Haleakala National Park in Maui, Hawaii

There are a lot of interesting drives on the Island of Maui. One of the better ones is to spend the day going to the summit of Haleakala or The House of the Sun.

What makes this drive interesting?

The road to the Haleakala summit holds the world’s record for reaching the highest elevation (10,023 feet) in the shortest distance (38 miles). The summit lies in the Haleakala National Park which boasts five distinctly different climate zones with rapidly changing environment. In one drive, you can find warm and rainy weather as the trade winds from the northeast hit the coast and rise up the windward slopes; it might be cold and dry above the cloud level, and warm and dry on the leeward slopes. You will find everything from lush rain forests, to the barren moonscapes of the crater, 400 foot waterfalls and wilderness trails. The views of the Pacific Ocean, Lanai, Kaho’olawe, Molokini and the Big Island are spectacular. Viewing the dormant volcano’s moonlike crater floor with its tall cinder cones (volcanic vents) gives one true insight into how the island was formed.

The drive:
One of the more well-known jumping off points for this drive would be Kahului (by the airport). If leaving from here, the round trip drive is about 76 miles and will take at least 3 hours (all day is more likely with time spent hiking and site-seeing, so get an early jump). Also, the temperature can drop about 3° per 1,000 feet in altitude, so it can be as much as 30° colder at the summit. Bring extra layers of warm clothing along with you. Head south on the Haleakala Highway (Route 37), at Pukalani the Highway turns into Route 377. Follow this until you arrive at the Crater Road (Route 378) which starts in the agricultural district of Kula. As you turn left onto Crater Road, set your trip meter to zero at the junction of routes 377 and 378.

2.1 miles into the drive, you will see a cattle guard which marks one boundary of the 30,000 acre Haleakala Ranch. Incorporated in 1888, this is Maui’s oldest and largest family-owned cattle ranch. Its boundaries stretch from the ocean to the border of Haleakala National Park. An impressive piece of property.

Lookout:
4.8 miles into the drive, you will find an unmarked pull out on the right side of the road. The lookout found here is your first great photo opportunity. To the right, you can see the West Maui Volcano with green fields of sugarcane and pineapple stretching out below. The pineapple shows up as the darker green color with the sugarcane the lighter shade. If you look carefully, you can see the island of Lana’i which is partially obscured by the volcano. Straight out, one can see the crescent shaped island of Molokini (home of some truly world-class snorkeling). Beyond Molokini, you can see the island of Kaho’olawe. Kaho’olawe is an uninhabited island which, I’m told, was used for U.S. Navy bombing practice into the 1980’s. Several clean up efforts are underway with visions of turning the island into a Hawaiian cultural reserve.

Cinder Cone:
9.4 miles into the drive you can find another interesting lookout. From here, you can get a look at the inside of a cinder cone. These started as volcanic vents which spewed out hot cinders from the depths of the volcano. They built up in height as the fragments of the cinders stuck to the sides. I have read that they were originally black but turned red over time as the iron-rich compounds in the soil oxidized (rusted).

Park Headquarters:
11.1 miles into the drive, you arrive at the park headquarters. You can obtain permits for camping at one of the two campgrounds or for hiking into the crater here. The campgrounds are available free on a first come, first serve basis.

As you head towards the summit, you will pass through a small community aptly named Pukalani, which means “hole to heaven” in Hawaiian. The northeast trade wind clouds generally top out at this altitude (approximately 7,000 feet). As the trade winds blow by this side of the crater, the disturbance in the air sometimes will create openings in the clouds which give the driver a welcome sighting of blue skies. This is how the name “hole to heaven” was derived.

Leleiwi Overlook:
17.4 miles into the drive and 6.3 miles from the park headquarters, you will find a parking lot located on the right side of the road. This is for the Leleiwi Overlook. If you park in this lot, there is a several hundred yard walk to the overlook. From here you get a breath-taking view of the gigantic crater of Halekala. The crater is 7.5 miles wide, 2.5 miles long and is often described as a “moonscape”. If conditions are correct (clouds coming up the banks with the sun directly behind you), you can see the “Specter of the Broken”. The effect is of a full circle rainbow around your own shadow projected onto the clouds beneath you. Very cool. You will not find much plant life at this elevation but the different shades of the earth along with the various volcanic shapes are truly a sight to be seen.

Red Hill:
Found 21.3 miles into the drive. Red Hill or “Pu’u ‘Ula’ula” is the highest point on the island of Maui. From the far end of the summit parking lot, you can take a short walk/climb to view Red Hill, which is at 10,023 feet. At the start of the walk, you can find lava boulders up to 5 feet in width. For me, it was awesome to think about the power and violence necessary to send those boulders flying through the air. From the shelter, you can again find spectacular panoramic views. If it is clear, you can see all the way to Hawaii.

Altar of the Sunrise:
The summit of Haleakala is frequented by tourists at sunrise. No offense, but I found this to be a miserable experience. While the silver and gray hues at sunrise were very nice, it is amazingly cold up there early in the morning and when I travel to Hawaii, I don’t pack with that in mind. For me, the sunsets viewed from here are wonderful and much more comfortable. If you are interested in viewing the sunrise, call (808)752-7749 or check the local newspaper to find out when the sun rises. While only 21 miles, it is a slow drive and you want to allow at least an hour from the turn off onto crater road (route 378) to reach the summit.

Outside of the park, to the Southwest, is “ Science City”. Science City is a satellite tracking station and government research site. This is home to serious scientific work and not a tourist stop.

Visitor Center:
Go over the hill and as you start to descend, you will find the House of the Sun Visitor Center in ½ mile. The Visitor Center is at 9,745 and affords the traveler probably the most spectacular views of the crater. The center also provides educational exhibits, park information and much needed restrooms.

Kalahaku Overlook:
If you are not done with the crater yet, then 24.2 miles into this journey you will find the Kalahaku Overlook on the right side of the road. This overlook affords additional views of the crater and its many cinder cones found along the crater’s floor. One interesting plant that can be found here is the Silversword or “ahinahina” in Hawaiian. To me it looks like a type of succulent or cactus but I have read that it is a distant relative of the Sunflower. Anyway, the Silversword has multiple arms or branches which extend out up to a foot from the center and they are covered in a soft downy gray material which gives them their silver sheen. The Silversword is a threatened species which only grows above 6,000 feet. The plant’s life spans 15 to 50 years and blooming ends its lifecycle. Its final bloom extends several feet high and is covered by a multitude of purple flowers.

Hosmer Grove:
If you would like to stop one last time and stretch your legs, Hosmer Grove can be found 33 miles into this drive. Hosmer Grove features a ½ mile hike through forest land which features trees introduced from other parts of the world. Here you may find everything from eucalyptus ( Australia) to sugi pine ( Japan), as well as the indigenous sandalwood tree.

It is now time to hop back into the rental car and head back to the beaches. Have a fantastic trip! Hawaiian Discount Car Rentals provides Maui, Hawaii Rental Cars.

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