View of the crater from the Sliding Sands Trail, Haleakala National Park.

Haleakalā National Park

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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Overlook
Haleakalā National Park
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…
Kalahaku Overlook
Haleakalā National Park
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…
Leleiwi Overlook
Haleakalā National Park
For your first jaw-dropping look into the crater and its cinder cones, stop at Leleiwi Overlook (8840ft), midway between the Park Headquarters Visitor…
Haleakalā Summit Area
Haleakalā National Park
Perched on the crater rim at 9745ft, the visitor center is the park’s main viewing spot. Sun, shadow and clouds reflecting on the crater floor create a…
Waimoku Falls
Haleakalā National Park
One of the tallest waterfalls on Maui, the soaring, 400ft Waimoku Falls tumbles dramatically down a jungle-lined lava-rock face into a boulder-dotted pool…
Waikamoi Preserve
Haleakalā National Park
This windswept native cloud forest supports one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, the 8951-acre preserve provides the…
Hosmer Grove
Haleakalā National Park
A pleasant half-mile loop trail (20-minute walk) winds through Hosmer Grove, which is home to non-native tree species – including pine, fir and eucalyptus…
Makahiku Falls
Haleakalā National Park
With a name meaning 'water that recognizes no friend,' this cascade crashes from a height of 200ft through a cathedral-like jungle setting into the Ohe’o…