Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ticularly informative. A 20-minute ranger talk takes place daily at 9:30am, 10:30am, and
11:30am at the summit observation center above the visitors center, and various ranger-led
hikes are also given (Tues. and Fri. 9am for a two-mile hike on Sliding Sands Trail). By
10am, there will be lots of people at the top, so enjoy the time between when the bikers
leave and the buses arrive.
Bikes going down the mountain travel about 20-25 miles per hour, sometimes faster. If
you're caught behind a string of bikes on your way down, just slow up and wait for them to
pull over and let you pass. On your way down, shift into a low gear to control your speed
to prevent riding the brakes.
Summit Observation Building
At the road's end is
Pu'u 'Ula'ula
(Red Hill), the highest point on Maui at 10,023 feet
where a glass-sided observation area is open 24 hours. From here, you have more expans-
ive vistas than from the visitors center below, but the view into the crater isn't quite as
good. This is where many people come to see the sunset. To add some perspective to size
and distance, it's 100 miles from the top of Haleakala to the volcanic peak of Mauna Loa
on the Big Island to the southeast.
Behind you on the slope below is
Maui Space Surveillance Complex
(
www.ifa.hawaii.edu/haleakala
)
, aka Science City, a research facility with telescopes used
by the University of Hawai'i, a satellite tracking station that's staffed by the U.S. Air
Force, and the largest telescope controlled by the Department of Defense. As you might
expect, this complex is officially closed to the public.
Camping and Cabins
While watching the sunrise, hiking the crater floor, or looking up at the stars as they come
out are great introductions to the crater, spending a night in the backcountry is the absolute
best way to commune with nature on this mountain. The most accessible campground is
the one at
Hosmer's Grove
where you don't even need a permit. There are only tent sites
and no open fires are allowed, but there is a pit toilet, running water, and you can drive
right up to the campsite. At an elevation of 6,800 feet, the nights can still get chilly (and
can drop close to freezing in the winter), but the camping area is largely protected from
the wind. This is a great place to camp if you're looking to make an early assault to see
the sunrise, are planning to hike into the crater basin from here (a 2.3-mile supply trail
connects the campground with the Halemau'u trailhead), or want to sleep among the euca-
lyptus for the evening.
