Hawaii
HALEAKALĀ
ESTABLISHED 1961
Few volcanic craters are as awe-inspiring as the vast expanse of Haleakalā on the Hawaiian island of Maui, a landscape so primitive you almost expect to see dinosaurs lumbering across the desolate sands before disappearing into the lush rain forests below.
Reminiscent of a film set from Game of Thrones, Haleakalā sounds like the name of an ancient kingdom. In fact, it means “house of the sun,” and if you reach the highest point in the park, Pu‘u ‘Ula‘ula (“Red Hill”) at 10,023 ft (3,055 m), it feels as if you could reach up and touch the sun.
Legend has it that the first Hawaiians chose the name after their chief, Māui, climbed the peak and lassoed the sun as it rose in the morning sky. He released the sun only after it agreed to make the days longer in summer so that his mother, Hani, could dry her laundry.
Scientists estimate Haleakalā is about one million years old. They believe that what’s commonly referred to as the crater isn’t the result of a volcanic eruption at all, but was caused by two valleys slowly merging on either side of the peak.
Haleakalā last erupted in 1790. As you gaze into the 7-mile-wide (11-km-) crater, it’s easy to imagine the rumble of molten lava under the surface and the dormant volcano coming to life again like a mythic beast woken from its slumber.
One real creature you might see—which is among the 103 endangered species living in the park—is the nēnē, or Hawaiian goose and the state bird. More than 200 of them survive in Haleakalā, as does the Hawaiian petrel, which nests in colonies at the volcano’s summit. As you pick your way over the lunar landscape on top, or push through dense forests farther down, stop and watch for wildlife... or listen for the growling of the earth deep beneath your feet.
Join other adventurers at sunrise when the crater is at its most spectacular, backlit by blazing coral skies.
BEST FOR
Stargazing
To see the sunset from the summit is a spectacular thrill, but more awaits after dark. Take a telescope or binoculars with you and stay on for the stargazing. On a clear night, the heavens spread before you in all their glory. If you prefer to admire the cosmos with other stargazers, the park offers plenty of organized tours led by experts.
The rising sun peeks through the clouds over Haleakalā