Explore Haleakala's Summit
Hawaii › Haleakala National Park Visitor Center
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Activities:
Chillin, Photography, Hiking
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Skill Level:
Beginner
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Season:
Year Round
Reach the summit for both a sense of amazing accomplishment and unreal views of the Haleakala Crater. The summit offers stunning sunrise and sunset views. There is easy parking, restrooms and visitor center at the summit.
Head to Haleakala's summit for amazing views of the island and your choice of a stunning sunrise or sunset. Keep in mind that you are 10,000 feet up once you're at the summit, so be prepared with warmer layers. If you're planning to get there early for the sunrise, make sure to bring a little food with you as there's nowhere to pick supplies up inside the park.
For those looking for a real challenge, you can choose the round-trip trek to the summit ~38 miles, elevation gain 10,000 feet.
Haleakala Summit has some of the best stargazing conditions in the world, hence the observatory there. There is also free camping at Hosmer Grove.
Pack List
- Camera
- Tripod
- Jacket
This is an absolute must-do if you find yourself on Maui. Out of all of the sights I saw when I was on the island, the memory of seeing the sunrise at the summit sticks out the most to me. Just an amazing sight. As Lucas mentioned in the adventure post, bring some layers. It was incredibly cold and windy at the summit. I didn’t plan ahead because, well because you are in Hawaii, a tropical paradise, and the last thing on my mind was packing warm clothes. I was lucky enough to have packed a hoodie but I still ended up freezing. As of February 2017, the NPS has implemented a reservation system in order to view the sunrise in the Summit District of the park. The reservation fee is only $1.50 per car but you will need to secure a reservation to enter and park in the Summit District between 3:00 am and 7:00 am. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance but I’m not sure how quickly they sell out. This system wasn’t in place when I visited Haleakala…so plan ahead.
12 days ago
Go during sunrise, you won't regret it. One of the coolest things we saw on the whole island. Make sure you show up early cause it gets crowded and the sunrise is best about an hour before sunrise I thought.
11 months ago
