Is Haleakalā National Park Worth Visiting? Our Honest Take

One of the goals Krissy and I have had since 2020 is to visit all 63 American National Parks. When we go full time, this goal will actually help us plan some of our travels. Most of the National Parks can be reached during our future RV travels around the mainland United States.

The National Parks in Hawaii? Obviously, Lucky isn't getting us to those.

So when we went to Hawaii for our anniversary, visiting the National Parks was a must. One of those was Haleakalā National Park on Maui, our 28th National Park.

And while I'm very glad we visited Haleakalā, it definitely wasn't one of our favorite National Parks.

What Is Haleakalā National Park Like?

Haleakalā means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian. The massive volcano rises more than 10,000 feet above sea level and dominates a huge part of Maui.

Driving to the Haleakalā summit is an experience by itself. The road winds higher and higher until you eventually find yourself above the clouds. When the clouds cooperate, there are incredible views across Maui and out toward the ocean.

But what surprised me most was the landscape at the top.

It is surreal.

I would compare it to photos I have seen of Mars, except Mars apparently decided it needed some landscaping. One of the coolest things we saw was the Haleakalā silversword, a plant that looks almost metallic when the sunlight hits it.

From the summit area, you can look down into the enormous crater-like landscape and see smaller volcanic cones scattered throughout it. There are several overlooks and pull-offs along the road, giving you slightly different views as you make your way through the park.

The visitor center near the summit is small, but the people there were nice and helpful.

Do You Need to See Sunrise or Sunset at Haleakalā?

One of the most popular things to do at Haleakalā National Park is watch the sunrise or sunset from the summit.

We did neither.

Due to our schedule, we visited during the day. Would sunrise or sunset have changed our experience? Maybe. The photos certainly look beautiful.

But I'm also glad we experienced the park the way we did because we had plenty of daylight to actually see the strange volcanic landscape around us.

How Much Time Do You Need at Haleakalā National Park?

For us, one day was plenty.

It took us about two hours to make our way up the mountain while stopping and slowing down to enjoy the views. You could absolutely spend more time hiking and exploring the park, but for the way we wanted to experience Haleakalā, we were happy with the amount of time we had.

And this is where our opinion might be a little different from other Haleakalā National Park reviews.

We are very happy we went.

We are also very happy we only planned one day.

Is Haleakalā National Park Worth Visiting?

Yes.

But it still didn't rank very high on our personal list of National Parks.

It was extremely different from anything else we have ever seen, and that alone made Haleakalā worth visiting. But after visiting so many National Parks, we have learned what kinds of places we personally love most.

There was very little wildlife during our visit other than the swarming chickens, which always brings a park down on Krissy's list.

For me, Haleakalā was beautiful but didn't have as much variety as some of the parks I love most. Much of the experience was different versions of the same volcanic landscape.

Gorgeous? Absolutely.

Interesting? Definitely.

Something I need to experience again? Probably not.

Possibly the most entertaining part of the entire drive was watching crazy people bike and skateboard down the mountain. I have questions about these people's desire to remain alive, but to each their own.

Haleakalā vs. the Road to Hana

What made our experience even more interesting was what we did the next day.

We drove the Road to Hana and visited Waiʻānapanapa State Park and its famous black sand beach. Suddenly we were surrounded by lush green forest and water—the exact things we had been missing at Haleakalā.

The contrast was incredible.

We were actually surprised that some of these areas weren't part of a National Park because the scenery was so beautiful and so completely different from the volcanic landscape we had experienced the day before.

It also helped us realize something about how we judge National Parks.

The More National Parks We Visit, the Harder They Are to Rank

The more National Parks we see, the harder they are to compare.

How do you compare a volcanic landscape that looks like Mars to mountains, forests, waterfalls, deserts, oceans, or wildlife?

You really can't.

Every park is protecting something different, and all of them are awe-inspiring in their own ways.

Not every National Park is going to become one of our favorites. That doesn't mean we regret going.

Haleakalā is probably the perfect example.

I'm so glad I got to stand above the clouds, see the strange volcanic landscape and silverswords, and experience a place unlike anywhere else we've been.