The summit district of Haleakalā National Park: the crater rim, the sunrise and sunset viewpoints and the Sliding Sands trail. Kīpahulu, the park's coastal district, sits under East Maui.
4 curated experiences
Haleakalā
Watching the sun rise above the clouds at 10,023 feet is transcendent — you are literally above most of Maui's clouds. Temperature is 30–40°F at summit; bring layers, gloves, and blankets. Allow 1.5 hours driving from Kihei at 3am. Do it early in your trip, while you are still on mainland time and waking at 4–5 am anyway. If sunrise permits are unavailable, the sunset visit (no reservation required) delivers nearly the same experience with none of the hardship; many visitors actually prefer it.
Haleakalā
Daytime is the calm alternative to the sunrise crowds: the crater colours are best in mid-morning light, before clouds often fill it in the afternoon. The first mile of Sliding Sands down and back takes about an hour; the climb back up at altitude is the hard part, so go slowly, drink water and bring warm layers — it is far colder than the coast. Do not move or take rocks; it is illegal and culturally disrespectful. The park closes both districts in severe weather, so check nps.gov/hale the day before.
Haleakalā
Keoneheʻeheʻe drops nearly 2,500 ft in 3.9 miles to the crater floor over soft cinder, past the red-and-black cones of the summit valley. Most day hikers turn around well before the floor; allow twice as long to climb back out as it took to go down, at 10,000 ft with thin air. Bring layers, rain gear and sun protection: it swings between 30 and 65 °F.
Haleakalā
The underrated alternative to sunrise — warmer temperatures, the drive up in daylight, and the same extraordinary sky show above the clouds, without the 3am alarm. Do a 20–30 minute walk down the Sliding Sands Trail into the crater before sunset to experience the scale of the caldera from inside. After the sun sets, stay 20 more minutes for the cloud color show below the rim. If sunrise permits are sold out (which happens constantly), choose sunset without hesitation — many visitors actually prefer it for comfort and for having energy to appreciate what they are seeing.
1 trail
53 on the calendar
Dec 15 – Apr 15, peak Feb–Mar
Leeward coast (ʻAuʻau Channel)
Every winter, thousands of North Pacific humpback whales migrate roughly 3,000 miles from Alaska to the warm, shallow waters around Maui to mate, calve and nurse their young. The ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi becomes one of the best whale-watching areas on Earth, with sightings of breaches, tail slaps and mother-calf pairs. You can watch for free from Maui's leeward coast — the Papawai Scenic Lookout (Māʻalaea Pali), McGregor Point, and the beaches of Kāʻanapali and Wailea are reliable vantage points — or take a naturalist-led boat tour out of Lāhainā or Māʻalaea harbors. Morning trips generally have the calmest water. Peak season is February and March, though whales arrive as early as December and linger into April. Federal law requires staying at least 100 yards from a whale.
2026-01-01
A running race on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held January 1, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-01-03
The Quadrantids are one of the year's strongest meteor showers, with a brief, sharp peak in early January that can produce 40 or more meteors per hour under dark skies. Because Hawaiʻi has some of the clearest, darkest skies in the U.S., the islands are a superb place to watch. Look in the hours before dawn, away from town lights — a high-elevation spot or a dark leeward beach is ideal. No telescope needed; just let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes.
2026-01-05 – 2026-01-11
Kapalua Plantation Course
The Sentry is the PGA Tour's season-opening event, a winners-only tournament that gathers the previous season's Tour champions to tee off the new year. It is played on the dramatic Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort on Maui's northwest coast, famous for its sweeping downhill fairways, trade-wind-swept greens and Pacific-and-Molokaʻi backdrop — including the par-5 18th, one of the most photographed finishing holes in golf. Held in early January in Kapalua, West Maui, it draws the world's top players and pairs perfectly with the start of humpback whale season just offshore. Grounds tickets and hospitality packages are sold each year; the West Maui resorts book up early around the event.
2026-02-04
An amateur surf contest on Maui, Hawaiʻi, held February 4, 2026. See the linked listing for distances, start time and registration details.
2026-02-15
Kīhei · Kalama Park
World Whale Day is the centerpiece of the Maui Whale Festival — a whale-themed parade followed by an all-day festival at Kalama Park in Kīhei. The free celebration features live Hawaiian and contemporary music, food trucks, local craft and nonprofit booths, and keiki (children's) activities, all honoring the humpback whales that winter in Maui's waters. Held in February; come early for parking along South Kīhei Road.
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