Haleakala National Park Summit Sunrise Reservations

Haleakala National Park is home to Maui's highest peak. Rising 10,023 feet above sea level, Haleakala means "house of the sun" and is where demigod Maui lassoed the sun, slowing its passage so people had more time to dry kapa (cloth) and grow food. The dormant volcano's "crater" is actually a valley carved by erosion. Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala has been a visitor attraction since the late 1800s, when Samuel Clemens wrote: "It was the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think the memory of it will remain with me always." The park's Summit District begins at 7,000 feet of elevation and reaches 10,023 feet. The summit's high elevation, the lack of light and environmental pollution, and dynamic weather patterns make it an ideal and popular place to view the sky. Due to the popularity of sunrise viewing at the summit and limited parking, Haleakala National Park requires reservations for each vehicle entering the park before sunrise, from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.