The spectacular 10,023-foot volcano, Haleakala, aptly named “House of the Sun,” is a true national park gem, found on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Reportedly dormant since 1790, and the summit area around the crater inactive for 600 years, this volcano is also one of the tallest mountains on earth, over 30,000 feet tall when measured from the seafloor. One of the most popular ways to experience this majestic park is to visit Haleakala for sunrise, but many other adventures abound in this wilderness that showcases a range in topography from volcanic rock to rainforest.
When our extended family decided to plan a trip to Hawaii this Summer to celebrate my Mom’s milestone Birthday on the Big Island, Justin and I began toying with the idea of making a pit stop on the island of Maui on our way over, to visit Haleakala National Park.
Our family had visited Maui before, but we had never visited Haleakala. It would be the 51st park in the system that we would visit.
Prior to our trip, obtaining the required permit necessary to visit Haleakala during sunrise was of the utmost importance. Permits are required to enter the park anytime between 3:00am and 7:00am, and one permit is needed per car. Permits can be obtained through Recreation.gov exactly 60 days in advance, and sell out within a minute or two, so plan ahead. There are also a small amount of permits that are released two calendar days in advance.
Luckily, we were able to obtain permits to visit Haleakala during our pit stop in Maui. On our second day on the island, we awoke at 1:30am to depart our hotel by 2:00am to travel to Haleakala. We were staying in the Kaanapali area of the island, and knew that it would likely take at least an hour and 45 minutes to drive to the summit from our hotel, and that we wanted to be at the summit at least an hour before sunrise in order to watch the full transition.
We woke the kids, who were obviously groggy, and Justin carried Quinn to the car. They all immediately fell back asleep once we got in our car, and slept the entire drive to the summit.
We drove to the park, presenting our permit at the entrance station, and continuing on to the summit. When we arrived at the Haleakala summit, it was around 3:45am, and we spent about 20 minutes in our car until we noticed a few other cars and tours arriving in the parking area at the Summit Visitor Center. We had researched ahead of time that, of the four main viewing areas for sunrise, the location behind the Visitor Center would have the best view of both the crater and the sunrise, so we had planned to head there.
Leaving our car, we were treated to the most spectacular night sky I think I have ever seen. With no light pollution at 10,000 feet above sea level, the stars and several planets were in full view. We had an incredible time stargazing, and even saw several shooting stars.
We waited for sunrise to begin from the small area directly behind the Summit Visitor Center. It was chilly, so we huddled together under several blankets that we had brought along from our hotel room. If you plan to visit Haleakala at sunrise, keep in mind that you will want to dress in layers, and bring heavy coats, hats, gloves, and blankets to stay warm.
Starting around 4:15, the sunrise began, and it was incredible to watch the transformation of the sky over time. We were all mesmerized, save Quinn who repeatedly winced, “We came ALL THIS WAY to see THE SUN?!”
We watched the entire sunrise, which concluded a little before 6am. It was unlike anytime we had ever seen, and I was so grateful to have seen that beauty.
After thawing out in our car for a short bit, we headed up to the observation area at Pu’u ‘Ula’ula above the Summit Visitor Center, for some more spectacular views of the crater.
We would have loved to have done a hike in the park, but we already knew that we had asked a lot of our kids that day, waking at 1:30am and sitting in the freezing cold dark for several hours, so decided to hit the visitor center and enjoy some malasadas (Hawaiian doughnuts) on our way out of the park that morning.
One of the great benefits of visiting Haleakala at sunrise is that you can still enjoy at least a half-day at the beach afterward!
Haleakala, you are gorgeous!
