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Mount Haleakala and Upcountry Maui
Ten thousand foot Mount Haleakala, means in Hawaiian, "House of the Sun", and no visit to Maui can be ever really be complete without visiting the summit of the mountain, the Haleakala National Park and its beautiful upcountry regions.
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The 27,000-acre park centers around the world's largest dormant crater, which is 7 miles long by 3 miles across. You can reach the crater rim with a 37-mile drive from the coast, to watch the incredible beauty of the pacific sunrise. As the brilliant stars fade and the sky turns a deep blue, the clouds below you will lighten first, with streaks of pink before the full colors of orange and the reds floods through. Mind you, this is nature at work and the show is not guaranteed every day and also at 10,000 feet at dawn it will be cold, jackets and warm clothing are a must.
Below the rim, on the crater floor there are miles of hiking trails, in fact so lunar like is the landscape that the US astronauts trained here before going to the moon. By prior arrangement the Park Rangers lead 2 hour guided hiking tours of the crater floor and there are also cultural and natural history talks.
Between the visitor center at the rim and the Park Headquarters at the 7,000-foot level, is Leleiwi Lookout and on some afternoons it is possible to see the rare Brocken optical phenomena when the sun magnifies and projects your shadow image, which is surrounded by a circular rainbow, onto the clouds below you.
The rare and protected Silversword is found, only in Hawaii and grows on the slopes of the mountain, this unique plant only flowers once in its life. It can remain flowerless for up to 25 years but in its final summer, it produces a flowering stalk, up to 8 feet high, which is covered with hundreds of yellow and maroon flowers, by the autumn it will have died.
For more information contact Hawaiian Holidays.
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| Haleakala National Park, Maui |
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If you really want a thrill you can take a tour to the summit and freewheel by bicycle down the 25 mile winding road through the clouds and the beautiful countryside.
Before journeying to the summit and the park it is essential to check weather conditions and seek qualified advice before setting out. No food is sold in the park.
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