Haleakalā sunrise: times, reservations and the view
Watching the Haleakalā sunrise from the summit of Maui’s volcano takes a reservation, a 3 am start and warm clothes. Pick a date to see the sunrise time from the summit and the days its reservations open, then where the sun comes up across the crater.
Sunrise and reservations for a date
Example valuesTurn on JavaScript for the sunrise time: between 5:36 and 6:57 am through the year.
Reservations are sold only online, at Recreation.gov: the park can’t make them by phone or in person. Choose the 3:00 AM – 7:00 AM option.
Bring ID, the confirmation email and your park pass, or a way to buy one.
Where the sun comes up
Example valuesTurn on JavaScript to use the planner.
Opens in Google Maps, facing the crater. Nothing loads from Google until you click.
Open the live view Imagery © GoogleHow Haleakalā sunrise reservations work
- Required: to watch the sunrise from the summit you need a reservation to enter the park between 3:00 and 7:00 am, the National Park Service says.
- When they open: up to 60 days ahead, at 7:00 am Hawaii time, with a second, smaller batch for each day released 2 days (48 hours) ahead. The tool above gives both dates for your visit.
- Price: $1.00 per reservation, plus the park entrance fee: $30 for a private car, valid for three days.
- Limits: one sunrise reservation per three-day period; it is valid only for the day reserved and isn’t refunded or exchanged because of weather.
- At the gate: the reservation holder shows a valid ID, the confirmation email and a park pass, or buys one.
What to expect at the summit
The summit of Haleakalā is 10,023 feet up, and the park says it is about 30 °F colder than the coast; just before dawn the weather is regularly wet, windy and below freezing. Dress for winter, whatever the month. There is no food, clothing or gas for sale in the park, and the road up has no streetlights or guard rails. It takes about 30 minutes to drive from the entrance gate to the summit, parking is only in the marked lots, and they close when full.
For a quieter sunrise, the park suggests the Leleiwi or Kalahaku overlooks, below the summit. Haleakalā is sacred to Native Hawaiians: if you see people practicing cultural traditions, give them room and don’t disturb them.
Sunrise or sunset?
From the visitor center you face east across the crater, so at sunrise the sun comes up in front of you, over the far rim: the sky and clouds glow and the crater stays in silhouette until the light reaches it. At sunset the sun is behind you and lights the crater itself. The planner above shows both, for any day.
Planning a whole Maui trip? See Maui whale season and the weather on Maui by month.
Questions
Do you need a reservation for Haleakalā sunrise?
Yes. The National Park Service requires a sunrise reservation, made on Recreation.gov, to enter the park between 3:00 and 7:00 am. It costs $1, on top of the park entrance fee, and is valid only for the day reserved.
When do Haleakalā sunrise reservations open?
Up to 60 days ahead, at 7:00 am Hawaii time, and a smaller batch for each day is released 2 days (48 hours) ahead. You can buy one sunrise reservation per three-day period.
What time is sunrise at Haleakalā?
From about 5:36 am in early June to about 6:57 am in early January, worked out for the summit, where the sea horizon sits lower than at the coast. The sky starts to brighten 15 to 17 minutes before sunrise, when the sun is 6° below the horizon.
How cold is Haleakalā at sunrise?
Cold: the park says the weather just before dawn is regularly wet, windy and below freezing, and the 10,023-foot summit is about 30 °F cooler than the coast. Summit temperatures range from below freezing to highs of 50–65 °F through the year.
What if it’s cloudy?
Reservations aren’t refunded or exchanged because of weather, the park says. The park links a summit webcam and the National Weather Service forecast for the summit on its weather page.