- The Maui Volcano of your Maui Vacation
Haleakela is translated as the house of the sun. Whatever the weather, be sure to dress in warm clothes for your trip to the Volcano as it is almost always colder than the beach. Including the volcano in your travel plans can add a lot of variety to your Maui vacation activities as it offers a respite from typical fun in the sun travel plans.
WATCHING THE SUNRISE is always better from the top of the island. There is no better place for sunrise than the house of the sun. Sunrises from the crater rim are spectacular and very crowded. To enjoy the sunrise without the crowd try the lookout just below the crater rim, you will not be disappointed. The top of Haleakela is very cold before the sun rises, so be sure to dress in warm clothes and bring extra blankets.
HIKING INTO THE CRATER is a wonderful way to see a very different perspective of the volcano. The landscape is very dramatic inside of the crater and feels like Mars, not Maui. There are cabins in the crater which are a four mile hike over a 3000 foot elevation change to reach the first one. These can be rented from the park service and I reccommend staying two nights, so there is enough time to explore around the inside of the crater instead of hiking in then immediately hiking out. The park service doesn't tell you this but there is a climbable lava tube about 50 yards away from the entrance to the first cabin.
HALEAKELA DOWNHILL BIKERIDE sounds fun but is a great way to get injured. This activity puts a lot of people in the hospital here, but thousands do it every year anyway, so if you are very brave and have good medical insurance, go for it.
Generations of people have worked hard to keep the park the unique ecosystem that it is. Please follow the rules: DON"T FEED THE NENE, PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT, etc. These rules are in place so that Haleakela will be nice to enjoy for years to come.
