Haleakalā Volcano Trail, Maui HI
• 5-star hike
• 5 mile out-and-back
• Moderate | Gain 1,760 feet (Peak 9,900 feet)
• Maui, HI | Hawaii
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Cinder cones in Haleakalā's expansive caldera at 10,000 feet.
Explore cinder cones and lava flows in the desolate basin of Maui's Haleakalā, possibly the largest dormant volcano on the planet.
Ascending and looping up the mountain, the road to Haleakalā National Park is equally spectacular, climbing through the clouds to the summit. Watch out for tour groups of cyclists on this road who freewheel down the mountain. These popular tours begin in the early hours of the morning so they can witness the sunrise over the island from the summit before they begin their two-wheeled kamikaze return back down the volcano.
⬤ 5★ Sliding Sands
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX? |
Formed by erosion rather than volcanic activity, the valley at the summit of Haleakala boasts much to marvel at, and the packed cinder and soil underfoot makes for a relatively easy hike. Here you'll find the silversword, an endangered plant found nowhere else on Earth with an alien appearance that compounds the other-worldly appearance of this remote location.
A fee is required to enter Haleakalā National Park. However, since the visitors permit is valid for several days and the park stretches all the way to Oheo Gulch by the ocean, you can follow up this hike with a trip to the Pipiwai Waterfalls Trail on the same pass.
Beginning the Sliding Sands hike, with the 10,023 ft peak above.
Astronomical Observatories are a common sight on Hawaii's peaks.
Tangents:
• Offical: Haleakalā National Park
• Public Map at AllTrails: Sliding Sands Trail
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