8 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
I'm a little bit behind on this trip report. I was on vacation in Maui and planned to do a few hikes while I was there. We woke up at 3a to drive from Makena to Haleakala NP to watch the sunrise. It was fabulous, but very much overcrowded with unprepared tourists who didn't get the memo that the top of the park is at 10K and the wind gusts up to 50mph. It was cold and windy! We came prepared with long pants, wool socks and hiking shoes, lots of top layers, a rain shell and a hat. Others were wrapped up in hotel towels and comforters...yeah.
After the sunrise, we ate breakfast in the car and went to the visitor center to speak with a park ranger about hiking options for the day. The first question was, "How much water do you have?". There are no places to get water in the visitor center, so we made sure to bring 3L with us. Based on our water count, she recommended two trails. Sliding Sands and Halemauu. We chose Halemauu because it seemed more interesting.
We drove down the road to about 8000' and parked the car at the trailhead. The trail meanders down about a mile and a half to a rocky outcropping where you can see into the crater area and if we weren't above the clouds, on a clear day, you could probably see down to Kihei.
Once you get past the rocky outcropping, the trail turns into a series of switchbacks that have you doubting how long it is going to take to get down to the bottom of the hill!!! We ran into very few people, but did come across three local guys who had camped at the campsite near the Holua Cabin. Once you hit the bottom of the crater area, it's a straight mile from there to the Holua Cabin and the campsites near it. You can rent out the cabin for $60/night if you are lucky enough to get a permit! There are also primitive campsites just on the other side of the hill.
We stopped at the cabin where there were two more guys who had camped there for two nights. They were getting ready to leave when we arrived and we stopped for lunch before heading back up the hill.
It was very hot in the crater and we made good time getting back up the hill. Probably because we were not stopping to take pictures! All in all, I think it took about 5 hours total, including all the stops and our lunch break. It was beautiful and the pictures I have do not even remotely do it justice!
Comments
Barnaby B.
June 1, 2012
WOW!!! I've been planning to go to Haleakala. Thank you so much for this writeup. Now I'm even more motivated to book a ticket. I heard it was a bit like a desert, but thanks for the heads up about the water situation. Sounds like 2 Nalgenes and 1 camelback should allow me to do an overnight stay plus a great hike.
RenegadePilgrim
July 17, 2012
I would carry as much water as you can if you are going to overnight...there is water at Holua cabin, but it's for cooking only if I remember correctly.
Roman
April 7, 2012
My parents hiked on this same trail a couple of months back - a stunning place!