We were picked up by our shuttle driver at our hotel at 8am and taken to the park and ride where we met our guide, Sean, and the rest of the group. From there, Sean drove us to the Summit building at the peak of Haleakala to take some photos of the Observatory before heading down to the Haleakala Visitors Center. From there, we headed down the Shifting Sands trail about 1.5 miles into the crater. After we hiked back up and out of the crater, Sean drove us to a parking lot at the start of the Halemauu Trail and we made our way to the Rainbow Bridge, with great views into the crater on one side and the clouds at the base of the mountain on the other. Sean provided snacks and sandwiches before we trekked back up to the van and headed out.
Fortunately, we had amazing weather for the hike, with few clouds and great visibility. We were able to take some great photos and video on the tour. The peak is over 10,000 feet and there are almost no plants or animals at the crater, which is the quietest natural place on earth! The Rainbow Bridge lived up to its name, we could look down at the clouds surrounding Haleakala and saw several rainbows in the distance. If you want to take some incredible selfies in Maui, this is where you want to go!
It was a great experience made even better by our guide, Sean, who moved to Maui from Wisconsin and fell in love with the people and culture of Hawaii. He kept the tour entertaining and informative and taught us fun facts about the Hawaiian language and history of Maui. Even our shuttle driver Neil went out of his way to take us to a whale watching spot when he realized we had extra time on the way there. Highly recommended!
TIPS: Be aware that this is a challenging hike and not for everyone. My husband and I are in decent shape and the hike out of the crater was harder than we expected, you need the right clothes and shoes for hiking! The elevation means the air is thin and cold and the sun is intense. Wear layers, bring sunscreen, and drink lots of water. The tour provides coats, backpacks, water and snacks. There are bathrooms at the visitors center where you can clean up and change clothes. You will get dirty! The trail is dusty and there’s always a chance of rain. Don’t forget to tip your guide and driver!
Відповідь від хоста
Dec 2018
Aloha SMonica310,
Thanks so much for your detailed, and very complimentary review of your Haleakala Crater Hike with Sean! So happy you had such a great time with cooperative weather. Your comments and advice will be also be appreciated by people looking to do this hike with us in the future. We hope you'll join us again on your next trip to Maui.
Mahalo,
Heidi Pool
General Manager
Hike Maui