| Haleakala National Park Travel Planner | |
Things to Do:
Begin your visit to Haleakala National Park by stopping at one of the visitor centers: Park Headquarters Visitor Center (7,000 feet) or Haleakala Visitor Center (9,740 feet) in the summit area, or the Kipahulu Ranger Station/Visitor Center. An entrance fee is charged to enter the summit area.
Hiking trails are accessible in both the summit and Kipahulu areas of the park. A number of trails in the summit area allow for trips ranging from less than an hour to as long as three days. There is a 0.5-mile self-guiding nature trail at Hosmer Grove, with a 120-foot elevation change each way and a 0.25-mile nature trail to Leleiwi Overlook, with a 40-foot elevation change each way. There are also 27 miles of hiking trails within the Wilderness Area. The Kipahulu area includes the 3.7-mile Pipiwai Trail, which passes the 184-foot waterfall at Makahiku, winding through alien bamboo and guava forests to the base of the 400-foot Waimoku Falls; the Kuloa Point Loop Trail, which leaves the ranger station and continues past a Hawaiian cultural demonstration area to Kuloa Point; and Kahakai Trail, which extends from Kuloa Point along the shore to the Kipahulu campground.
Sky-watching is a popular activity at the park, which offers one of the most easily accessible places to watch planets, stars and moons after dark. Park visitors can rent a pair of 10x50 or 7x50 binoculars at one of the island dive shops and pick up a star map at Park Headquarters or Haleakala Visitor Center. The visual horizon in many places in the Summit area is up to 115 miles out to sea.
Talks and hikes are offered by park rangers on a regular basis. Hawaiian cultural demonstrations are held at the Kipahulu Visitor Center on the last Thursday of each month and Hawaiian cultural hikes to the lo'i (taro patch) are offered on the first Tuesday of each month, through cooperative agreement with the Kipahulu 'Ohana.