Today is Day 5 in Hawaii and we are taking a day trip to Maui to visit Haleakala National Park. Along with our daughter and friends Lisa and Jack, and their kids, we’ll be flying in from the Big Island. Once on the island, we’ll be driving to the summit of Maui’s largest volcano. See what we can do in a day, before flying back around sunset!
Make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii.
Planning Haleakala National Park in a Day
We are not staying on Maui. But we decided if we’re going all the way to Hawaii, we should visit Haleakala National Park. So we found an open day in our itinerary on the Big Island. And we booked a direct flight on Hawaiian Airlines from Kona to Kahului, putting us on Maui at 8:47AM. And Kahului is the closest airport to Haleakala. We also rented a mini-van there that will fit the 7 of us for the drive into the park. But we’ll make a pit-stop first.
As soon as we leave the airport, we’ll pass a Safeway Supermarket. This will be the perfect time to grab breakfast, water, snacks and other supplies. Because once in the park, there is not much of anything. After the pit-stop, we will start the GuideAlong app. And then we’ll drive over an hour all the way to the Haleakala Visitor Center at the summit. There are 2 visitor centers, but this one closes at noon. So we’ll head there first, then hit the things we missed on the way back down.
Haleakala National Park is named after the dormant volcano within its boundaries. And after we explore the visitor center, we’ll hike into the volcanic crater. We’ll also check out any overlooks at the summit before heading back down. And we’ll look for more overlooks or short hikes on the way back. We may also stop at the Headquarters Visitor Center if we have time. Once, we exit the park, we’ll look for more food. And hopefully we’ll have plenty of time to get back to the airport for our 6:20PM flight. We’ll be flying back on a 9-passenger prop plane on Mokulele Airlines arriving in Kona just after sunset.
Getting to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines
Today is another early start, and we leave our resort in Waikoloa just after 6:30AM. After a 30 minute drive with not much to see except lava rocks, we make it to Kona airport. Though with no luggage, we make it through security in no time. We only brought a backpack with water bottles and jackets in case it is cold at the summit.
Since it’s an island-to-island flight, there’s no reason to get here super early. And we have time to grab coffee before we board 15 minutes before our flight departure. Hawaiian Airlines is a great choice for inter-island travel. They are professional, on-time, safe and they also serve POG juice.
Before reaching Maui, we can’t miss Haleakala. The dormant volcano rises above the clouds and can be easily spotted miles away. Once we arrive, we head straight for the train to rental cars. And once there, our mini-van is waiting for us. Ready to go, we have about 2.5 hours to get to the Haleakala Visitor Center at the summit before it closes.
Safeway Supermarket
Once we have our minivan, it’s 2 miles to the Safeway Supermarket. And it’s on our way, so we stop in for supplies. Safeway is a traditional supermarket in many U.S. states. And they have just about everything you would need. They also have insulated bags, perfect for packing a picnic lunch.
We all order sub sandwiches from the deli counter to take with us. I’m hungry and get a breakfast sandwich too. Though it takes a little while since they only have 1 person making the sandwiches. But with the subs, chips, water and ice, we are ready for the park. It’s almost an hour to the park entrance from here. And once we start heading up to Haleakala, there’s no place to stop. So everyone goes to the restroom. And after 45 minutes we leave.
Driving to Haleakala National Park
Once ready to drive to the park, we turn on GuideAlong. We’ve used this app in many national parks, and they have a tour just for this island. It’s just like having a tour guide in your car and uses GPS to point out things along your route! For more info, check out: Maui Audio Driving Tour | GuideAlong.
Today is a beautiful day, and the drive starts off easy with amazing views. While listening to GuideAlong, we are learning about the formation of Maui and the Hawaiian islands from volcanoes. And in less than 30 minutes, we make it to the turn onto State Highway 378 or Crater Road.
There is a sign at the turn that says it all. It’s still 22 miles, and there’s no food or gas. From here, we start up about a dozen switchbacks to the entrance. And as if on cue, one of the kids says they have to go potty.
Unfortunately at this point, there is really no place to pull over. There’s no shoulder, some large drop-offs, and we can’t turn around. So, our only option is to go on. Though it’s only 11 minutes to the entrance. But by the time we get to the entrance sign, all 3 kids need to go. So when I stop to take a picture, everyone’s angry at me. But we always take a picture at the sign! So after a few quick pics, I get back in the car. And then drive a few feet to the entrance station and flash my annual pass.
Haleakala National Park Headquarters Visitor Center
At the entrance station, I ask the park ranger where the nearest restroom is. And she tells me right up the road on the right at the Headquarters Visitor Center. So, when I pull in and park, everyone jumps out immediately. It’s still about 20 minutes up more switchbacks to the summit visitor center. And it closes in less than 45 minutes. But when no one comes back, I head inside.
Once inside, everyone else is already back from the restroom and looking in the shop. I figure we’ll just not make it to the other visitor center, and spend time here instead. So, I start to talk to a park ranger about some trails. The ranger also informs me the summit visitor center closes at 4:30PM today! He said they just put noon on the website in case they don’t have enough staff. Relieved, I look at some of the exhibits. And then use the restroom…
Leleiwi Overlook Trail
After about 20 minutes or so, we’re ready to get back in the car. And the drive starts to go from sunshine to cloudy. In fact, we are driving directly through the clouds hanging here on the mountainside. It actually gets dark and a little wet as we drive through them.
We drive through the clouds up the switchbacks which are longer than before. And at the top of the 3rd one, we pull into a parking lot. Now that we have time, we stop at the Leleiwi Overlook Trailhead. The short 0.3 mile out-and-back trail starts across the road where all we see are clouds.
Now above the clouds, it looks like we are about to drop off the side of the mountain. But the trail starts down from the road. This short trail is very rocky, and we’re glad we brought sturdy shoes. Then it starts to lead back up to the overlook.
Walking to the overlook, we can see we are above the clouds. But when we get closer, the clouds surround us. And at the overlook, it’s pretty much all we see.
From inside the overlook, all we see are clouds. But a sign here explains how the warm trade winds trap the cool clouds in the crater.
Just past the overlook, we can see our 1st glimpse into the crater itself. We can see some shades of red, but not much else yet, so we head back. It takes us about 20 minutes to the overlook and back. From here, it’s about 15 minutes to the summit visitor center. So about 12:30PM, we finally make it to the summit.
Haleakala National Park Visitor Center at the Summit
The summit is the essential place to visit in Haleakala National Park. And there is a large parking lot here. The Haleakala Visitor Center is at the end of the lot at the edge of the volcanic crater. So, we head inside first. Check out Haleakalā National Park (U.S. National Park Service) for more about the park.
Inside looks much bigger than the outside. There’s a little store here and a few small exhibits. Becky gets our daughter a nēnē stuffed animal. GuideAlong has told us to watch out for the endangered Hawaiian goose. But this is the only one we’ve seen so far. I also talk to a park ranger about some of the trails here at the summit. He seems pretty bored until I find out he worked in Alaska before coming here. He has some great trips for that Northern adventure.
Exiting out the visitor center, we can see directly into the crater. You really don’t need to hike to see unbelievable views. There’s still some clouds here, but you can see the different colors across the crater floor. It looks like a painting.
We take a few pics, but by now it’s pushing 1:00 and everyone is starving. So we go back to the car to eat lunch. We break out our subs and eat in the minivan. While we’re eating, we see a large bird walking through the parking lot with her chicks. It’s not a nēnē, but not sure what it is. After we eat, we are ready to hike. But first, just past the visitor, we head to the restrooms.
Pa Ka’oao Trail
There are 2 trails you can take at the summit, and we decide to do the short Pa Ka’oao Trail first. So, we start left to head up. This 0.4 mile round trip trail is short, but steep and rocky.
Immediately on the trail we see ʻāhinahina, or the Haleakala silversword. This unique species of plant only lives here in the volcanic soil. It also can live up to 90 years. But it will flower only once growing a large stalk with up to 40 blooms.
As the trail climbs, we can see the Haleakala Observatories in the distance. Dubbed “Science City” this 18 acre site is a collection of facilities. Run by the U.S. Air Force and the University of Hawaii, however, they are not open to the public
Once around the corner, the trail leads straight up a rocky path. But even before we head up, we can see amazing views. And though it was a bit of a climb to get to the top, the views up here are even better.
This trail took about 10 minutes to go 0.2 miles up 140 feet. And at top is an overlook built out of the rocks. This overlook gives us a great vantage point into the crater below. It also provides great views of the other trail.
We can see a path that goes into the crater below. It’s the sliding Sands Trail we want to do next. So, we head back down. The Pa Ka’oao Trail takes us about 20 minutes.
Start of Keonehe’ehe’e Sliding Sands Trail
Keonehe‘ehe‘e or the Sliding Sands Trail goes directly into and across the crater floor. It is 11 miles total, but you can walk down as far as you want and come back. That’s our plan. The 1st overlook is only about 1/2 mile, so we’ll see how far we want to go. It starts directly from the other end of the parking lot. So, we walk past our car on the way. And as soon as we start the trail, we see a familiar bird.
It looks like the same bird we saw while eating lunch. And it’s eating some yellow flowers just off the trail. I identify it as a chukar partridge, which is a non-native bird that seems to have adapted well in the park. And as were watching it, we see 2 chicks following it. It’s got to be the same bird!
Already seeing wildlife at the beginning of a trail is always nice to see. But, what we see next is even more exciting. It’s a Haleakala silversword in full bloom! The large stalk is covered with flowers.
We basically have just walked around the Pa Ka’oao Trail to the other side. It takes us just over 5 minutes to a spot right on the edge looking down. It’s another great view, but we want to get even closer.
Descending into the crater in Haleakala National Park
From the 1st stop, the trail starts to descend into the crater. And after another 5 minutes, we make it to a rocky ledge overlooking the center of the crater.
The views are unreal. It looks like we’re on Mars with all the red colors, but we see some green as well. This overlook is a great place to stop and just enjoy the otherworldly views. But the trail continues below it.
I think it would be a great idea to walk down the trail below the overlook to get a picture. So while Becky is at up top, I continue on the trail as it zig-zags below.
This trail is really easy walking down as I stop below the overlook to wave back. From this vantage point, I really feel inside the crater. And the trail continues down until it goes out of sight from here. I would love to continue, but it’s getting late and it’s harder coming back up.
I turn around to come back as the others start back from the overlook. Just back up to the overlook is making me breathe harder. But I try to hurry to catch up to the others. Once back up to our 1st stop on the edge, it’s a short easy walk back to the parking lot. And I get back as the others reach the car. We were on this trail for about 30 minutes, but I could have gone for hours.
Haleakala Summit
Back in the car, it’s another 1/2 mile to the top of Haleakala. This is officially where the highest area in the park is at 10,023 feet. And there’s a few nice things to see here. The 1st is a closer view of the Haleakala Observatories.
These observatories were built at the top of Haleakala offering one of the best viewing conditions on Earth. And from here we can see the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope used to study the Sun’s behavior. One of the most powerful astronomical tools on the planet, this white building is run by the National Solar Observatory.
When we turn around we can see the Haleakala Summit Viewpoint. It’s a building with windows all around offering good views. But we find the views are better walking outside instead of looking behind the glass. Though there are some informative signs in the building.
The other thing to see here is In the middle of the parking lot. It’s more silverswords! There are paved paths to get right next to these amazing plants that bloom once in their lifetime. And once they bloom, they die and their seeds are scattered by the wind. By this time, it’s 3:00PM and we still have a couple stops on the way back down.
Kalahaku Overlook
We passed the Kalahaku Overlook on the way up, but it’s only accessible on the way down. And at the end of the parking lot is an old sign and older looking steps to the overlook. Just Becky and I take a look while the others stay in the minivan.
This overlook provides a great view looking back at the crater from where we were earlier. And on the other side, we can still see the clouds stuck in the crater.
There’s a railing from the overlook where you can get closer to the edge. And from here, you can see clouds for miles and miles. After a quick 5 minutes stop, we are back in the car to go to one more place.
Driving to the Hosmer Grove Trailhead
On the way back down, we are still keeping our eye out for nēnē. And we’ve enjoyed learning about them and all the wonders in Haleakala National Park with GuideAlong. The kids have enjoyed the app so much they’ve named the narrator “Steve”. And as we turn on the Hosmer Grove Access Road, we see another bird.
From the Kalahaku Overlook to the Hosmer Grove Trailhead is about 20 minutes. The turn is just past the Headquarters Visitor Center on the right before the exit. Though the bird we see along the road is not a nēnē. It has red on its head. It’s another non-native bird called the ring-necked pheasant.
Disappointed we drive to the end of the road and park near a picnic shelter. There’s a small parking lot, and a campground in an open field. And what’s that in the grass?!? It’s 2 nēnē! The reason we wanted to come to Hosmer Grove, was to look for endemic Hawaiian forest birds only found here. But finally seeing 2 of the endangered Hawaiian geese is a great start. As we approach the trail, we seeing part of the trail taped off. But the trail is still open.
Hosmer Grove Trail in Haleakala National Park
Hosmer Grove is an experiment in forestry. Ralph Hosmer, the 1st superintendent of forestry in Hawaii, planted different conifer and eucalyptus trees here in 1909. He wanted to see what types of trees would thrive here in hopes of starting a timber industry. Though the experiment failed to produce viable lumber, it’s unlike any other place in Haleakala National Park.
The trail starts out through the non-native trees that tower over our heads. As we walk through them we notice some eucalyptus trees distinguished by their colorful bark. And around a bend we see a large tree that has fallen over the trail. Though the kids take the opportunity to climb on it. After a few minutes we head under it and up a section to an overlook.
On the edge of the non-native forest is a native shrubland. And there’s a viewer here to look at the forested canopy below. We can see and hear birds flying around, but it’s hard to spot them. Though Becky is enjoying looking through the viewer until the kids want their turns.
While we’re looking in front us for birds, a yellow one appears in a tree behind us. Similar to the endangered ‘alauahio, we believe this one is the Hawaii ‘amakihi. They are also only found here, though not a threatened species. And between the bird and the viewer, we could stay here for hours. But it’s already after 4:00PM and we need to leave for the airport. But first, we make sure to use the restrooms here before we leave.
Getting back to the Airport
It’s about 2 hours until our flight, and we have almost an hour to get there. The kids are getting hungry, but unfortunately there’s nothing on our route. And afraid to take a diversion, we head straight for the airport. We make it to return our rental car just over an hour before our flight time. And now we have to find where to check-in for Mokulele Airlines. After walking past the other check-in counters and baggage claim, we’re told to continue walking.
Mokulele Airlines is in the commuter terminal outside the main airport. And by the time we get here, it after 5:30PM and no food options. Though check-in is a breeze. We don’t have to go through security, and we don’t even need to dump our water. They just have to weigh each of us with our gear.
Once checked-in, we wait for 30 minutes. If we would’ve known we could have probably stopped for food, but we didn’t know what to expect. And 5 minutes before flight time, we are called to line-up. They tell us which rows we will be in, and no substitutions. And then we walk behind the building to see our Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan.
Flight back to Kona on Mokulele Airlines
We board the plane first and are seated in the 1st row behind the pilots. And when we say behind the pilots, there’s no divider. We can see everything they’re doing. Behind us are Jack and Lisa and their kids. And behind them are 2 other passengers. With the pilots, we’re 7 of 11 on this plane! Find out more about this airline at: Hawaii – Mokulele Airlines.
It doesn’t take long before everyone’s seated and we’re leaving. Take off is no problem and we all have windows to see everything outside the plane. And just like our arrival this morning, we can see Haleakala surrounded by clouds.
I booked this airline for a few reasons. First, it was the latest flight I could get back to Kona giving us more time at Haleakala. Second, all other flights went through Honolulu. This flight is much shorter, though it has 1 planned stop at Waimea on the Big Island before Kona. The third reason is because we’d by flying around sunset with window views for everyone. And they did not disappoint.
We are just above the clouds and the Sun setting makes an orange glow all around. Sitting right behind the pilots, we get to see what they see. And I can see why they are pilots. This incredible view every night might be the reason.
The window views are just as fantastic, like everyone’s in 1st class. Somehow our daughter falls asleep at some point, but we are just in awe of the beauty around us. We watch as the Sun finally sets behind the clouds.
Landing in Kona
During all the excitement of the Sun setting, we noticed we seemed to circle at one point. Our plane seems to have diverted from its planned flight path. We watch as we are heading back down the coast.
Apparently the weather was a little rough around Waimea, so we’re landing directly in Kona. And again we have a pilot’s view. We can see the runway lights as we approach and watch as we smoothly land in Kona.
We land about 15 minutes early. Good for us, but not for the other 2 passengers that were planning to get off in Waimea. Though once off the plane, we all have to ask where we need to go next. By this time it is dark, and we walk together on the sidewalk past the main terminal. It takes over 10 minutes to get to our car, and we still have to drive back to Waikoloa. But there’s a Costco nearby and we finally get some food before we head back to our resort.
Summary of our Day Trip to Haleakala National Park
Everyone is grumpy by the time we leave Costco. But we knew this would be a packed itinerary and a very long day. The good news is we can finally sleep in tomorrow and have a relax day. But it was nice to spend this incredible day with our friends and the kids. Haleakala is our 26th national park and totally exceeded our expectations. Walking into the crater on the Sliding Sands Trail was like walking on Mars.
This extraterrestrial landscape was like being in a painting, which made me want more. And the funny thing is this park was not crowded at all. Which was nice compared to our time on Oahu. We again really enjoyed “Steve” and the GuideAlong app. We always learn so much. And we finally got to see some nēnē and an endemic Hawaiian forest bird! The icing on the cake was the flight back at sunset on Mokulele Airlines. It was like a private sunset tour and one of the highlights of our whole trip!
Make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii.