Haleakala National Park

Sunrise and Sunset from Haleakala Summit

We were one of many early risers, making our way up to the summit to catch the famed sunrise from Haleakala Summit. It was a beautiful sunrise, colorful and spiritual, rising to a cult-like audience, equipped with blankets and cellphone cameras. Sunrise at Haleakala Summit now require a permit (see below) for a very nominal fee. If sunrise does not appeal to you, due to the planning required or otherwise, perhaps sunset might interest you. Sunset is said to be the next best thing after sunrise. We watched both, in two consecutive days. I would agree, sunrise was a better show.

Haleakala Summit Sunrise Permits

Sliding Sands Trail

Into the Haleakala Crater via Sliding Sands Trail, with view of colorful cinder cones opening up

Sliding Sands Trail gets its namesake from the black lava sand that slide when stepped on. It was a foggy and rainy day when we walked down which helped compact the sand a little on our walk down, but also obstructed our view of the inner crater. When the fog lifted, a beautiful panorama of colorful cinder cones in the inner crater was revealed. It was magical.

The Haleakala Crater, we learned, is not a crater formed by volcanic eruption, but by erosion. There were about a dozen or so red/orange cones in the Crater, some of which may erupt at any time but the large crater was formed by wind and water erosion. The last eruption occurred about 200 years ago. An eruption is expected in the future.

Haleakala Crater with its colorful cinder cones via Sliding Sands Trail, Maui, HI

Our hike was a 9 mile return trip to get to the floor of the crater with 2600 ft elevation gain. At the crater floor, the trail continued but we decided to head back up. The last 2 miles up was very difficult due to the high elevation (elevation at top was close to 10,000 ft). We wore double jackets (with the outer jacket being a rain jacket) on the way down, but removed the layers on the way up.

At the top, there sit the famous telescopes that watch the night sky from the highest point in U.S.A. There was no public viewing at the time. We caught sunset from the hill closeby.

Camping at Haleakala National Park

We camped two nights in Haleakala National Park. The first night we stayed at low elevation near the park entrance, and the second night we stayed in the hike-in campground within the Haleakala Crater, called Holua Campground. There are also 3 cabins within the crater itself that can be reserved ahead.

Hosmer Campground is a free campground that sits at the bottom of the mountain. No permit is required. We arrived at 9:30 am on a rainy Tuesday morning in June. There were only 2 other tents there. Camping was group camping style, where there was a green patch for campers to pitch their tents. Car can be parked at the smallish lot (fit maybe 8-10 cars). There was a maximum of 50 campers per night. By nightfall, the place filled up, and it looked like there was not much more room for tents to be set up. Our stay at Hosmer was a wet one. It had rained the night before, and continued to rain while we pitched our tent to reserve our spot before heading up to Sliding Sands Trail. Luckily I had a microfiber towel to soak up the rain that made it in our tent.

Holua Campground from Halemau'u Trailhead is 4 miles one-way and 1200 ft elev gain. There was no potable water (there was a spigot in the summer 2019, though it was clearly marked as non-potable water) and only pit toilets. We did not find any streams in the Crater floor in our travels there either. Free camping permits are required and can be obtained at Headquarters Visitor Center the day before or the day of camping. We had to watch a video and fill some forms for the permit. The permit allowed for overnight parking at the Halemau'u Trailhead. There were two other groups of campers the night we spent there. A maximum of 20 campers were allowed per night at the time of our visit.

Our campsite at Holua Campground,inside Haleakala Crater, Maui, HI

I had hoped to catch the Milky Way suspended above us that night since we were literally on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. However the clouds would not cooperate. We slept and woke up to serenades of the native nene birds. We easily caught sunrise early the next morning from within the crater, thanks to the nenes. I really enjoyed the gradual illumination of the crater wall behind our tent by the rising sun.

Camping always makes me appreciate everything I have so much more. On that note, we had the best cheeseburger along with the best blended cold coffee ever for lunch. The car seat felt so comfortable with our sore backs after walking up the 1000 ft crater wall with our 20 lb backpacks. It's funny how camping resets me like that. It's easy to take foregranted the amenities and conveniences of modern life: warm (or cool) shower, flush toilets, bathrooms down the hall, soft beds, clean sheets, potable water, kitchen and kitchen sinks. Camping reminds me and makes me see the life that I have in a new light. Hence the best cheeseburger and best car seat ever.

Halemau'u Trail and Inside the Crater

The Haleakala Crater wall was about 1000 feet in depth. Three miles out of the 4 mile one-way hike was spent climbing down the crater, then up. The remaining one mile was on lava rocks and a grassy field. The switchbacking trail on the crater wall was easy to follow with rocky, uneven terrain. From the crater, we were able to spot the cabin which was adjacent to our campground.

A narrow ridge section of Halemau'u Trail on the way into the crater, Haleakala NP, Maui

At the bottom of crater, we went exploring for 8 miles roundtrip towards Kapaloa Cabin between a chain of colorful craters. I can't tell you which named trails we hiked; we just went where our hearts and feet led us. We went through a field of red jagged lava rocks, a sea of black lava sand, some silverswords, walked between colorful cinder cones, and even tried to find the end of a rainbow. When the boys tired of this, they were sure to make it known to us, and we made a bee-line for our campsite. As quick a beeline as one could make in a sea of volcanic remnants.

Walking between colorful cinder cones inside the Haleakala Crater, Maui

Coming upon a sea of eroded black lava inside the Haleakala Crater, Maui

More Hawaii Travel Ideas

More U.S.A. Travel Ideas

More Worldwide Travel Ideas