The Mt Haleakala Summit:
Our trip to the Mt Haleakala summit in Haleakala National Park was the kind of experience you don't expect from a tropical Maui Hi vacation! The summit was as UN-tropical as it gets on "The Valley Isle"! But don't let this deter you from a visit here! The view from the summit is absolutely breathtaking, and well worth the time on your Maui Hi vacation! |
Before I go on, I suppose I should tell you that Mt Haleakala is actually NOT a mountain at all, but a volcano. So why on earth do I persist in calling it "Mt Haleakala" anyways? Well you see, that's the way it was referred to when I first heard about it while planning our Maui Hi vacation. What can I say? The name has stuck in my mind. So, with that being said, I hope you don't mind if I carry on calling it "Mt Haleakala!"
We'd heard about the gorgeous sunrise views from the Haleakala summit, but the thought of getting up at the uncivilized hour of 3 in the morning to get there in time was too much for us! We ended up skipping the sunrise, and headed out from the Royal Lahaina Resort, Maui at 8am instead!
As we drove higher and higher through Haleakala National Park, the forested areas eventually gave way to much more sparse vegetation!
At 9740 feet above sea level, we reached the Haleakala National Park Visitor Center, where we enjoyed their display of cultural and natural history exhibits. When we'd had our fill of these, we continued our drive up the meandering mountain road!We stopped numerous times along this drive to go on some short hikes to various scenic look-outs! I highly recommend that you take the time to explore these short trails - the trails are perfect for beginners, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts with stunning views and great photos from your Maui Hi vacation!
This particular Mt Haleakala picture (on the left) is one of my favourites! There was something magical about the view of the luminous clouds up against the lava sand!
Whenever we headed out on one of these short hikes to the lookouts, I was in such a hurry to see the views awaiting me that I would attempt to half-jog along the trail...
I soon discovered that in the higher altitude here, due to the thinner air, I was unable to do so for long, as I would get winded too quickly! Who knew!?! I now had no choice but to go a bit more slowly, and enjoy not just the destination, but the journey as well!
The Summit
We had a MOST enjoyable time exploring these short trails... so much in fact, that on a future Maui Hi vacation, we plan on hiking some of the longer trails into the crater. If it weren't for the fact that we didn't have enough water and food to get us through a longer hike, we would have set off on one of these longer trails right then and there!When we finally reached the Haleakala summit at an elevation of 10023 feet above sea level, we were rewarded with the most amazing view ever! I felt like I was at the top of the world! Do you see how the clouds were right up against the edge of Mt Haleakala? How amazing does THAT look?!?!
A Strange-Looking Plant...
When we finished drinking in this magnificent view, we explored the summit a bit, and noticed this unique plant whose tall shape reminded me of a cactus!This endangered plant is called the Haleakala Silversword, and is only found on the island of Maui in Haleakala National Park. If you see one of these, you know you're on a Maui Hi vacation!
Don't walk too close to the silversword though - the shallow roots are vulnerable to being crushed and damaged if you do so!
The Observatories....
As we wandered around further, we couldn't help but notice the futuristic-looking observatories further up the road:
Unfortunately, these observatories don't offer tours to the public, so we had to content ourselves with looking at them from afar.
Tips for Your Trip to the Mt Haleakala Summit
1) There is no food, beverages or gas available once you enter Haleakala National Park... so make sure you stock up on supplies before you head out. We found it most convenient to stock up on supplies in Kahului, as once you leave there to head to the summit, there are extremely limited options for supplies.2) Once you reach Haleakala National Park, it is a good idea to use the restrooms at the Haleakala Visitor Center. Once we left there, we didn't see any other restroom facilities along the drive to the summit.
3) The temperature at the Mt Haleakala summit can be over 15F colder than the temperature at sea level - We recommend that you bring a pair of long pants and a jacket to slip into in case you get cold. Warm clothes aren't exactly the first thing that comes to mind when planning a Maui Hi vacation, but trust me, you'll be glad you brought them along for this outing!
4) Bring some money with you to purchase the mandatory park pass at the entrance to the park.
Getting There
From Kahului, head SE on route 37. Turn left onto route 377, and then left again on route 378. Driving from Kahului, it will take about 1.5 hours non-stop to reach the Mt Haleakala summit.More articles of interest:
1) On our way up to the Mt Haleakala summit, we managed to squeeze in a Maui zipline tour. Read more about THAT Maui Hi vacation adventure here!
2) To read more about our Maui Hi vacation adventures, click here to see our Top 10 Things to Do in Maui for Adventure!
Go to Homepage from Mt Haleakala Summit in Haleakala National Park
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