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.
The rest of this amazing park, which is divided into two distinct sections, is all about interacting with this mountain of solid lava, and the rare lifeforms that live upon it, some of them found only here. You can hike down into the crater, follow lush trails on the slopes, or put your mountain bike through its paces. For the ultimate adventure, get a permit, bring a tent and camp beneath the stars. However you do it, the experience will stick with you.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Haleakalā National Park.
Viewpoint
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-world panorama from its wraparound windows. On a clear day you can see Hawaiʻi (Big Island), Lanaʻi, Molokaʻi and even Oʻahu. When the light’s right, the colors of the crater are nothing short of spectacular, with grays, greens, reds and browns.
Viewpoint
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 on the trails snaking around the cinder cones below. At the observation deck, plaques provide information on each of the volcanic formations that punctuate the crater floor. From the deck you’ll also get a perfect angle for viewing both the Koʻolau Gap and the Kaupo Gap on the rim of Haleakalā.
Viewpoint
For your first jaw-dropping look into the crater and its cinder cones, stop at Leleiwi Overlook (8840ft), midway between the Park Headquarters Visitor Center and the summit. You can literally watch the weather form at your feet, as ever-changing clouds float in and out. From the parking lot it’s a five-minute walk (0.25 miles) across a gravel trail to the overlook.
Viewpoint
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 mesmerizing dance of light and color. The parking lot gets packed ahead of sunrise and sunset, and it stays pretty full in between. Leave the crowds behind by doing the 10-minute hike up Pa Kaʻoao (White Hill), which begins at the eastern side of the visitor center and provides stunning views.
Waterfall
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. In Hawaiian, 'waimoku' means water that cuts, severs or breaks in two. The walk to get to the beautiful falls is a memorable one: follow the Pipiwai Trail for 2 miles, past tropical trees and bamboo forests.
Nature Reserve
This windswept native cloud forest supports one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, the 8951-acre preserve provides the last stronghold for hundreds of species of native plant and forest bird. Open only by guided tour, the preserve is a place to look for the ʻiʻiwi and the ʻapapane (both honeycreepers with bright red feathers).
Forest
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 – as well as native scrubland. The site is also popular with campers and picnickers. The whole area is sweetened with the scent of eucalyptus and alive with the red flashes and calls of native birds. Hosmer Grove sits on a side road just after the park’s entrance booth.
Waterfall
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 Gulch stream (otherwise known as the Seven Sacred Pools). It's accessible via a 0.5-mile walk along the Pipiwai Trail. These waters are dangerously fast and not suitable for swimming.
Viewpoint
Along the loop trail south of Kawilinau, and accessible via Halemauʻu Trail and Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail, this is the crater’s most brilliant vantage point.