Haleakala Crater - Kalahaku Overlook

While visiting the Hawaiian islands on our honeymoon we spent part of our time exploring Maui’s resorts, shops and beaches. But our visits to the natural settings, such as Haleakala National Park, were the ones we remember most. Haleakala, aside from being fun to pronounce, was breathtaking and like stepping back in time, or walking on the moon. The top is very quiet, vast and barren, looking into the dormant volcano crater. It made us feel quite small – and even cold. The elevation at the summit is over 10,000 feet, meaning that you can experience temps in the 30′s at the top – so pack a sweatshirt to go with that bathing suit, which would be more advisable in the coastal region where things get steamy, wet and lush. A third option allows you to travel down into the wilderness of the mountain, revealing its unpredictable beauty. Quick and easy or slow and leisurely, you can get away from the present and step into the past.

Famous for:

The view. Sunrise bike rides down from the summit. Sunset hikes and guided star gazing at night. Sitting on top of clouds, gazing across to other islands, rain forest greens and desert reds, not to mention clear ocean blues. Forgetting your binoculars and camera while visiting Haleakala National Park would be regrettable.

Admission:

$10 per car, $5 per motorcycle or $3 per person (free under 16) via foot or bike or motorcycle passenger. Day pass is actually good for 3 days.

Families with young kids will like:

Discovering endangered and unusual plants like the silverswords.

Families with teenagers will like:

Testing out the freshwater “Seven Sacred Pools” in Kipahulu at the coast.

Other travelers will like:

Taking a horseback ride into the dormant crater (private tour companies).

Easy site seeing:

Driving to the summit or meandering on the Road to Hana to the Kipahulu coastal region.

Best hotel in the park:

None inside the park. Hotel Hana is about 10 miles from the Kipahulu section. Resort hotels in Wailea are about 20 miles away from the summit and plenty of other lodging is nearby.

Best campground in the park:

Kipahulu Campground provides drive-up accessibility, basic camping facilities, ocean waves to lull you to sleep and close access to provisions in Hana or swimming at the freshwater pools.

Lodging experiences:

Hike in with your pack to bare bones, wilderness camping or reserved cabins down the mountain at Holua (closest hike) and Paliku (difficult hike to rain forest edge). Hike to reserved cabins at Kapalaoa farther down the mountain wilderness. Auto accessible campsites at Hosmer Grove (chilly) near the summit and Kipahulu Campsite on the ocean off the Road to Hana (BYO H2O).

Best months to visit for weather:

Any time.

Best months to visit to avoid crowds:

April, May, September, October

Nearest major cities:

Pukalani

More info from the National Park Service:

http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm

Related posts:

Seven Sacred Pools
Road to Hana Tip Sites

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

Photo credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog

Beauty Along the Road

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

Now that I’ve spilled the beans on Maui’s Seven Sacred Pools, I should probably explain one of the most talked-about Maui attractions, which is the road you’ll take to get there: The Road to Hana.

Love it or hate it, it’s a memorable drive. Recently Maui reopened the more user-friendly freeway of the island (it suffered terrible damage during an earthquake and was shut down for far too long). However, the Road to Hana is a sight to behold and–provided you are not prone to car-sickness–makes for a great excursion.

When we braved the drive in a rental car–because what else would we be driving in Maui–my husband was designated the driver, our most-likely-to-lose-his-lunch friend got the other front seat, and my girlfriend and I were stuck in the back. Was it a long drive? Yes. Did it make our friend sitting shotgun want to puke? Yes. But did we have fun?

I think it depends on who you ask.

One thing we all agreed on: It was beautiful. Some of the most beautiful waterfalls and shores and jungles I’ve ever seen.

So, if you think you’d like to brave the road next time you’re on Maui, check out the five best tip lists for driving the Road to Hana before you do.

The Winding Road to Hana

1. Paradise-Found-in-Maui.com’s fabulous Road to Hana tip list.

2. What Maui’s rental car folks at AlohaRents.com want you to know about the drive, given you might be in one of their cars.

3. A tip list from the people at MauiInformationGuide.com, along with a great list of landmarks along the way.

4. A list with tons of user feedback from the award-winning site GoVisitHawaii.com.

5. Last but not least, tips and landmark notes from Hawaiilogue.com.

Photos by Tamara Rice and Wiedz (Flickr.com)

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

Inside Maui’s Haleakala National Park is a beautiful treasure known as the Seven Sacred Pools. Referring to the area as seven pools may not be quite accurate, as there are more than that, but the allure of the “sacred” has been hooking tourists since Maui began promoting it as such in the 1940s. Technically, the lush area is the Ohe’o Gulch along the Kipahulu coastal area of the park.

After traveling the gorgeous and winding Road to Hana to get there (an adventure which I’ll chronicle in a later blog post), paying a small parking fee to enter the park, and gratefully enjoying their restrooms–which were remarkably clean, considering–we were happy to feel a warm ocean breeze on our faces as we headed down the marked Pipiwai Trail.

The Trail to the Pools

Hikers on the Pipiwai Trail to the pools are privy to a variety of Hawaii’s most beautiful plants and trees, including an enormous Banyan tree, until finally the path opens up to the gulch, where various levels of rock create waterfalls and pools as water weaves its way to the ocean.

Maui's Seven Sacred Pools

It’s loud (these are waterfalls, after all) and it can be quite cold (we’re talking about rocks), but we climbed down for the best view and waded in the pools all the same, enjoying the enchanting surroundings of nature.

In years past, tourists–even some friends of mine–have been allowed to jump from the various falls. However, the Haleakala National Park rangers have put a stop to it for safety reasons (i.e., sharp rocks and shallow water equal bad accidents). So, don’t get any ideas.

While it wasn’t exactly sacred–don’t let these cleverly shot pictures fool you, there were people everywhere–it’s truly one of the most beautiful sites in all of Maui.

We drove. We hiked. We saw. And it was worth the effort.

Photos by Nathan Rice