Maui has some of the most gorgeous and unique places to visit on earth. From gorgeous mountain tops to waterfalls to beautiful tropical gardens. Your trip to the island of Maui would not be complete without taking the time to visit Haleakala National Park.   If you love to hike or to see spectacular scenery, then Haleakala National Park is the place for you. 

The Haleakala National Park consists of 20,058 acres extending from the summit to the Kipalulu Valley on the Hana coast. World renowned for the views and dramatic sunsets, you can easily find tours to the Haleakala summit or you can the 2 hour drive yourself. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, you will pay a $10 entrance fee for a 3 day pass to the park.

To get to Haleakala National Park, take Hwy 37 to 377. Turn east at highway 378 to begin the ascent up the steep mountain side. Make your way up the winding roads and switchbacks to the visitor center located at 7,000 feet and you will think you have left Hawaii and gone to the Northwest tundra sections of Canada or Alaska. Be sure to bring warm clothes for this trek however since the visitor center has an average high temperature of 59 degrees in winter and a high of 66 degrees in summer.

Be sure to stop at the Leleiwi Lookout on your way to the top to get an excellent view of the Haleakala crater.  The summit lies at 10,023 feet and the view from the top on a clear day is spectacular.  Before you make the drive to the top, you may want to check the weather conditions as it is frequently cloudy or could be very windy there.