National Parks of China
Overview
| Designation | US National Park |
| Location | Maui, Hawaii, USA |
| Latitude, longitude | 20.7, -156.1 Google Maps |
| Area | 30,200 acres |
| Highest point10,023 feet | |
| Nearby cities | Honolulu |
| Nearby sites | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park |
| Themes | Ocean, Island, Volcano, Mountain |
About
Haleakalā National Park is on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It became a US national park in 1961.
Travel tips
Getting there: the park is on the island of Maui. Flights land at Kahului Airport, about 2 hours by car from the summit and about 2.5 hours from the Kipahulu district in the south-east. Honolulu has inter-island flights.
Two districts: the park has a summit district and a coastal district, Kipahulu. No road links them inside the park; the drive via the Hana Highway takes several hours.
Sunrise reservations: to watch sunrise from the summit you must book a sunrise time slot online in advance, and numbers are limited. Outside the sunrise hours the reservation is not required.
The summit: the summit is about 3,055 m, much colder than the coast, so bring a jacket; a few visitors feel the altitude. The crater rim has several overlooks and visitor centers.
Crater trail: the Sliding Sands Trail drops from the summit into the crater, through sand and cinder cones that look like the Moon. Going down is easy and coming back up is hard, so allow time and energy.
Kipahulu: this district has the Pools of Oheo and the Pipiwai Trail. Rain is frequent and paths are slippery, so wear shoes with grip.
Season: the park is open all year, but the summit may be foggy or cold at any season. Summer is more settled, and snow falls on the summit now and then in winter.
Where to stay: there are campgrounds and cabins in the park, which must be booked; most visitors stay on Maui's west coast around Kaanapali and Kapalua, or in Kihei in the middle of the island.
More photos
Photo credits: Haleakalā National Park: C. Fukushima/ US National Park Service (public domain)