Haleakalā National Park Pā Ka'oao Trail view of Halāli'i Volcano

@kelsealoha

Hawaii

•

Maui

•

Kula

In a national park named as "the house of the sun", this location is high above the clouds and offers jaw-dropping viewpoints of the dormant volcano and craters spanning over the diverse landscape.

Plan

Overview

Skill level

Moderate

Accessbility

Public Location

Hours

3AM-7AM You must obtain a reservation through the national park website: https://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm. Sunrise-6PM (or sunset depending on the time of year)

Fee

private vehicle, $30 valid for 3 days or there are other price options for Annual National Park passes or Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass.

Pack

Normal lens (50mm)
Tripod
Hiking shoes
Water
Snacks
Jacket

How to get there

N20° 42' 49.3596"W156° 14' 59.2512"

This image was taken within the Haleakalā National Park along the Pā Ka'oao Trail, with a east-facing view of the Halāli'i volcano. There are two parking lots on top of Haleakalā National Park. The first parking lot is next to the Haleakalā Visitors Center (20.714680, -156.250649) and the next parking lot is called Red Hill (20.709967, -156.252972). Once you gather all of your gear from your car, you'll follow the signs for the trail called the Pā Ka'oao Trail. The trail is short, only about 0.6 miles, and at the very top is where you'll see this view. Reference the GPS coordinates and you'll find the exact location where I took this photo.