Sunset at Haleakala- Is It Worth The Hype?
Haleakala is one of the most popular things to see and do on the island of Maui, Hawaii. This national park is the highest point on the island, at over 10,000 ft. The weather and the landscape are totally different at the top. People drive up many winding roads to be able to witness sunrise or sunset at Haleakala and its beautiful cloud inversion. Is it all worth it?
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What is Haleakala?
Heleakala is a National Park on Maui, Hawaii. This volcano sits at 10,023 feet. From the base of the mountain (underwater) to its peak, it is actually taller than Mt. Everest. On a clear day, you can see the Big Island of Hawaii. The landscape at the summit is COMPLETELY different than at sea level on Maui, which makes it so interesting. It is very popular for visitors to drive themselves or take a tour to the summit, at anytime of the day. Especially, for sunset at Haleakala, or at sunrise. If the weather is right, you may see a beautiful, colorful cloud inversion as the sun moves across the horizon.
Haleakala- Worth the Time and Drive?
Becuase you’re driving from sea level to 10,000 feet, the drive is LONG, and curvy. I did a lot of research before I went to try to decide if it was worth it. I know that people love the views on the top of Haleakala, and that it is very unique. I personally try to limit drive time on vacations because it is a VACATION. And driving too much leads to arguments, at least for my relationship haha. So I had to decide- go to Haleakala for sunrise? Sunset at Haleakala? Middle of the day? I decided on sunset, which I think WAS WORTH IT, and I’ll tell you why.
What Time of the Year is Best to Visit Haleakala?
Maui, Hawaii and Haleakala NP are a year-round destination. Any time of year or day is great to visit, but there are a few things to consider. One, is precipitation and visitation in Maui in general. November-March is the wetter season, which may decrease visibility on the summit of Haleakala. The shoulder seasons, April-May and September-October are considered the best times to visit because of good weather, lower crouds, and better prices.
Haleakala is always chilly at the summit- between 40 and 60 degrees. It even snows some days in the winter! Be prepared for cool weather. Sunrise will be cooler than sunset. Sunrise and sunset times change throughout the year, so make sure to keep this in mind when you visit.
The Shoulder seasons of April-May and September-October are regarded as the best months to visit maui.
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Deciding- Sunset or Sunrise
We ended up deciding on visiting Haleakala for SUNSET. Some things to consider if you’re visiting at sunrise, are that you do need advanced reseravations via THIS SITE. It’s not hard to get, just an extra step. Also, it is a long drive. 1-2 hours depending on where you are staying. Let’s say sunrise is at 530 am. The colors will start changing at 5am. You’ll want to park by 430-445am. If you live 1.5 hrs away, you have to leave around 3am. YIKES.
Since it’s vacation after all, we did not want to wake up that early. We wanted to explore Maui during the day, and drive up Haleakala when we were ready. It was much more enjoyable for us. I read that it is less likely to get the epic cloud inversion at sunset, but we gave it a shot.
We decided to visit haleakala for sunset instead of sunrise.
Planning for Sunset at Haleakala
Location
Haleakala is located in the middle of the larger east portion of Maui. On a clear day, you can see the observatory on the top! On the map below, I routed you from the airport, which is pretty central, to the summit. This takes 1 hr 15 minutes. There are resorts on the west and also near Wailea which can get to 2 hrs- yikes. Keep this in mind. We stayed in a campground pretty close to the base, so it was closer to an hour. This is why I didn’t want to go for sunrise! I wanted to enjoy more of my day without being exhausted.
What Time to Head Up?
You may be wondering- how early should you head up?? When we were there in May 2024, sunset was at 6:50pm. We were pretty spontaneous that day and drove around West Maui and then in the afternoon decided we’d go up the mountain. We were in Central Maui at around 3:30pm and headed up, getting there before 5pm.
We thought about not going up at all because there were so many clouds, but we went anyways and the clouds did break at the top!
sunflower field on the side of the highway on our way up to Haleakala in Maui (wearing senita knockout shorts– use DANIELLEOUTDOORS_ and paragon crop top– use DANIELLEF)
Schedule for Sunset at Haleakala
What is the Road to Haleakala Like?
To my surprise, much better than many other roads on Maui. Pretty well maintained. I’m surprised, however, at the lack of guard rails. It was super cloudy on may way up and I could barely see over 10 feet in front of me. Luckily it cleared on the way down (they say the clouds usually dissipate after sunset). I was also surprised there weren’t many stops on the way up, like other national parks. A few trailheads, and the pay station, but that’s about it. If you’re focused and awake, the road is fine!
Continue your Maui adventure by seeing one of my favorite stops- the Nakalele Blowhole!
What is There To Do Before Sunset at Haleakala?
Give yourself some time to look around and enjoy the unique beauty of Haleakala before sunset comes. You can visit the Visitor Center parking lot (though they aren’t open around sunset), and the summit parking lot (overlooking the observatory).
nps map showing winding switchbacks up to Haleakala Summit.
nps map with my captions showing layout of the summit. each parking lot is about 0.5 mi apart.
Summit Parking Lot
At the summit parking lot, there is an enclosed lookout with educational signs (we were able to see the big island of Hawaii up here!!), outdoor lookout areas, places to see the rare silversword (pictured below), and you can see the observatory. This was Hawaii’s first research observatory, and it is one of the clearest, darkest places to see stars in the world- WOW! It is an impressive sight. KEEP IN MIND. We left to go to the lower lot, and then the summit lot filled up and a ranger closed the 0.5 mi road back up to the summit. Wherever you see sunset is fine, but if you want to be at the top top, park up there and don’t leave your car (you can walk around if you want!)
top left: me at the top of haleakala
top right: rare silversword in front of our campervan
bottom left: clouds rising over haleakala (you can see the big island of hawaii in the back)
bottom right: signage of the summit of haleakala
We drove & slept in a campervan for our 4 days on Maui. If you’re interested, check out campervan hawaii here.
Visitor Center Parking Lot
The visitor center itself is only open from 930-4, which doesn’t bother me- it is mainly souvenirs that I can get somewhere else. The bathrooms are always open, however. There is a number of lookouts here, and the beginning of the Sliding Sands Trail. We went maybe 0.3 mi or so down this trail and it was STUNNING. The way the clouds slide up the mountains and you can see the small trail miles down the crater. Loved it. Highly recommend if you have an extra 30 min to spare.
top left: me on the sliding sands trail
top right: haleakala visitor center
bottom left: my husband on sliding sands trail
bottom right: selfie at the summit in my patagonia fleece
Sunset at Haleakala
Where to See Sunset at Haleakala
The nice part about seeing sunset at Haleakala is that ANY SPOT is perfect. Please keep in mind, the flora up here is very fragile and unique- do not make your own paths. We sat with everyone else on the side of the road watching sunset off into the distance. It was perfect. Suggestion for photos- the best lighting is about 20-30 minutes BEFORE the technical sunset time. Shoot then! We had a nice Jersey Mikes sandwich at the top of Haleakala which tasted SO GOOD.
Outfits/ Gear for Sunset at Haleakala
Keep in mind, it is MUCH cooler at the summit. It was 79 by the ocean before we went up, and 45 degrees at sunset. No more swim suit and flip flops for the top! Below I listed everything we brought up with us. These are affiliate links, I so appreciate you deciding to purchase anything through them :-).
Was it Worth the Hype?
Most definitely :-). The drive was cool, the plants were unique, the sunset was one of the best I’ve ever seen, sliding sands trail was SO COOL. Definitely make time for it, but don’t feel pressured to go at SUNRISE. I hope I convinced you why!
