First glimpse of the sun at Haleakala
If you’re visiting Maui for the first or 15th time and looking for things to do, someone is going to suggest going to see the sun rise at Haleakala. The concierge at the Andaz Maui suggested I leave at 2:30 am and “bundle up” because temperatures (and wind) up at the 10.000 foot crater summit can be very chilly before dawn.
Crater Coffee: your last chance for a cuppa before Haleakala
The drive from Wailea was 90 minutes and pretty easy. The road to Haleakala is not as well paved as the more heavily traffic tourist roads on the island, but the winding part (full of hairpin turns) was only after I entered the park.
Plan a pit stop at Crater Coffee (open from 3-7 am ) for your last chance for caffeine fix, pastries and bathrooms. The coffee is good and service friendly and convince you it was worth it to get up so early.
Clouds before sunrise
I arrived at the parking lot at the summit an hour before sunrise. The stargazing was incredibly. Watching the clouds shift before dawn was mesmerizing. I headed to the far side of glass visitor hut at the summit, so that the hut would buffer me from the wind. I shot this time lapse video of the sunrise on my iPhone 5s using the Sunrise and Sunset preset on the TimeLapse App.
Is it worth it go see the sunrise at Haleakala? Totally.
The changing colors and shifting clouds are all part of the Haleakala sunrise show
If getting up early doesn’t work for you, some people prefer to come to watch the sunset. You can check sunrise and sunset time for Haleakala here.
The parking lot at the summit after sunrise
There are also several tour companies that offer bikes for you to bike down the crater after sunrise.
I loved how this guy’s blanket makes him look like a superhero
My advice- don’t miss the sunrise. It’s unforgettable. It was well worth the effort.
NOTE: mobile phone service is spotty once you enter the park.
The glass shelter at the summit of Haleakala
Address: Kula, HI, United States (Directions)
Open 24 hours
Phone: (808) 572-4400
You can check out the weather forecast for the crater summit here.
Daily passes are non-transferable and are valid for 3 days including the date of purchase:
Private Vehicle: $10.
Motorcycle: $5.
Per Person: $5.