This includes 40 plant species, six birds, one bat, one monk seal, one sea turtle and two damselfly species.
THE SUNRISE EXPERIENCE
Haleakalā' means 'House of the Sun.' So it's no surprise that, since the time of the first Hawaiians, people have been making pilgrimages up to Haleakalā to watch the sun rise. It is an experience that borders on the mystical. Mark Twain called it the 'sublimest spectacle' that he had ever seen.
In recent years the number of cars arriving at the summit has often exceeded the number of available parking spaces, leading to severe overcrowding. To escape the crowds, visitors have strayed into fragile endangered species habitats or dangerous areas. Cars parking outside designated areas also threaten the fragile landscape and could block emergency vehicles. The stats? In January of 2016, park officials said that the number of cars exceeding parking spaces occurred 98% of the time, with an average of 600 people on the summit. In 2017, to manage crowds and protect the park, the park service began requiring reservations for those arriving between 3am and 7am.
Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance and cost $1.50 per car. They can only be made at www.recreation.gov, and the reservation fee is separate from the entrance fee. You can also catch the sunrise with a commercial tour group.
Plan to arrive at the summit an hour before the actual sunrise; that will guarantee you time to see the world awaken. Around that point the night sky begins to lighten and turn purple-blue, and the stars fade away. Ethereal silhouettes of the mountain ridges appear. The gentlest colors show up in the fragile moments just before dawn. The undersides of the clouds lighten first, accenting the night sky with pale silvery slivers and streaks of pink.
About 20 minutes before sunrise, the light intensifies on the horizon in bright oranges and reds. Turn around for a look at Science City, whose domes turn a blazing pink. For the grand finale, the moment when the disk of the sun appears, all of Haleakalā takes on a fiery glow. It feels like you're watching the earth awaken.
Come prepared – it's going to be c-o-l-d! Temperatures hovering around freezing and a biting wind are the norm at dawn and there's often a frosty ice on the top layer of cinders. If you don't have a winter jacket or sleeping bag to wrap yourself in, bring a warm blanket from your hotel. However many layers of clothes you can muster, it won't be too many.
The best photo opportunities occur before the sun rises. Every morning is different, but once the sun is up, the silvery lines and the subtleties disappear.
One caveat: a rained-out sunrise is an anticlimactic event, but stick around. Skies may clear and you can enjoy a fantastic hike into the crater.
If you just can't get up that early, sunsets at Haleakalā have inspired poets as well.
Reservations
Due to severe overcrowding at the summit in recent years, the park now requires advance reservations for sunrise viewing. Reservations can be made at www.recreation.gov; the cost is $1.50 per car. You can make a reservation up to 60 days in advance. To enter to the park, the reservation holder must present the reservation receipt and a photo ID .
1Sights
The summit is an unabashed showstopper. Often referred to as the world’s largest dormant volcano, the floor of Haleakalā is a colossal 7.5 miles wide, 2.5 miles long and 3000ft deep – nearly as large as Manhattan. In its prime, Haleakalā reached a height of 12,000ft before water erosion carved out two large river valleys that eventually merged to form Haleakalā crater. Technically, as geologists like to point out, it’s not a true ‘crater,’ but to sightseers that’s all nitpicking. Valley or crater, it’s a phenomenal sight like no other in the US national park system.
Haleakalā Summit Area
1Top Sights
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
oPuʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) OverlookVIEWPOINT
(
MAP
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; www.nps.gov/hale; Haleakalā Hwy; p)
You may find yourself standing above the clouds while exploring Puʻuʻulaʻula (10,023ft), Maui’s highest point. The summit building provides a top-of-the-world panorama from its wraparound windows. On a clear day you can see Hawaiʻi (Big Island), Lanaʻi, Molokaʻi and even Oʻahu. When the light’s right, the colors of the crater are nothing short of spectacular, with grays, greens, reds and browns.
An ʻahinahina garden has been planted at the overlook, making this the best place to see these luminous silver-leafed plants in various stages of growth.
Hosmer GroveFOREST
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; www.nps.gove/hale; off Haleakalā Hwy; p)
A pleasant half-mile loop trail winds through Hosmer Grove, which is home to non-native tree species – including pine, fir and eucalyptus – as well as native scrubland. The site is also popular with campers and picnickers. The whole area is sweetened with the scent of eucalyptus and alive with the red flashes and calls of native birds. Hosmer Grove sits on a side road just after the park’s entrance booth.
Drive slowly on the road in, as this is one of the top places to spot nene, a rare goose that is also the state bird.
Leleiwi OverlookVIEWPOINT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale; Haleakalā Hwy)
For your first look into the crater, stop at Leleiwi Overlook (8840ft), midway between the Park Headquarters Visitor Center and the summit. The overlook also provides a unique angle on the ever-changing clouds floating in and out. You can literally watch the weather form at your feet. From the parking lot, it’s a five-minute walk across a gravel trail to the overlook.
En route you’ll get a fine view of the West Maui Mountains and the flat isthmus connecting the two sides of Maui.
Kalahaku OverlookVIEWPOINT
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.nps.gov/hale; Haleakalā Hwy; p)
Don’t miss this one. Kalahaku Overlook (9324ft), 0.8 miles beyond Leleiwi Overlook, offers a bird’s-eye view of the crater floor and the ant-size hikers on the trails snaking around the cinder cones below. At the observation deck, plaques provide information on each of the volcanic formations that punctuate the crater floor. From the deck you’ll also get a perfect angle for viewing both the Koʻolau Gap and the Kaupo Gap on the rim of Haleakalā.
Between May and October the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel) nests in burrows in the cliff face at the left side of the observation deck. Even if you don’t spot the birds, you can often hear the parents and chicks making their unique clucking sounds. Of about 20,000 ʻuaʻu remaining today, most nest right here at Haleakalā, where they lay just one egg a year. These seabirds were thought to be extinct until sighted in the crater during the 1970s.
A short trail below the parking lot leads to a field of native ʻahinahina (silversword), ranging from seedlings to mature plants.
This overlook is only accessible on the way down the mountain.
Haleakalā Visitor CenterCULTURAL CENTER, VIEWPOINT
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; www.nps.gov/hale; Haleakalā Hwy; 
hsunrise-3pm; p)
Perched on the rim of the crater at 9745ft, this visitor center is the park’s main viewing spot. And what a magical sight awaits. The ever-changing interplay of sun, shadow and clouds reflecting on the crater floor creates a mesmerizing dance of light and color. The center has displays on Haleakalā’s volcanic origins and details on what you’re seeing on the crater floor 3000ft below.
Nature talks are given, books on Hawaiian culture and the environment are for sale, and there are drinking fountains and restrooms here. Hikers, note that it may be easier to fill a thermos at the water filling station at the Park Headquarters Visitor Center.
By dawn the parking lot fills with people coming to see the sunrise show, and it pretty much stays packed all day. Leave the crowds behind by taking the 10-minute hike up Pa Kaʻoao (White Hill), which begins at the eastern side of the visitor center and provides stunning crater views.
Waikamoi PreserveNATURE RESERVE
(
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GOOGLE MAP
; %808-572-7849; www.nature.org; hhiking tour 2nd Sat of the month)
This windswept native cloud forest supports one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, the 8951-acre preserve provides the last stronghold for hundreds of species of native plants and forest birds. Open only by guided tour, the preserve is a place to look for the ʻiʻiwi and the ʻapapane (both honeycreepers with bright red feathers).
The yellow-green ʻamakihi flies among the preserve’s koa and ʻohiʻa trees.
A four- to five-hour hiking tour currently runs the second Saturday of the month starting at 8am. To make reservations and confirm the meet-up location (currently in Pukalani), phone or email (hike_waikamoi@tnc.org) the Nature Conservancy. The hike is moderately strenuous. Bring rain gear. Due to concerns about the spread of Rapid Ohia Death, no one who has visited the Big Island within six months of the tour date may access the preserve.
Science CityLANDMARK
(Haleakalā Observatories; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.ifa.hawaii.edu)
As the sun rises, this collection of domed observatories shimmers just beyond the summit. Nicknamed Science City and managed by the University of Hawaiʻi, this area is unfortunately off-limits to visitors, as it houses some very interesting equipment – much of it studying the sun and outer space.
Pan-STARRS surveys the heavens for earth-approaching objects, both asteroids and comets, that might pose a danger to our planet. It is the most powerful survey system in the world in terms of combined field of view, resolution and sensitivity. The Air Force’s Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system performs a similar function. It is capable of identifying a basketball-size object 22,000 miles away. After years of delay, the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope is now under construction. When complete it will be the world’s most powerful solar telescope. Operations are expected to begin in 2019.
The Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi holds free monthly public talks at its office in Pukalani. For more information see www.ifa.hawaii.edu/haleakalanew. The website contains fascinating videos of past lectures.
Magnetic PeakMOUNTAIN
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale)
The iron-rich cinders in this flat-top hill, which lies immediately southeast of the summit building (the direction of Hawaiʻi, the Big Island), pack enough magnetism to play havoc with your compass. Modest as it looks, it’s also – at 10,008ft – the second-highest point on Maui.
Pele’s Paint Pot LookoutVIEWPOINT
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale)
Along the loop trail south of Kawlinau, this is the crater’s most brilliant vantage point.
SILVERSWORD COMEBACK
Goats ate them by the thousands. Souvenir collectors pulled them up by their roots. They were even used to decorate parade floats. It’s a miracle any of Haleakalā’s famed ʻahinahina (silverswords) are left at all.
It took a concerted effort to bring them back from the brink of extinction, but Haleakalā visitors can once again see this luminous relative of the sunflower in numerous places around the park, including Kalahaku and Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Overlooks and Silversword Loop.
The ʻahinahina takes its name from its elegant silver spiked leaves, which glow with dew collected from the clouds. The plant lives for up to 50 years before blooming for its first and last time. In its final year it shoots up a flowering stalk that can reach as high as 9ft. During summer the stalk flowers gloriously with hundreds of maroon and yellow blossoms. When the flowers go to seed in late fall, the plant makes its last gasp and dies.
Today the ʻahinahina faces new threats, including climate change and loss of its pollinators, ants. But at least its fragile natural environment has been protected. After years of effort, the National Park Service has finished fencing the entire park with a 32-mile-long fence to keep out feral goats and pigs. You can do your part by not walking on cinders close to the plant; this damages the shallow roots that radiate out several feet just inches below the surface.
2Activities
Cycling
Cycling downhill from the summit to the sea, via Makawao and Paʻia, is a popular pursuit. Several companies lead tours to the summit but, due to past problems, they cannot begin the cycling part of the tour within the park. Cycling must begin outside park boundaries. If you want to explore the summit, tour vans will typically shuttle you to the top for a short visit then drive you down to a permissible starting point. From here, you will either pedal at your own pace or ride with a guide-led group, depending on the tour company. Many people combine a sunrise trip with a downhill ride, requiring a very early start.
Individual cyclists who are not part of a commercial tour are allowed to pedal from the summit without restriction. If you choose this option, you would need to arrange a bike rental and transportation on your own. This is a cheaper option. Bike racks are typically provided with the rental for free or for a small fee. For rental equipment see Crater Cycles in Kahului, or Maui Cyclery in Paʻia.
Mountain Biking
The Skyline Trail is a wild ride from Science City Access Rd down to Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area. The trail may occasionally close due to weather damage. Check its status at www.hawaiitrails.org or one of the local bike shops.
Ranger Talks
Stop at the Park Headquarters Visitor Center to see what’s happening. Free ranger talks on Haleakalā’s unique natural history and Hawaiian culture are given at the Haleakalā Visitor Center and the Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Overlook; the schedule varies, but there are usually one or two each day.
Stargazing
On clear nights, stargazing is phenomenal on the mountain. You can see celestial objects up to the seventh magnitude, free of light interference, making Haleakalā one of the best places on the planet for a sky view.
The park no longer offers star talks. These are now run by concessionaires. You can also pick up a free star map at the Park Headquarters Visitor Center and have your own cosmic experience.
Maui StargazingOUTDOORS
(
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; %808-298-8254; www.mauistargazing.com; 60-90min tour adult/child under 16yr $104/89; hoffice 8am-4pm)
Watch the sun drop below the horizon from the summit then scan the skies to study the cosmos. Look for deep-sky objects through a 12in Dobsian telescope – the largest portable telescope out there. Tours meet at Kula Lodge.
NENE WATCH
The native nene, Hawaii’s state bird, is a long-lost cousin of the Canada goose. By the 1950s hunting, habitat loss and predators had reduced its population to just 30. Thanks to captive breeding and release programs, it has been brought back from the verge of extinction and the Haleakalā National Park’s nene population is now about 200.
Nene nest in shrubs and grassy areas from altitudes of 6000ft to 8000ft, surrounded by rugged lava flows with sparse vegetation. Their feet have gradually adapted by losing most of their webbing. The birds are extremely friendly and love to hang out where people do, anywhere from cabins on the crater floor to the Park Headquarters Visitor Center.
Their curiosity and fearlessness have contributed to their undoing. Nene don’t fare well in an asphalt habitat and many have been run over by cars. Others have been tamed by too much human contact; so, no matter how much they beg for your peanut butter sandwich, don’t feed the nene. It only interferes with their successful return to the wild.
The nonprofit Friends of Haleakalā National Park runs an Adopt-a-Nene program. For $30 you get adoption papers, information about your nene, a certificate and postcard. The money funds the protection of nene habitat.
Volunteering
Volunteers on VacationVOLUNTEERING
(%808-249-8811; www.volunteersonvacation.org; Haleakalā National Park)
The Pacific Whale Foundation runs drop-in volunteer projects in the park, which occur on the first and third Sundays of the month. Volunteers work on projects that help protect the park's fragile ecosystem, such as removing invasive plants. There is no charge to participate, transportation is free, and admission to the park is included.
Friends of Haleakalā National ParkVOLUNTEERING
(%808-876-1673; www.fhnp.org; Haleakalā National Park)
This multiday volunteer opportunity is sponsored by Friends of Haleakalā National Park. This totally volunteer-led operation involves up to a dozen visitors, who hike into the wild and stay for two nights in cabins owned by the National Park Service. Volunteers perform one of a number of tasks ranging from cabin maintenance to plant removal to nene habitat improvement.
See the website for trip leader email addresses and phone numbers.
1Camping & Cabins in the Crater
For one of the most unique overnight experiences in Hawaii, if not the entire US, consider camping in the crater or spending the night in one of its three rustic cabins. To spend the night at Haleakalā is to commune with nature.
Camping
All of the backcountry camping options are primitive. None have electricity or showers. You will find pit toilets and limited nonpotable water supplies that are shared with the crater cabins. Water needs to be filtered or chemically treated before drinking; conserve it, as water tanks occasionally run dry. Fires are allowed only in grills and are prohibited entirely in times of drought. You must carry in all your food and supplies, and carry out all your trash. Also be aware that during periods of drought you’ll be required to carry in your own water.
Permits are required for backcountry camping in the crater. They are free and issued at the Park Headquarters Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis between 8am and 3pm up to one day in advance. Photo identification and a 10-minute orientation video are required. Camping is limited to three nights in the crater each month, with no more than two consecutive nights at either campground. Because only 25 campers are allowed at each site, permits can go quickly when larger parties show up, a situation more likely to occur in summer.
Keep in mind that sleeping at an elevation of 7000ft is not like camping on the beach. You need to be well equipped – without a waterproof tent and a winter-rated sleeping bag, forget it.
Wilderness Cabins
Three rustic cabins dating from the 1930s lie along trails on the crater floor at Holua, Kapalaoa and Paliku. Each has a wood-burning stove, a propane burner, 12 bunks with sleeping pads (but no bedding), pit toilets and a limited supply of water and firewood. There is no electricity. Hiking distances to the cabins from the crater rim range from 4 miles to just over 9 miles. There’s a three-day limit per month, with no more than two consecutive nights in any cabin. Each cabin is rented to only one group at a time.
The cabins can be reserved online up to six months in advance. A photo ID is required for the permittee, and all of those staying in the cabin must watch a 10-minute wilderness orientation video.
8Information
Pack plenty of snacks, especially if you’re going up for the sunrise. No food or bottled water is sold anywhere in the park. You don’t want a growling stomach to send you back down the mountain before you’ve had a chance to see the sights.
Bring extra layers of clothing. The temperature can drop dramatically at any point in the day.
Kipahulu Visitor CenterTOURIST INFORMATION
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %808-248-7375; www.nps.gov/hale; Hana Hwy, Kipahulu District, Haleakalā National Park; h9am-4:30pm)
Park Headquarters Visitor CenterTOURIST INFORMATION
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GOOGLE MAP
; %808-572-4459; www.nps.gov/hale; h8am-3:45pm)
Less than a mile beyond the entrance, this visitor center is the place to pick up brochures, a trail map and a map of the stars for stargazing. You can also buy a nature book, get camping permits and find information about ranger talks and other activities offered during your visit. If you’re going hiking, you’ll want to make sure your water bottles are filled before leaving here. Keep an eye out for nene wandering around the grounds; most nene deaths are the result of being hit by cars.
The water filling station is beside the restrooms.
Dangers & Annoyances
This park can be a seriously dangerous place to drive, due to a combination of sheer drops with no guardrails, daily doses of thick mist, and strong wind. Exercise extra caution on winter afternoons, when a sudden rainstorm can add ice to the list.
Obey warning signs. They often mark a spot where a visitor has been hurt or killed by a fall, a flash flood or falling rocks.
The weather can change suddenly from dry, hot conditions to cold, windswept rain. Although the general rule is sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon, fog and clouds can blow in at any time, and the windchill can quickly drop below freezing. Dress in layers and bring extra clothing.
At 10,000ft the air is relatively thin, so expect to tire more quickly, particularly if you’re hiking. The higher elevation also means that sunburn is more likely.
Visitors rarely experience altitude sickness at the summit. An exception is those who have been scuba diving in the past 24 hours, so plan your trip accordingly. Children, pregnant women and those in generally poor health are also susceptible. If you experience difficulty breathing, sudden headaches and dizziness, or more serious symptoms such as confusion and lack of motor coordination, descend immediately. Sometimes driving down the crater road just a few hundred feet will alleviate the problem. Panicking or hyperventilating only makes things worse.
Entrance Fees & Passes
Haleakalā National Park never closes, and the pay booth at the park entrance opens before dawn to welcome the sunrise crowd. The pay booth accepts credit cards, not cash. The fee covers both sections of the park. If you’re planning several trips, or are going on to Hawaiʻi (Big Island), consider buying an annual pass ($25), which covers all of Hawaii’s national parks. The Interagency Annual Pass ($80) covers the entrance fee for all national parks and federally run recreation sites for one year; it includes the pass holder and three adults.
Maps
A current hiking trail map can be downloaded from the park’s official website (www.nps.gov/hale). Other planning materials and books can be purchased online from the park’s partner: www.hawaiipacificparks.org.
8Getting There & Around
Getting to Haleakalā is half the fun. Snaking up the mountain it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re in an airplane or a car – all of Maui opens up below you, with sugarcane and pineapple fields creating a patchwork of green on the valley floor. The highway ribbons back and forth, and in some places as many as four or five switchbacks are in view all at once.
Haleakalā Hwy (Hwy 378) twists and turns for 11 miles from Hwy 377 near Kula up to the park entrance, then another 10 miles to Haleakalā summit. It’s a good paved road, but it’s steep and winding. You don’t want to rush, especially when it’s dark or foggy. Watch out for cattle wandering freely across the road.
The drive to the summit takes about 1½ hours from Paʻia or Kahului, two hours from Kihei and a bit longer from Lahaina. If you need gas, fill up the night before, as there are no services on Haleakalā Hwy.
On your way back downhill, be sure to put your car in low gear to avoid burning out your brakes.
There is no public bus service to the park.
Kipahulu Area
1Sights
Kipahulu Visitor CenterCULTURAL CENTER
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %808-248-7375; www.nps.gov/hale; Hana Hwy, Kipahulu Area, Haleakalā National Park; 3-day pass car $20, motorcycle $15, person on foot or bicycle $10; hpark 24hr, visitor center 9am-4:30pm)
Rangers offer cultural history talks and demonstrations on the lives and activities of the early Hawaiians who lived in the area now within park boundaries. Guided hikes along the Pipiwai Trail are currently offered on Sundays at 10am by reservation. Hikes last two hours. To reserve a spot, call the visitor center after 9am the prior Sunday. Meet at the visitor center.
2Activities & Tours
Kipahulu ʻOhanaCULTURAL
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GOOGLE MAP
; %808-248-8558; www.kipahulu.org; per person $49; htours 10am & 2pm)
Kipahulu was once a breadbasket, or more accurately a poi bowl, for the entire region. For fascinating insights into the area’s past, join the ethnobotanical tour led by Kipahulu ʻOhana, a collective of Native Hawaiian farmers who have restored ancient taro patches within the national park. Includes a sampling of Hawaiian foods and intriguing details about the native plants and ancient ruins along the way.
The two-hour outing includes about 3 miles of hiking and concentrates on the farm activities. The tour meets outside the Kipahulu Visitor Center; advance reservations required.
8Getting There & Around
To explore the park in depth and on your own schedule, you will need to rent a car. There is no public bus service to either district of the park. The summit is 40 miles from Kahului, just over an hour's drive. Kipahulu is 55 miles from Kahului via the Road to Hana. Expect the drive to take at least two hours. Guided tours also stop at both sections of the park.
Hiking & Cycling in Haleakalā National Park
From cinder cones to silverswords, the sights are otherworldly when hiking inside Haleakalā crater. Waterfalls and a bamboo forest keep views wild on the coast. And biking? Hold on tight!
Summit Area
3
Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail
Start/End Haleakalā Visitor Center
Length 18.4 miles round-trip; two days
Difficulty Strenuous
The path ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale) descends into an unearthly world of stark lava sights and ever-changing clouds. The trailhead is at the entrance to the visitor center parking lot, beside Pa Kaʻoao (White Hill). This hike is best done in two days, so secure a Paliku camping or cabin permit in advance.
The first thing you’ll notice? The silence. The only sound is the crunching of volcanic cinders beneath your feet. If you’re pressed for time, just descending 20 minutes will reward you with an into-the-crater experience and fabulous photo opportunities. The climb out, unfortunately, takes nearly twice as long.
The first 6 miles follow the southern wall, with great views. Vegetation is minimal, but you may see green kūpaoa plants and shimmering silverswords. At the first major overlook, after the long straightaway, you can see cinder cones dotting the bottom of the crater. The views only improve from here. Switchbacks drop from the overlook. A spur trail to Ka Luʻu o ka Ōʻō cinder cone, which arises to your left about 2 miles down, has been closed. Enjoy the view from where you are. Next up? A field of silverswords. After that a narrow path squeezes through a tall lava formation, framing the peaks ahead.
Four miles down, after an elevation drop of 2500ft, Keoneheʻeheʻe Trail intersects with a spur that leads north into the cinder desert, where it connects with the Halemauʻu Trail after 1.5 miles.
Continuing on Keoneheʻeheʻe, head across the crater for 2 miles to Kapalaoa. Verdant ridges rise on your right, giving way to ropy pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava). Kapalaoa is reached after roughly four hours. From here to Paliku (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %cabin reservation 877-444-6777, 808-572-4459; www.nps.gov/hale; campsite free; cabin for 1-12 people $75), the descent is gentle and the vegetation gradually increases. Paliku (6380ft) is beneath a sheer cliff at the eastern end of the crater. In contrast to the crater’s barren western end, this area receives heavy rainfall, with ohia forests climbing the slopes.
After an overnight in Paliku cabin or the adjacent campground, retrace your steps to the visitor center.
3Halemauʻu Trail
Start/End 3.5 miles above Park Headquarters Visitor Center
Distance 7.4 mile round-trip
Difficulty Moderate
With views of crater walls, lava tubes and cinder cones, the Halemauʻu Trail down to the Holua campground and back – 7.4 miles round-trip – can be a memorable day hike. Just be sure to start early before the afternoon clouds roll in and visibility vanishes. The first mile is fairly level and offers a fine view of the crater with Koʻolau Gap to the east.
The trail then descends 1400ft along 2 miles of switchbacks to the crater floor and on to Holua campground (6940ft). You’ll see impressive views of the crater walls rising a few thousand feet to the west. Several lava tubes are visible from the trail, but since endangered species use them for shelter, the Park Service has made them off-limits.
If you have the energy, push on another mile to reach some colorful cinder cones, being sure to make a short detour onto the Silversword Loop, where you’ll see these unique plants in various stages of growth. In summer, their tall stalks should be ablaze with hundreds of maroon and yellow blossoms. But be careful – half of all ʻahinahina (silversword plants) today are trampled to death as seedlings, mostly by careless hikers who wander off trails and inadvertently crush the plants’ shallow, laterally growing roots. The trail continues another 6.3 miles to the Paliku cabin.
The trailhead to Halemauʻu is 3.5 miles above the Park Headquarters Visitor Center and about 6 miles below the Haleakalā Visitor Center. There’s a fair chance you’ll see nene (native geese) in the parking lot.
3Cinder Desert Trails
Start/End Haleakalā crater
Distance Varies
Difficulty Moderate
Two spur trails connect Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail, near Kapalaoa cabin, with the Halemauʻu Trail between Paliku and Holua cabins. If you’re camping you may have time to do them both, as the trails are not very long. The spur trail furthest west takes in many of the crater’s most kaleidoscopic cones, and the viewing angle changes with every step.
If you prefer stark, black and barren, the other spur trail takes you through ʻaʻa (rough, jagged lava) and pahoehoe (smooth-flowing lava) fields.
Both trails end up on the northern side of the cinder desert near Kawilinau, also known as the Bottomless Pit. There’s not much to see, as you can’t really get a good look down the narrow shaft. The real prize is the nearby short loop trail, where you can sit for a while in the saddle of Pele’s Paint Pot Lookout, the crater’s most brilliant vantage point.
3Kaupo Trail
Start Haleakalā crater
End Kaupo
Distance 8.6 miles
Difficulty Very Strenuous
The most extreme of Haleakalā’s hikes is the Kaupo Trail, which starts at the Paliku campground and descends to Kaupo on the southern coast. Be prepared for ankle-twisting conditions, blistered feet, intense tropical sun, torrential showers and a possibly hard-to-follow path. Your knees will take a pounding as you descend more than 6100ft over 8.6 miles.
The first 3.7 miles of the trail drop 2500ft in elevation before reaching the park boundary. It’s a steep rocky path through rough lava and brushland, with short switchbacks alternating with level stretches. From here you’ll be rewarded with spectacular ocean views.
The last 4.9 miles pass through Kaupo Ranch property on a rough 4WD trail as it descends to the bottom of Kaupo Gap, exiting into a forest where feral pigs snuffle about. Here trail markings become vague, but once you reach the dirt road, it’s another 1.5 miles to the end at the eastern side of the Kaupo Store.
The ‘village’ of Kaupo is a long way from anywhere, with light traffic. Still, you’ll probably manage a lift. If you have to walk the final stretch, it’s 8 miles to the ʻOheʻo Gulch campground.
Because this is such a strenuous and remote trail, it’s not advisable to hike it alone. No camping is allowed on Kaupo Ranch property, so most hikers spend the night at the Paliku campground and then get an early start.
3Skyline Trail
Start Science City
End Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area
Distance 8.5 miles; four hours
Difficulty Moderate
This cinematic trail, which rides the precipitous spine of Haleakalā, begins just beyond the summit at a lofty elevation (9750ft) and leads down to the campground at Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area (6200ft). Get an early start to enjoy the views before clouds take over.
To get to the trailhead, go past Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Overlook and take the road to the left just before Science City. The road, which passes over a cattle grate, is signposted not for public use, but continue and you’ll soon find a Na Ala Hele sign marking the trailhead.
The Skyline Trail starts in barren open terrain of volcanic cinder, a moon walk that passes more than a dozen cinder cones and craters. The first mile is rough lava rock. After three crunchy miles, it reaches the tree line (8500ft) and enters native mamane forest. In winter mamane is heavy with flowers that look like yellow sweet-pea blossoms. There’s solitude on this walk. If the clouds treat you kindly, you’ll have broad views all the way between the barren summit and the dense cloud forest. Eventually the trail meets the Polipoli access road, where you can either walk to the paved road in about 4 miles, or continue via the Haleakalā Ridge Trail and Polipoli Trail to the campground.
If you prefer treads to hiking boots, the Skyline Trail is also an exhilarating adventure on a mountain bike. Just look out for hikers!
3Hosmer Grove Trail
Start/End Hosmer Grove Campground
Distance 0.5 miles
Difficulty Easy
Anyone who is looking for a little greenery after hiking the crater will enjoy this shaded woodland walk, as will birders. The half-mile loop trail starts at Hosmer Grove campground, 0.75 miles south of the Park Headquarters Visitor Center, in a forest of lofty trees.
The exotics here were introduced in 1910 in an effort to develop a lumber industry in Hawaii. Species include fragrant incense cedar, Norway spruce, Douglas fir, eucalyptus and various pines. Although the trees adapted well enough to grow, they didn’t grow fast enough at these elevations to make tree harvesting practical.
After the forest, the trail moves into native shrubland, with ʻakala (Hawaiian raspberry), mamane, pilo, kilau ferns and sandalwood. The ʻohelo, a berry sacred to the volcano goddess Pele, and the pukiawe, which has red and white berries and evergreen leaves, are favored by nene.
Listen for the calls of the native ʻiʻiwi and ʻapapane; both are fairly common here. The ʻiʻiwi has a very loud squeaking call, orange legs and a curved salmon-colored bill. The ʻapapane, a fast-moving bird with a black bill, black legs and a white undertail, feeds on the nectar of bright red ohia flowers, and its wings make a distinctive whirring sound.
Kipahulu Area
3Pipiwai Trail
Start/End Near visitor center
Distance 4 miles round-trip; two hours
Difficulty Moderate
Ready for an adventure? This fun trail ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale; Kipahulu Area, Haleakalā National Park) ascends alongside the ʻOheʻo streambed, rewarding hikers with picture-perfect views of waterfalls and an otherworldly trip through a bamboo grove. The trail starts on the mauka (inland) side of the visitor center and leads up to Makahiku Falls (0.5 miles) and Waimoku Falls (2 miles). To see both falls, allow about two hours return. Can be muddy!
Along the path, you’ll pass large mango trees and patches of guava before coming to an overlook after about 10 minutes. Makahiku Falls, a long bridal-veil waterfall that drops into a deep gorge, is just off to the right. Thick green ferns cover the sides of 200ft basalt cliffs where the water cascades – a very rewarding scene for such a short walk.
Continuing along the main trail, you’ll walk beneath old banyan trees, cross Palikea Stream (killer mosquitoes thrive here) and enter the wonderland of the Bamboo Forest, where thick groves of bamboo bang together musically in the wind. The upper section is muddy, but boardwalks cover some of the worst bits. Beyond the bamboo forest is Waimoku Falls, a thin, lacy 400ft waterfall dropping down a sheer rock face. When you come out of the first grove, you’ll see the waterfall in the distance. Forget swimming under Waimoku Falls – its pool is shallow and there’s a danger of falling rocks.
Wear your grippy water shoes for this one.
3Kuloa Point Trail
Start/End Near visitor center
Distance/Duration 0.5 miles; 20 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Even if you’re tight on time, take this 20-minute stroll! The Kuloa Point Trail ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.nps.gov/hale; Kipahulu Area, Haleakalā National Park), a half-mile loop, runs from the visitor center down to the lower pools and back. A few minutes down, you’ll reach a broad grassy knoll with a gorgeous view of the Hana coast. On a clear day you can see Hawaiʻi, the Big Island, 30 miles away across ʻAlenuihaha Channel.
The large freshwater pools along the trail are terraced one atop the other and connected by gentle cascades. They may look calm, but flash floods have taken several lives here, so the Park Service does not recommend swimming in them.