Haleakalā National Park · Hawaii

HALEMAUU TRAIL

8.8 mi of trail, end to end · Moderate Hike to the Crater Edge: 2.2 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 2,400 ft of climbing · 6,606 ft–7,985 ft · native surface · trail class Developed · hiking, horse

7,149 ft 7,760 ft · 3.9 mi high 7,760 ft

Trailhead Halemauu Trailhead 7,980 ft Drive there

Moderate Hike to the Crater Edge 2.2 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

1-2 Hours · no dogs · season Temperatures generally start off cool in the morning and warm up in the afternoon all year. Winter is the rainy season in Hawaiʻi, and there may be an increased chance for fog or storms in the afternoon, no matter the season.

Start Halemau'u Trailhead

a rocky trail follows a ridgeline surrounded by shrubs.
Even a short hike can reveal new sites and sounds of the park's wilderness. Photo: NPS Photo

Hike to an overlook of both the Haleakalā crater and the Koʻolau Gap along the ridge of an erosional valley. Halemauʻu Trail makes its way through native shrubland to the edge of the crater and several specatular scenci viewpoints along the way. At 1.1 miles (1.8 km) the ridge drops away on both sides for an impressive overlook into a lush valley and the volcanic crater. Turn around here for a 2.2 mile (3.6 km) roundtrip hike. The rocky trail is not extremely steep up to this point, but hikers should be careful of loose or slick rocks.

On your way out there, be on the lookout for the endemic forest birds that frequent this native shrubland. For birding enthusiastists, the Bird Brochure helps identify some of the most common birds you might see on this hike.

While birds can come and go, you'll probably have excellent luck in finding some of the native plant species. Common shrubs like the ʻōhelo, pilo, and māmane line the first mile of this trail. For a complete guide, check out our Plant Brochure .

The trail continues beyond the overlook and quickly loses elevation over a series of switchbacks that bring hikers to the crater floor. If undertaking a longer hike beyond this first mile of the trail, be sure to have snacks, water, rain gear, and sun protection. The return hike from the crater floor is strenuous and gains 1400 feet (430 m) of elevation in a few miles.

Pets Pets are not allowed on the trails or in the Wilderness Area.

Accessibility Due to the rocky, sometimes steep nature of this trail, it is unfortunately not accessible to wheelchairs. This trail enters remote sections of the parkʻs wilderness, and help may not be readily avialable.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 21 trails in Haleakalā National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.