Your Complete Guide to Visiting Haleakala National Park

Haleakala National Park is the only national park on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It is also the 59th national park in the United States. This national park alone, which is home to Maui’s highest peak, was the main reason why I decided to visit Maui first! One of the main activities within the Haleakala National Park is catching the sunrise or sunset at the summit. The sunrise, especially, draws visitors from all over the world and offers some of the most panoramic views of the island. Isn’t it beautiful how the name Haleakala alone means “house of the sun”?

Whether you’re hiking, stargazing or simply enjoying the scenery, Haleakala National Park is a must-see destination for nature lovers, hikers and adventurers alike.

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Things to Know Before Visiting the Haleakala National Park

Before your visit to the Haleakala National Park, there are some important things to keep in mind:

1. Sunrise Reservations: if you want to catch the sunrise at the summit, you need to make a reservation. Such reservation is required to enter the park from 3am to 7am and can be made online up to 60 days in advance. So, I highly recommend booking it ahead of time, as this is a very popular activity on the island and tickets sell out fast.
2. Dress warmly at the summit: don’t let Maui’s tropical climate fool you. In fact, the summit of Haleakala can get cold, especially if you’re visiting for sunrise or sunset. So, be sure to bring warm clothing if you’re planning to visit during these times.
3. Entrance Fees: before entering the national park, you’re required to pay an entrance fee, which is valid for three days. Alternatively, you can purchase an annual pass, if you plan to visit multiple parks in the Unites States.
4. Fuel and Supplies: there are limited services and supplies available inside the park, as the nearest town is about 30 minutes away. So, make sure you fill up your gas tank and stock up on snacks before entering the national park.

Getting to the Summit of Haleakala

The summit of Haleakala is easily accessible via its highway. In fact, the park gates are about 10 miles from the summit, leading you through slow, winding curves to the top. From most parts of Maui, the trip to the summit takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours, so be sure to plan accordingly. While the best way to access the national park is by car, you can take a tour that provides transportation, if you prefer not to drive.

What Are the Main Things to Do at Haleakala National Park?

Many might not realize it, but Haleakala has two sides:

1. The Volcano Summit District is the most visited part of the national park. Here, you can explore the crater by going on a hike, watch the sunrise or sunset from the summit or go stargazing.The Kipahulu District is often referred to as the backside of Haleakala. This is a less travelled road, where a lava flow into the ocean produced waterfalls, such as the ‘Seven Sacred Pool‘. I recommend visiting this section of the national park, while driving the scenic Road to Hana.

Overall, the main activities at Haleakala National Park are undoubtedly hiking, camping, stargazing and catching the sunrise or sunset.

Main Hiking Trails in Haleakala

Haleakala National Park has some of the most amazing hiking trails in Maui, that offer diverse terrain and extra-terrestrial landscapes.

The main hikes in the Volcano Summit District are:

1. The Sliding Sands (Keonehe’ehe’e) Trail, which is also the most popular trail in the park. If you only have limited time, this is an all-around hike with some incredible Mars-like landscape. Read below for additional details.
2. Halemauu Trail is an alternative (or a continuations) to the Sliding Sands Trail. This is a moderate to difficult hike that allows you to traverse the crater and explore another part of the volcano. In fact, you can do both the Sliding Sands trail and Haleamauu Trail in a single day, as they merge at the bottom of the crater.
3. Some additional hikes that start on this side of the national park are White Hill Trail, Leleiwi Overlook Trail and Hosmer Grove Trail.

If you’re looking to hike in the Kipahulu District, the most popular trails are:

1. Pipiwai Trail: this 4 mile long trail features waterfalls, bamboo forests and freshwater pools.
2. Kuloa Point Trail: its an easy trail that leads you to the mount of The Seven Sacred Pools.

Please keep in mind the Leave No Trace principles. These help protect the natural beauty of this national park for generations to come. Also, always stay on the designated hiking trails.

Hiking the Sliding Sands Trail and Haleamauu Trail

If you only have time for one hike at the Haleakala National Park, let it be this one. Sliding Sands (Keonehe’ehe’e) trail is a point-to-point trail that takes you down in the Haleakala crater. This is a very popular route and you’ll encounter several hikers on the way. Also, the trail is open year-round so that you can visit it anytime.

Trailhead: Next to the Visitor Center Parking lot
Finish: Halemauu Overlook point
Elevation Gain: 729 m / 2,400 ft
Distance: 17.8 km / 11.2 miles
Duration: between 4 to 6 hours

The trailhead is located next to the visitor center parking lot, close to the summit. The first part of the trail is mostly downhill, while you start slowly descending into the depths of the crater. While you look around, you can notice a resemblance to the landscape on Mars.

Once you’re at the feet of the crater, you can decide whether to return to the parking lot or continue the hike on the Halemauu trail to complete the point-to-point hike.

At the first intersection, if you decided to continue the hike, take a left to stay on the Halemauu trail. Here, the landscape starts to transition slowly into a greener, more lush terrain. Don’t forget to turn around and look where you came from. You’ll be surprised by the progress you’ve already made.

Once you reach the Holua Cabin, where you can stop for camping, the trail follows a couple of switchback uphill to reach the Halemauu overlook.

The end of the hike is at the Halemauu Trailhead that has a parking lot and a restroom. Since this is a point-to-point hike, you’ll need to arrange the transportation between the trailheads. Below, I’ll go into more detail on how you can organize it.

Transportation Logistics between Trailheads

As there are no shuttles in Haleakala National Park, there are only a few ways to reach one of the trailheads.

1. Have two cars: if you travel in a bigger group, having a car at each of the trailheads is a great option. When you drive up to the summit, Haleamauu Trailhead parking lot is the first one on the way up. So, you can park one car there, and with the rest of the group, drive the second car to the Visitor Center. From there, you can hike back to the Haleamuau Overlook and parking lot.
2. Hitchhike: this is probably one of the few places where hitchhiking is recommended by a national park. In fact, this is also what we did. We thought it might take a while for someone to pick us up, but as soon as we reached the hiker pick-up area, a car stopped immediately. To reach this area, you need to leave the Halemauu Trailhead parking lot, cross the street and walk a short distance to the pick-up spot. I recommend doing this early in the morning, as that’s when car traffic is the highest, giving you a better chance of securing a ride quickly.