The summit at Haleakalā on Maui in Hawaii takes you 10,023 feet up in the sky.

You are above the clouds! It’s peaceful and exhilarating all at the same time. 

{How to get here} 

Option 1: Tour group 

This option can be great for those who aren’t a fan of driving alongside cliffs and through clouds.

It’s a challenging drive. But a tour will cost you quite a lot more. It’s also going to likely take much longer.

The most popular times to visit the summit are sunrise and sunset. But keep in mind what time you will need to be awake if you choose to do sunrise with a tour group. 

Option 2: Rent a car 

This is what we did, and I’m thankful. We were on our own time. We could stop when we wanted to at the lookouts on the way to the summit.

We also decided to leave the summit right as the sun went down {but before everyone else packed up} so we beat a lot of that traffic coming down.

It gets busy though. So keep in mind if you’re not at the top in time you won’t find a place to park at the summit {park rangers block its entrance} and you will need to hike 1 mile to get to the summit. But that second lot also fills up. Aim to arrive at the summit at least 1.5 hours before sunset or sunrise in order to guarantee a parking spot. 

Hikes at the summit

There are so many hikes to do on your way to the summit. You can opt to go for longer hikes if you have the time but there are plenty of shorter options that still give you incredible views.