wonder why they call this the Sliding Sands Trail
local material was used for the construction of the visitor center
watching the amazing view in awe
is this how a dormant volcano looks and smells like?
The
Haleakala dormant shield volcano dominates most of southern Maui.
The last major eruption is thought to have happened in
the 18th century.
The crater is part of the
Haleakala National Park that includes the wet rainforest area around Hana and
the Ohe'o Gulch.
The main feature is the huge and colorful
Haleakala Crater with spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and
cinder cones. There are two easy trails that lead you in and out the crater. Be careful of the height though, at 3000
meter your breath runs out easily. On clear days you can even see the volcanoes of Hawaii island, some 80 km to the southeast.
Access to the summit is via the
Haleakala Highway, starting in Kahului. With its many switchbacks and steep dropoffs this
road is an attraction in itself. Watch out for the
Nene, the indigenous goose.
The clear, dry and thin air attracts many
stargazers. No wonder that the
Haleakala Observatory is located on one of the peaks.
We visited this very
scenic place several times, lastly in August 2003.
from the parking lot it is a small climb to the crater
the crater is located at a height of 3000 meters so you better move slowly
even in these harsh conditions, plants carve out a living
the snow capped volcanoes of the Big Island Hawaii lingers in the distance, 80 km away
we do not plan to spend the night here
a series of cindercones
new life pops up
time to go back. In the distance the Haleakala Observatory
in 2003 we take a helicopter ride to inspect the crater from above