Haleakalā National Park is one of my very first memories when I was a little girl. I’ll never forget waking up in the middle of the night, wrapped up in blankets and embarking on a windy car ride up a dormant volcano. There were so many people huddled around but it was so dark you could only see shadows and hear whispers. It was FREEZING. That was the last thing I ever expected from a tropical island like Maui. I vividly remember the visitor center. I don’t know why. Maybe because it was the only part of the mountain that felt like it didn’t belong, or maybe because it was the only place you could actually see lights.

That is until it happened. Cameras started clicking, people gasping at the sun peaking from the clouds we didn’t even know had been there the whole time. This was it. Haleakala, the most amazing sunrise I will ever get to witness in this lifetime. You are so high up it feels like being on an airplane except you can feel the air and breathe in the nature surrounding you. Then before you know it, the darkness is completely replaced by the brightest beams of light overlooking a landscape that looks like you’re on another planet. Just steep rocks and a huge crater down below.

Years later, I kept coming back. Eventually I learned to drive and would take my friends all the time. I’ll never forget my car broke down and I had to call AAA in the middle of the night- not fun. Then when I lived on the island I would make it a point to come every other day just to watch the sunset, another magical experience that may be just as good if not better than the sunrise itself. It is truly the most memorable experience you will ever get to have, but the first is always the one you’ll remember like the back of your hand.

INFORMATION

Haleakalā National Park  House of the Sun”

Duration: Driving time takes 2-3 hours depending on which side of the island you start on

Entry is at 7,000 feet up – so you can drive up a good amount for free! This is what I used to do every weekened to watch the sunset.

PACK SNACKS. A lot of people don’t realize that when you start a trip with a wake up time of 4:00am and don’t get back home until 10/11am, you will be completely famished.

FILL UP  your gas tank. There will not be any gas stations on the drive up.

BRING WARM CLOTHES This is Hawaii but it gets very cold at the summit. The temperature drops 3º for every 1000 feet of elevation, so at the Haleakala Visitor Center’s 9,740-foot elevation (where most people watch the sunrise), it’s about 30º colder than at sea level. Be sure to bring pants, shoes, layers of clothing, and blankets. Temperatures are often in the 40-degree range, sometimes colder.

*** UPDATE as of 2022 *** You will need a reservation to enter between 3:00am-7:00am

$1.50 per car, can be booked 60 days in advance- this is not your entry ticket-

READ MORE ON MAUI

Book a Tour!

Haleakalā National Park is one of my very first memories when I was a little girl. I’ll never forget waking up in the middle of the night, wrapped up in blankets and embarking on a windy car ride up a dormant volcano. There were so many people huddled around but it was so dark you could only see shadows and hear whispers. It was FREEZING. That was the last thing I ever expected from a tropical island like Maui. I vividly remember the visitor center. I don’t know why. Maybe because it was the only part of the mountain that felt like it didn’t belong, or maybe because it was the only place you could actually see lights.

That is until it happened. Cameras started clicking, people gasping at the sun peaking from the clouds we didn’t even know had been there the whole time. This was it. Haleakala, the most amazing sunrise I will ever get to witness in this lifetime. You are so high up it feels like being on an airplane except you can feel the air and breathe in the nature surrounding you. Then before you know it, the darkness is completely replaced by the brightest beams of light overlooking a landscape that looks like you’re on another planet. Just steep rocks and a huge crater down below.

Years later, I kept coming back. Eventually I learned to drive and would take my friends all the time. I’ll never forget my car broke down and I had to call AAA in the middle of the night- not fun. Then when I lived on the island I would make it a point to come every other day just to watch the sunset, another magical experience that may be just as good if not better than the sunrise itself. It is truly the most memorable experience you will ever get to have, but the first is always the one you’ll remember like the back of your hand.

INFORMATION

Haleakalā National Park 

House of the Sun”

Duration: Driving time takes 2-3 hours depending on which side of the island you start on

Entry is at 7,000 feet up – so you can drive up a good amount for free! This is what I used to do every weekened to watch the sunset.

PACK SNACKS. A lot of people don’t realize that when you start a trip with a wake up time of 4:00am and don’t get back home until 10/11am, you will be completely famished.

FILL UP  your gas tank. There will not be any gas stations on the drive up.

BRING WARM CLOTHES This is Hawaii but it gets very cold at the summit. The temperature drops 3º for every 1000 feet of elevation, so at the Haleakala Visitor Center’s 9,740-foot elevation (where most people watch the sunrise), it’s about 30º colder than at sea level. Be sure to bring pants, shoes, layers of clothing, and blankets. Temperatures are often in the 40-degree range, sometimes colder.

*** UPDATE as of 2022 *** You will need a reservation to enter between 3:00am-7:00am

$1.50 per car, can be booked 60 days in advance- this is not your entry ticket-

READ MORE ON MAUI

Book a Tour!