Haleakala National Park, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii, is an amazing place to visit. It has been protected as a national park since 1916, initially together with the two other volcanoes on the Big Island as a Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and as an independent park since 1961. Haleakala has two separate areas, the summit region and the coastal region. Both are beautiful and should be visited. On my first visit to Maui, I only visited the summit area. Before my second trip, I did some more reading and decided to visit the coastal area as well. It was definitely the right decision. Below I describe 5 amazing things to see at Haleakala National Park.
5 amazing things to see at Haleakala National Park
The Summit Area: Haleakala Crater
Hiking the Haleakala crater is an otherworldly experience. Many people associate the views with a moon- like landscape. It is largely due to the fact that the large cinder cones you see at the summit give the appearance of little craters, just like on the moon. You are in a volcanic desert with only an occasional shrub. There are several different trails you can take but I highly recommend the Sliding Sands trail.
The entire trail is 11 miles long (round trip) but most people just hike for a bit and turn around. We hiked for about a mile into the crater, descending about 1,000 feet. This gave us a good view of the cinder cones from up close. We were lucky to have beautiful clear skies with minimal cloud cover. Take your time along the trail, stop in multiple spots and admire the scenery. It certainly is out of this world.
Haleakala Observatories
Make sure to drive to the observatories, a bit beyond Haleakala Visitor Center. From there, you will have beautiful vistas over the ocean. On a clear day, you may also be able to see the Big Island. Also, take a look at the silverswords that grow around the area. They live from 3 to 90 years and bloom only once in their lifetime. If you’re lucky, you may be there to witness it.
Amazing ocean views
As you drive to the summit, stop at the various overlooks along the highway to admire the lovely views of the ocean and the island. The views are not always guaranteed as clouds frequently form the higher you go. We’ve been lucky the two times we visited the park but go early for the best chance of clear skies.
Kipahulu Area: Waimoku Falls
Kipahulu area is the coastal section of the park. Unfortunately, you will have to take a separate trip here, as the Summit is not connected to the Kipahulu region. We combined our trip along the Road to Hana with a visit to Waimoku Falls. The park entrance is about 11 miles south of Hana about a 35 minute drive. Once there, take the Pipiwai Trail all the way to the end (4 miles round trip, about 2 hours). The trail itself is beautiful and you’ll see multiple waterfalls along the way. It is not an easy trail, especially after the rain, because the puddles overtake the trail in some sections. There is also a bit of a climb at first but it’s definitely not strenuous. It’s just uneven unless you’re on the boardwalk, so wear sturdy shoes, especially on a wet day. Waimoku Falls drop 400 feet down a sheer cliff and are in a splendidly lush setting. I think they are some of the best waterfalls on Maui, so I certainly recommend hiking to them.
Bamboo Forest
As you hike the Pipiwai Trail, you’re going to spend a considerable amount of time walking through an amazing bamboo forest. I expected a small bamboo growth but was nicely surprised by the extent of the forest. Even if you don’t hike all the way to Waimoku Falls, hiking among the bamboo trees is a must. It was absolutely one of the most amazing things to see at Haleakala National Park.
Pools of 'Ohe'o
The Pools of Ohe’o or the Sacred Pools were unfortunately closed when we visited, so this will be something to do next time we visit Maui. When they’re open, just take the Kuloa Point Trail, 0.5 miles, from the Visitor Center, to see them.
Interested in other things to do on Maui?
If you’re interested in other ideas for an amazing trip to Maui, check out the links below:
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