As a self proclaimed “National Park Geek,” I will go out of my way to visit a National Park, but even if you’re not a National Park bucket lister, you NEED to visit the summit of Haleakala National Park. 

The most popular times to visit Haleakala are for sunrise or sunset, but it’s beautiful all day long!

You can see a lot just from the main overlooks or plan to set aside a few hours to do a little hiking (but remember the altitude is 10K feet so any hiking you do DOWN into the crater will feel like a lot more coming back UP). 

If you set your GPS to “Haleakala National Park” that will show you the drive time to the park entrance gate. From there it’s another 10 miles (30 minute drive) up to the summit. 

The road is very curvy, but it’s completely fine to drive yourself. 

Entering the park during sunrise hours (3AM to 7AM) requires reservations. 

I prefer going for sunset. It’s a lot warmer and you don’t need reservations. But you do need to plan to be up at the summit well before actual sunset to get a spot. Follow the National Park Service for recommendations about arrival times during the busy season. 

Sunrise is best viewed from the visitor center parking lot. Most people prefer to view sunset from the summit (about half a mile up the road). There’s a smaller parking lot at the summit, but it’s not too far to walk from the visitor center lot if it’s full. 

There are some pretty epic hiking trails at the summit (Sliding Sands especially), but you don’t need to hike to experience the park, see into the crater, etc.