Haleakala Summit Sunrise

20° 42.6′ N · 156° 15.2′ W · approximate

Sunrise from the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala, the 'house of the sun', above a sea of clouds with the 2,600-foot-deep crater turning red below you; a bucket-list pre-dawn drive from a Kihei or Kahului base.

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Approx: summit parking at Puu Ulaula (OpenStreetMap); Haleakala Visitor Center is at about 20.7151, -156.2498. Reservations required to enter between 3:00 am and 7:00 am: book on recreation.gov up to 60 days ahead (released 7:00 am HST), with a share released about 48 hours before; $1.00 per vehicle plus the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle, 3 days, 2025-2026 NPS fee page); one reservation per person per 3 days. Summit temperatures are at least 20°F colder than sea level and often below freezing: bring warm layers. No gas or food in the park; fill up first. Sliding Sands and Halemauu trails lead into the crater. Allow time for the long, winding drive up Route 378.

Haleakala Summit Sunrise

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