Haleakala National Park - General Park Information

This special place vibrates with stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture and protects the bond between the land and its people. The park also cares for endangered species some of which exist nowhere else. Come visit this special place - renew your spirit of adventure amid stark volcanic landscapes, sub-tropical rain forest and the unforgettable experience of hiking the backcountry.

The journey to the summit of Haleakala brings you from coastal Maui, to the remote, native, high-elevation world protected by the park. Here on Maui's highest peak you find an island in the sky where the clouds spread out below you like a second layer of ocean. Cindercones, rare plants, native birds, and hiking trails await your discovery.

No place you have ever been can prepare you for the experiences and feelings you will have on the summit of Haleakala volcano. The landscape - deeply sculpted, richly colored, and intensely evocative will be unlike any landcape you have known. Visually expansive, the summit area continually eludes any attempt to understand its scale or dimensions.

You may spend a few hours hiking in the cinder desert landscape, or a few minutes looking for native birds in the shrubland - whatever you choose to do, you will do it surrounded by native Hawaiian plants and animals. The mountain summit is one of the only easily-accessible areas of Hawaii where our rare and endemic species survive and thrive.

Already impressive in the light of day, the summit takes on a new dimension at night when the darkness reveals the brilliant night sky.

Miles and miles of trails stretch out before the adventurous hiker. Choice range from minutes to days, and ecosystems range from arid to lush. If you come well-prepared for an overnight backpack trip you will not be disappointed - this is an area unlike any other.

Layers of history are laid out before you when you visit the Kipahulu Area along Maui's eastern coast. Enjoy the lush green environment as you explore the way the that people have interacted with the land here for hundreds of years. Cool freshwater falls and pools greet the hikers who revel in the tropical vistas at every turn.

Conditions vary dramatically based on the district of the park you visit.