Backpacking in Haleakalā National Park

Do you need a backpacking permit to stay overnight in Haleakalā?

Backcountry camping at both Palikū and Holua requires an advanced reservation permit from rec.gov. Reservations open 6 months in advance on a rolling basis. You must carry your permit on you at all times. Overnights are limited to a maximum of two days per site, with maximum trip itinerary of three nights in a 30 day period.

An earlier version of this post reported that there was no nightly fee for a campsite, and only an $8 flat non-refundable reservation fee for the permit itself. This was accurate when we hiked in 2023, but a new fee structure went into effect on Oct 11, 2024. Campsites are now $20/night, inclusive of a non-refundable $10 reservation fee. Bear in mind that even with a camping reservation you will still need to cover the park entrance fee of $30 if you do not have a valid interagency pass.

When securing an online reservation you’ll be prompted for enter your vehicle make, model and license plate number. If you plan to rent a vehicle during your trip to Maui, enter “Rental” into each of these fill boxes and “Hawaii” as the state plate.

Once you receive you rental car, you’ll need to log back in to your rec.gov account, locate your upcoming reservation and click “Modify Order Details.” You can now update your permit with the proper information. Keep in mind that you need do this after you receive your rental car and before you print out your permit, so you will need access to a printer prior to entering Haleakalā National Park. The permit is only one double-sided page; we were able to get ours printed from the hotel front desk but there is also a FedEx in Kahalui that offers printing services.

Three backcountry cabins located within Haleakalā are also available to reserve: one each at Palikū and Holua, and a third site that doesn’t support any camping at Kapalaoa. These cabins sleep up to 12 people and costs $75/nt. Reservations open 6 months in advance and tend to book up immediately.

Where do you park to backcountry camp in Haleakalā?

The most popular backcountry route through Halekalā crater is a point-to-point, meaning that you exit at a different trailhead than you begin. Park your vehicle at the Halemau’u Trailhead and then use the “Hiker Pick Up” to hitch a ride up to the summit to begin the hike via the Sliding Sands (Keonehe’ehe’e) Trail. Hitchhiking within Haleakalā is not only legal, it is the method that park rangers recommend. Rangers even inform visitors about the “hiker pick up” area and encourage other visitors to give hikers a lift if they have room. It’s an unregulated but sanctioned act.

Across the road from Halemau’u Trailhead is a short, clearly visible trail that takes you to a pull-off on the side of Haleakalā Highway. This pull-off is well marked with signage along the road and also appears on the official map distributed at the park entrance. Stick out your thumb the old fashioned way and wait for someone to pull over. Your best chances of getting a ride to the summit are in the morning, when both visitors and employees at the observatory are heading up the volcano.

The drive between the two trailheads is approximately 6 miles and takes roughly 15 minutes. There is no public transportation within the park. There is also no cell phone reception, so using a ride-share service upon completion of the trip will be unreliable, even if you do manage to use one to bring to you to the start of the trailhead. Plan ahead and make sure you have way off the crater if you are not using a personal or rental vehicle.

Where do you find camp stove fuel on the island of Maui?

Fuel canisters for Jetboils and camping stoves are not allowed in carry-on or checked luggage so must be purchased on the island after arrival. Adventure Sports Maui in Kahului carries a range of different size canisters and is conveniently located right on Hana Hwy.

What to Expect when Camping inside Haleakalā

Elevation. The trailhead at the summit starts at 9,740ft in elevation, an altitude where the air is thinner and oxygen is noticeably lower than at sea level. Expect to take more breaks and drink more water than you would at a lower elevation. Fortunately, both campsites are at located between 6500 and 7000 ft in elevation, meaning that you are able to limit your time at the highest elevation to the very start of your trip and will immediately start descending. If you struggle with altitude sickness, we strongly recommend that you give yourself time to acclimatize by stopping at the various turn-offs, overlooks, and side trails on the drive up Haleakalā Hwy.

Limited Water. There are no natural springs inside the crater. Instead, each campsite has a spigot connected to cistern that fills with rainwater and run-off. Because the availability of water is dependent upon season rainfall, there is a chance that there will be no water in the cistern during periods of drought. In the event that the campsites are dry, you’ll receive an email from the rangers at the park alerting you to the possibility so that you can be prepared to carry in the water that you need.

Unpredictable Weather. The weather inside the crater can differ dramatically from the conditions at sea level. Conditions can even vary from one end of the crater to the other within the different microclimates. The longer your backpacking trip, the most likely you are to encounter variable conditions so pack accordingly. You may experience hot, cold, and wet conditions all in the span of 24 hrs.

Silence. There are spots in the crater interior where you can hear no wind, no airplanes, and no traffic. It’s been nicknamed “the quietest place on Earth” and certainly lives up to its reputation. Hearing nothing is such an unusual experience that it can feel uncomfortable while also being profoundly invigorating. In fact research shows that listening for silence can increase neural networking within the brain. You’ll want to stop from time to time along the trail to listen to meditative air, silencing even your footsteps.

Where to Camp in Haleakalā

There are two backcountry areas that stay overnight inside Haleakalā crater: Palikū and Hōlua. Both campgrounds have numbered sites for up to four people, as well as one group site. They also have a pit-toilet and a seasonal non-potable water spigot connected to a cistern.

The best way to experience the diversity of Haleakalā is to camp for two nights – one at each of the campgrounds. However, if you have to choose between one night at either Palikū vs Hōlua, there are some key differences between the two that can help guide your decision. No matter which campsite you choose, you’ll be to experience the stunning scenery and quiet solitude inside the crater.

Camping at Palikū

The campground at Palikū is located 9.7 miles from the Keonehe’ehe’e Trailhead. The Hawaiian word palikū in this instance translates to “vertical cliff,” and the campsite is situated in a lush valley at the eastern edge of the crater the base of a rainforest covered cliff.

Highlights of Palikū Campground

• Exceptional views of the volcano’s rainforest cliffs
• Songs of birds found only within this unique environment
• Proximity to Kaupo Gap allows for additional exploration
• The trail to Palikū covers a range of geologic and ecologic sites

Challenges of Camping at Palikū

• More likely be wet, damp and/or rainy when other parts of the park are dry
• The hike from Palikū to the trailhead is significantly longer than the hike out from Hōlua
• Less likely to see the sunrise from camp due to location behind the cliffs and the mist

The cloud cover and rain coming up from Kaupo Gap provide the area with the moisture needed to sustain the tropical forest ecology. That can also mean less than ideal weather, obscuring some of the best view in low hanging clouds.

Camping at Hōlua

Hōlua campground is located at the base of the Leleiwi Pali, and overlooks the lava fields and grassy valley of Ko’olau Gap. It’s the closest backcountry camping location from any trailhead: only 3.9 miles from Halemau’u trailhead and 7.4 miles from Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) trailhead at the summit Visitor Center.

Highlights of Hōlua Campground

• Spectacular sunrises overlooking Ko’olau Gap
• Quick access to the Halemau’u trailhead and shorter hike out

Challenges of Hōlua Campground

• There is absolutely no shade
• Some of the campsites are located close to each other, reducing the feelings of privacy
• Water is not always available

Planning a Backpacking Trip inside Haleakalā Crater

We recommend the backpacking route through Haleakalā that begins at the Summit Visitor Center, spans the entire length of the Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) trail to Palikū, then returns via the entire length of Halemau’u Trail, passing through Hōlua, before existing to the crater rim. This 20 mile point-to-point route has total of 4387 ft elevation loss, mostly on the first day hiking into Palikū, and a 2526 ft elevation gain, almost split between the hike to Hōlua and the trailhead. This is the preferred route for itineraries that include overnights just at Palikū as well as those that include the first night(s) at Palikū and subsequents night(s) at Hōlua.

If you are only camping at Hōlua, we would still recommend starting from Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) trailhead at the summit Visitor Center and then taking the left fork in the first (and only) clearly marked intersection at the floor of the crater valley. This connects with the Halemau’u Trail and forms the popular 11 mile Sliding Slides – Halemau’u Loop hike. You could alternatively do and out-and-back hike down the Halemau’u switchbacks, for a total of 7.8 miles. This bypasses some iconic views of the cinder cones and volcanic lava landscape, but eliminates the need to shuttle or hitchhike up the trailhead at the summit to start.

We wouldn’t recommend hiking up the Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) Trailhead unless you truly love trudging uphill, for miles, in the sand and know you have the stamina and endurance to do this safely.

What to Pack

• Warm layers. Temperatures at the summit can be cold, and evening temperatures can be significantly colder than in the heat of the day.
• Rain gear. A rain and wind resistant outer layer is essential to buffer against unpredictable weather and low clouds.
• Hiking shoes. It’s possible to backpacking throughout Haleakalā National Park in running shoes, but given the abundance of rocky, uneven surfaces a shoe with sturdy, thick sole is recommended.
• Water filter. There is no potable water anywhere within Haleakalā crater. All water from the cisterns must be filtered before drinking.
• Water bladder. Carrying extra water is essential when the cisterns are low or dry, but also come in handy when they are full. It’s difficult, not to mention wasteful, to try to filter water directly from the running spigot. We each carried an extra 4L Hydrapak, filling it with ‘dirty’ water and then filtering directly into our usual water containers.
• Camp fuel. You can’t pack fuel on the plane to Maui, so don’t forget to buy some after you arrive and before your trip.
• Food. To optimize nutrition while reducing weight and clean-up, we prefer to carry freeze-dried meals on our backpacking adventures that can be rehydrated with the addition of boiling water. Many ready-made backpacking meals are heavy on the sodium, so we prefer to make our own light weight backpacking meals using easily obtainable ingredients.
• Sand gaiters. The volcanic sands of Haleakalā’s cinder cones are beautiful to look at but a pain to walk on. Keep your shoes sand free with a pair of gaiters. My sand gaiters aren’t anything special, but they stay in place and keep out the sand.
• Map. There is no cell service inside the crater. While the trails are generally well marked, having a map is not only a good habit to have in terms of emergency preparedness, it can also enhance your trip by providing information about the various landmarks and geologic features you’ll see along the way.

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Looking for trip reports about backpacking in Haleakalā National Park? Read trip reports from each leg of our November 2023 adventure.

In order to see the entire region, we chose to do a point-to-point, hiking in from one trailhead and exiting via another. Our route would take us from the Summit to Palikū via the Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands) Trail, then from Palikū to Hōlua via Halemau’u Trail, before exiting the crater at the Halemau’u’ Trailhead.

• Day 1: Hiking the Sliding Sands Trail to Palikū
• Day 2: Exploring Palikū and Kaupo Gap
• Day 3: Hiking the Halemau’u Trail from Palikū to Holua
• Day 4: Hiking the Halemau’u Switchbacks