There’s a reason why watching the sunrise on top of the Haleakala Crater is one of the most popular tourist activities in Maui. Haleakala is a Hawaiian name that means house of the sun. It was a magnificent sight to watch as the sun slowly revealed the valley beneath. It was definitely a bucket list moment for us. Although, getting up hours before the sun wasn’t something both of us were looking forward to.
STATS:
Where:
Haleakala Visitors Center – 30185 State Hwy 378, Kula, HI 96790
Coordinates: 20°42’53.39″ N 156°15’1.69″W
Please note that there is a permit required to watch the Sunrise at the Haleakala Crater. The one-day sunrise reservation is not sold at the park but is available online. It only costs $1.50 per car but you need to reserve ahead of time. You can find out more here.
Parking:
There is a large parking lot at the visitors center
Restroom:
There are restrooms at the parking lot at Sunset Point.
Distance:
0.22 of a mile
Elevation Gain:
6300 ft in the car and 79 ft on foot.
Level:
easy
Estimated Completion Time:
2 hours
Ideal Weather:
You can go year-round but warmer months might be better since it’s pretty cold up there. Call this toll free number (866) 944-5025 to access the National Weather Service’s Haleakala summit forecast.
Ideal Time:
We recommend getting to the parking lot at least an hour before sunrise. The parking lot fills up very fast. It will also give you enough time to grab a good spot and great ready for a spectacular show. You can click here to find out when the sunrise will be.
Dog-friendly:
We wouldn’t recommend it. It is pretty cold up there!
GETTING THERE:
We highly recommend for you to map out your route before you go and have GPS with you. You will be driving in the dark so the more prepared you are, the safer and easier it will be for you. There are two Haleakala visitor centers on Maui — one on the summit, which is where you want to go. The other one, which you do not want to go to for sunrise at the Haleakala Crater, is past Hana in Kipahulu.
We also recommend a full tank of gas. You don’t want to have to look for a gas station in the middle of the night. If you are prone to car/motion sickness, you will probably want to take some medication. Over the course of the 20.6 miles, you will be making your way around over 30 hairpin turns. You will also be climbing a staggering 6,300 ft with no street lights. The road is also on a cliff with no guard rails.
THE ADVENTURE:
I will admit that when we were packing for our tropical vacation, I felt a bit silly packing pants, thick jackets, beanies, and gloves. But it was definitely necessary. It was very cold up in the summit. It is not uncommon for it to be over 30 degrees colder at the Visitor Center than it is at the base of the crater. So please come prepared. You are going to have a hard time savoring this amazing sight if you are freezing
After we found parking, we headed over to the railing where a crowd had gathered. It was really dark. All you could see were silhouettes. As we got closer, we realized that we were far from alone. There were about 80-100 people who decided to brave the early morning and the cold with us on that particular morning. We were definitely not expecting that.
After jostling around through the crowd for a bit, we realized that it was going to be pretty tough to get a clear, unobstructed view of the sunrise. It’s definitely harder with me being super short. As the dark sky started to get lighter, Dustin noticed a small trail that seemed to go up the hill behind the mass of people. We decided to take a gamble and raced up the hill. The trail wraps around the backside of a mountain and to be honest, we weren’t sure where it went at the time. We sprinted off into the twilight in a mad dash for an epic sunrise shot.
Please be careful if you are going to take this trail. The trail has loose rock and little steps along the way. I would say bring a headlight, but I would try to sneak up there without being noticed. I think if you are spotted, you are going to attract a ton of people from below.
The trail that we took actually has a name. It is the Pa Kaoao Trail. It is right behind the viewpoint for the sunrise. You can find it on google maps. As we made our way around the last curve off to the left, there were a handful of people already up there. It definitely wasn’t as crazy as the crowd below though. If you decided to take this route, make sure to stay on the trail. The area around it is protected, please be respectful and stay off of it.
We got lucky with the weather that day. The sky was clear with enough clouds for a spectacular sunrise. The last time we were up there, it was so foggy that we didn’t get to see much. As we got up to the top, the deep blue sky had now slowly turned lighter with splashes of orange in the middle. As the sun slowly raised up, it slowly revealed all the details that were hidden by darkness. We started to see the valley of clouds beneath us.
It was surreal because you felt like you were standing on top of the world, and so close to heaven. The whole place was so quiet as everyone seemed to hold their breaths, watching this magnificent display put on by mother nature. It is something that you have to watch for yourself. You can look at all the photographs you want, but to actually be there and experience it is something else.
One of my favorite things about the sunrise at the Haleakala Crater is that as the sun slowly rises up above the horizon, it reveals all that was hidden before. We watched as the sunlight slowly gave life to the expansive crater beneath. Once the sun has completely risen up, don’t forget to check out the crater view at the visitor center. If you’re up for it, the summit area of the park offers over 30 miles of hiking trails. If you’re ready for some awesome breakfast, check out the fluffy macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup at the Kula Lodge restaurant. Breakfast is good here, but the views are even better! Don’t forget to check out our blog on things to do in Ka’anapali if you’re staying around there.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!
RECOMMEND GEAR:
Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
• Warm clothes!!
This is a must!! It is very very cold and windy up there. Make sure you wear long pants, warm jacket, scarf, gloves, beanie, thermal
• Good hiking shoes:
If you want to go up the little trail, it’s good to have good hiking shoes. Vy’s shoes are North Face HedgeHog GTX. Dustin’s shoes are Coleman Tasman Hiking Shoe.
• Water and light snacks
There’s no food up here. It’s good to bring water and snacks to tame the monster.
• Headlight or flashlight.
We both used the Black Diamond Cosmo.
CAMERA GEAR:
• Camera:
Sony a7 III
• Lenses:
Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens
