Haleakala Sunrise Reservations: How to Get It (Plus Maybe We Can Help)

Looking for last minute Haleakala Sunrise Reservations? You need a reservation as of February 2017 to watch the sunrise on the summit of Haleakala. If you book it early and plan ahead, they're easy enough to get an online reservation on the Haleakala National Park website. Keep in mind though that sometimes you have to book them months in advance.

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The reservation fee itself is a measly $1, which you'll book with a credit card. There is also an additional park entrance fee, but it's worth it.

https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/253731/ticket/255

Note: To enter the Summit District of Haleakala National Park between 3am and 7am, the reservation holder must be present and show both the one-day sunrise reservation receipt (for that day) and a photo ID. Note that a reservation is not required if visiting prior to 3am and after 7am. If you want to want enter the park before 3am or after 7am, you can do so without a sunrise reservation; you only need the special permit if you enter the park during that time of day.

Remember: You have to secure a reservation at least two days in advance.

If you don't get the reservation though, you could miss out on a life-changing experience. Watching the sunrise on the Haleakala summit can be one of the most beautiful sights you could witness.

The park opens a handful of reservations online a couple days in advance, but if you're not quick, you won't get it. The few people that do get those reservations usually have them booked within several minutes of when they're released and then they're gone.

Also, if you do get a reservation, leave yourself plenty of time and make sure you leave early enough. Parking spaces still get tight and you'll have to leave a little early if you want a spot in the upper parking lot of the two parking lots. There still is limited parking, despite the reservation system in place.

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Here's a tip: since the sunrise time changes year-round, check on the current sunrise time to make sure you get to the summit for the sunrise hours. And don't just think that they will wave you through without a reservation; they check everyone for a reservation at the entrance station to Haleakala National Park.

It also wouldn't hurt to check the weather conditions on the top of the dormant volcano. You'd be surprised, but it can snow up at the Haleakala summit during the winter time and usually does a couple times a year.

If you're not able to get a reservation, we might be able to help. Fill out the form with accurate information (this is important) and we'll get in touch with you as soon as we can.

Fill out this form to see if we can get last minute Haleakala sunrise reservations for you.

haleakala sunrise reservations official website — The official Haleakala sunrise reservation website gives you info on what you need to get the reservations to Haleakala National Park, but sometimes it's not as helpful as you may like.

Haleakala Sunrise Tips: Things to Bring for Sunrise on Haleakala (or any other time):

Your sunrise reservation (the park staff will check for the name on your reservation at the entrance station)
Cold Weather Gear and warm clothes (seriously, it's cold up in Haleakala Crater)
- Hat
- Jacket
- Blanket
- Gloves
- Hand warmers (if you can find them anywhere on Maui)
- Doubled-up Socks
A Camera
A loved one
Your ID showing that you are whoever your reservation was made under
Snacks
Water (and Coffee and Hot Chocolate)
Cash or Credit Card for Haleakala National Park's entry fee
- The entrance fee is currently an additional $25 per car
A flashlight (it's usually dark up there if you make it up on time as scheduled)
Motion sickness prevention (the road to the top is switchbacks just about the entire way)
Fill your gas tank beforehand

haleakala sunrise reservations letsgotomaui 625x1024 - Haleakala Sunrise Reservations: How to Get It (Plus Maybe We Can Help)

If you're looking to see the sunrise on the top of the world, you'll definitely want to get some haleakala sunrise reservations. Make sure you plan ahead because they go quickly and you'll miss out if you don't work on this way ahead of your actual trip, most likely.

Another really awesome sight to see on Maui is the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park.

What Else Should I Know About Haleakala and Haleakala Reservations?

While a truly amazing sight to behold, there's much more to Haleakala National Park than just the sunrise and the sunrise permits. Haleakala Crater is home to endangered plants and animals and it is one of a few national parks in the entire state of Hawaii. On top of that, if you like camping, you can camping in the volcanic crater, but that also requires a permit (read on to find out how to get one!). Want to know more?

Can you go to Haleakala without a reservation?

Yes! You don't need a reservation to go to Haleakala. You will have to pay an entrance fee to get into the national park though, unless you have a National Park Pass or you've been in the National Park within the past three (3) days and have the receipt (Save the receipt if you are going to or plan to go to the Seven Sacred Pools at Kipahulu).

The only thing you need the sunrise permit for is getting into Haleakala National Park between 3:00am and 7:00am. If you want to get in the park any other time, you do not need the sunrise permit.

Can I park at Haleakala Visitor’s Center before 3:00 am without a reservation?

Yes! If you're really in a bind and you want to be in the park for sunrise, but can't get the reservation (which we might be able to help you get), you can enter the national park before 3:00 AM without the sunrise reservation. But keep in mind, you'll be waiting for a while up there. And we weren't joking when we said it was cold up there. Don't expect to be walking around for the next few hours. If anything, you could crank the heat in the car and nap for an hour or three until the sun starts to come up for the sunrise.

What is there to see in Haleakala National Park?

There's a visitor center on the summit and Haleakala is home to some of the protected wildlife and plant-life in Hawaii and on Maui. Hawaii's endangered bird, the Nene (pronounced nay-nay) can be found up there (rarely). On top of that, hiking and camping through Haleakala crater is a pretty special thing. But keep in mind, come prepared, the shortest hike that actually gets you in the crater is around four miles. Luckily, if you plan ahead, you can get a camping permit, or if you're lucky, a cabin permit, and you can stay in the crater instead of trying to pack it all in to a single day.

Is it impossible to book Haleakala sunrise?

No, not impossible. But it can be hard. Time and time again do we hear how people have gotten up at the crack of dawn and tried to get the sunrise reservations, only to have them sell out before they can get the reservation. Want some tips? Read on. Or see if we can help you get them!

Can I swap the Haleakala sunrise reservations?

Easy answer, no. In order to make the reservation, you need to make an account with recreation.gov. The account has to be made under a single name, which can't be changed once the account is made. If you successfully make an account and get a reservation, hang on to it. You can't officially swap the reservation into another person's name, sorry. The park rangers do check your ID's (sometimes) so you probably can't bank on them just waving you through (and to get there in the first place, it's a bit of an ordeal, with waking up super early and driving at least an hour up from most places on the island).

Do the sunrise reservations sell out immediately?

Pretty much, yes. Around 50 reservations open up two days ahead of time. Usually within a few minutes of the reservations being released are they taken and reserved by people all around the world.

Do you have any Haleakala sunrise reservation tips?

There are a few things you can do to better you chances:

Make your account on recreation.gov ahead of time. If you don't have an account made and you successfully manage the first step of getting the reservation, you'll lose it by the time you make your account. But know, in order to comply with the website's terms of service, you're only allowed one account per person. Whether or not they will act on it if you do create an additional account is a risk you would be taking, but they could take action against you.
Be ready to try to get a reservation right when they open the reservations, at 7am HST.
You'll have 15 minutes once getting past the first reservation step to complete your reservation. Otherwise, your potentially reserved reservation goes back to the pool and opens up to other people to reserve.
Divide and conquer. You'll most likely be going up with another person or other people. See if other people in your group can snag one of the Haleakala sunrise reservations too. That'll double or multiply your odds. Remember, you're trying to get 1 of 50 reservations (per car) that are opening up globally. People all around the world are trying to get these.

What time are Haleakala tickets released?

7am HST, on the dot.

How early should I get to Haleakala?

You should, as a general rule, give yourself 2 hours from when you leave your place to get to the summit of Haleakala. From Lahaina or Kaanapali, it usually takes roughly an hour to get to the base of Haleakala, then an additional hour from base to the summit of the volcano. If a sunrise is set to rise at 600am, you should be leaving from your place at 400am. Also, pro tip, check what time specifically sun is set to rise on a given day. It changes throughout the year.

How should I bring up the reservation?

Once you successfully make a reservation, they'll send you a confirmation in your email. You will have a reservation number as well that is associated with your reservation. It's a good idea to print out your confirmation, but if you have a screenshot on your phone, that's usually enough. Bring your ID and some sort of proof that you had a reservation, whether it's a printout or on your phone, and you shouldn't have any problems getting into the park. Keep in mind you may not have service up there though, so don't rely on being able to check your email or logging in to retrieve the proof of reservation. Plan that ahead of time.

Are there any bathrooms on Haleakala?

There aren't too many on the way up once you enter the park, but they do have restrooms on the summit near the visitor center. With that said, for about an hour once you enter Haleakala National Park, you'll have to hold it until you get to the summit.

How's Haleakala sunrise vs sunset?

Sunrise on Haleakala is pretty special. Some have people have said it has changed their lives to watch the sun rise on top of the world (the summit of Mt Haleakala sits at just over 10,000 feet). But if for whatever reason you can't make it up to the summit for sunrise, sunset on Haleakala is pretty special as well. One benefit to sunset is that you don't have to make the sunrise reservation for it (at least for now). You will still have to pay the entrance fee to the park and just about all of the other warnings still apply; it's just as cold up there as sunrise, especially when the sun goes down. But sunset is an alternative to sunrise if you don't manage to get the reservation (see if we can help get you haleakala national park sunrise reservations!) or you don't want to get up that early.

Do you need reservations for Haleakala sunset?

As mentioned above, you do not need reservations for sunset on Mount Haleakala. You will still need to pay the entrance fee to the National park, however.