Haleakalā means “house of the sun” referring to the demigod Maui’s lassoing of the sun to provide long bright days. You can drive to the top of the giant shield volcano and observe volcanic cinder cones rising above the clouds. At this sacred landscape, you will walk among ancient Hawaiian myths and view endangered endemic bird species. A popular activity at Haleakalā is waking up in the middle of the night to admire the colorful sunrise. Since I am a night owl, this sounds like an awful thing to do. Here is information for a half-day trip to the mountain during daylight hours.

MUST SEES

Pu’u’ula’ula Summit

At the summit, the temperature is cold (30-50 degrees) and windy (10-40 mph). The weather can become rainy at a moment’s notice so plan accordingly. Standing at the top of the House of the Sun at 10,023 feet, even the clouds are beneath Haleakala’s summit.

Kalahaku Overlook

The massive active shield volcano is not a crater. Wind and water have carved valleys out of the mountaintop. From the overlook, you can see true volcanic cinder cones on the edge of the rim.

Leleiwi Overlook

The trail from the parking lot to Leleiwi Overlook is 0.3 miles. There is a great view inside of the floor of the Kaupō Gap and Koʻolau Gap below. The wind fills this space with clouds.

Nēnē

The Nēnē is an endangered native goose species in the grasslands below 8,500 feet. Biologists are reintroducing Hawai‘i’s state bird to the Hawaiian Islands.

Chukar

The Chukar is a nonnative bird. This black and white striped pheasant enjoys the mountain’s cold, dry summit.

Silversword

The silversword is a succulent with pointy leaves and silver hairs. This species of silversword only grows on Haleakalā. Silversword plants grow on volcanic cinder in freezing temperatures and high winds.

Hina asked her son Maui to travel to Haleakalā to slow down La (the Sun). La moved too fast and her kapa (cloth) would not dry properly. Maui climbed up Haleakalā before dawn. He lassoed the Sun’s rays, and would not let go until La promised to slow down. This gave Hina time to dry her kapa and allowed other people time to do their chores.

LOGISTICS

Sunrise Reservations

If you want to experience sunrise at the summit you will need a reservation. Get a reservation for each vehicle entering the park from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

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