Mission1

Sunrise Above the Clouds on Haleakalā

Haleakalā sunrise on Maui. Watch the sun come up over the clouds from 10,000 feet.

Drive up the volcano in the dark and wait at the summit, wrapped in a shared blanket with something hot in a thermos. Watch the sky change color over a sea of clouds, and hold hands at the exact moment the sun breaks the horizon. The photo to get: the two of you as silhouettes against the sunrise, with the clouds below.

Date
Half day
Easy
Under $20
Outdoors
Best in the morning

Check before you go: a reservation, and weather and trail conditions

Haleakalā National Park summit, MauiHaleakalā Hwy, Kula, HI 96790

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Checked October 2026

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About this place

Haleakalā means "House of the Sun." In Hawaiian legend, the demigod Māui climbed up here and lassoed the sun to slow it down, so his mother would have longer days to dry her kapa cloth.

The summit is about 10,000 feet up, and it's often near freezing before dawn, even in summer, so dress in real winter layers. Watch for the rare silversword plant, which grows almost nowhere else on Earth. Sunrise needs a vehicle reservation booked ahead on Recreation.gov, on top of the park entrance fee.

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