The gigantic Haleakala Crater is one of the most famous features of the park. It was formed by erosion of the entire mountaintop and is dotted with numerous volcanic features, including large cinder cones. Hikers can access the crater via two main trails.

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The West Maui Mountains were the first volcano to rise above sea level some 2 million years ago. Haleakala is estimated to be around 1 million years old. The summit tops out at 10,023 ft and if measured from its base on the ocean floor the summit Haleakala volcano is approximately 30,000 ft tall!

Haleakala National Park contains the beautiful ‘Ohe’o Gulch (also known—erroneously—as the Seven Sacred Pools) of Kipahulu Valley, a series of cascading waterfalls and pools. The island also contains a humpback whale sanctuary. The American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh is buried near ‘Ohe’o Gulch.

The drive is gorgeous, amongst the clouds and everything! It seems like there is a breathtaking photo-op at every turn! We captured some of them in our photos for you to view. We highly recommend taking a leisurely drive up Haleakala!

“Temperatures immediately before dawn and immediately after dusk are regularly below freezing,” the Haleakalā National Park Service cautions, so both sunrise and sunset will be pretty cold, and you’ll thus need to dress pretty warm. Overall, many locals will say that the sunset experience on Haleakalā is the best!

Year-round summit temperatures range between below freezing to highs of 50°-65°F (10-18°C). The outside temperatures can feel much colder because of wind chill and damp, overcast conditions.

Effective January 1, 2020, the entrance fees to the park will be $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle and $15 per pedestrian or bicyclist. The receipt allows unlimited re-entry into either district of the park (Summit or Kīpahulu) for three days.

You’ll Love These 5 Spots to Watch the Sunset on Maui!

• Haleakala National Park. The first place that comes to mind when choosing the perfect spot to watch the sunset on Maui is the Haleakala National Park.
• Kapalua Bay.
• Keawakapu Beach.
• Lahaina Pali Trail.
• Po’olenalena Beach Park.

Maui is generally a safe place, both for visitors and those of us who live here. Our island welcomes nearly 3 million visitors each year, and the vast majority of those people experience nothing more distressing than a sunburn. Crime does exist on Maui.

This is a scary drive with lots of switchbacks and hairpin turns. Not as narrow as the road to Hana but you are climbing very high. The views are outstanding as is the crater once you get there. Beware, it is very windy and cold at the top so go prepared.

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A trip can be as expensive or as cheap as you like. From our calculations, a one-week vacation to Maui for two people will cost an average of $5,120.