Haleakalā National Park Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Haleakalā National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)

Haleakalā National Park Location in Hawaii
Location	Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Nearest city	Pukalani
Area	33,265 acres (134.62 km²)
Established	July 1, 1961
Visitors	1,044,084 (in 2018)
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Haleakalā National Park

Driving to the summit of Haleakala at sunset.

Nearing the end of vegetation growth above cloud tops while driving to the summit of Haleakala at sunset.

Haleakalā National Park is a special place in the United States. It is located on the island of Maui in Hawaii. The park gets its name from Haleakalā, a volcano that is not active right now.

This amazing park covers about 33,265 acres (52.0 sq mi; 134.6 km²) of land. A large part of it, about 24,719 acres (38.6 sq mi; 100.0 km²), is a wilderness area. This means it is kept wild and untouched. Haleakalā became a national park in 1976, and its size was increased in 2005.

Discovering Haleakalā's Past
Exploring the Summit Area
Protecting the Park's Environment
Exploring the Kipahulu Area
Amazing Plants and Animals
Haleakalā Observatory: Watching the Skies
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Haleakalā's Past

Haleakalā was first part of a bigger park called Hawaii National Park. This park was created in 1916. It also included the famous volcanoes Mauna Loa and Kilauea on the island of Hawaiʻi. Later, in 1961, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park became its own separate park.

In 1980, the Haleakalā park area was named an International Biosphere Reserve. This means it is a special place for nature and people. The name Haleakalā means "house of the sun" in the Hawaiian language. A local story says that the demigod Maui caught the sun here. He did this to make the days longer.

The park is home to the dormant Haleakalā volcano. This volcano last erupted a very long time ago, between 1480 and 1600 AD. The park has two main parts: the high summit area and the coastal Kipahulu area.

Exploring the Summit Area

Location of Haleakalā National Park in the southeastern part of Maui Island

Detail map of Haleakalā National Park

To reach the summit, you drive up a very winding but well-kept road. The summit area includes the Haleakalā Crater and the land around it. You can get to this part of the park using Hawaii State Road 378.

There is a visitor center near the top with parking and restrooms. At the very summit, there is another parking lot and a simple observatory.

Visitor center view at 9,740 feet (2,970 m)

Haleakalā Crater: A Giant Valley

The main attraction here is the Haleakalā Crater. Even though it's called a crater, it's actually a huge valley formed by erosion. It is about 6.99 miles (11.25 km) across and 2.0 mi (3.2 km) wide. It is also 2,600 ft (790 m) deep! Inside the crater, you can see many volcanic features. These include large cinder cones, which are small, cone-shaped hills.

Two main trails lead into the crater: the Halemau'u and Sliding Sands trails. Hikers who want to stay overnight in the crater can use one of three cabins.

Sunrise and Sunset Views

Many visitors come to the volcano's summit to watch the sunrise or sunset. The views are truly amazing! Another interesting spot in the park is Hosmer's Grove. This is a unique forest with trees from all over the world. You can find deodar trees from the Himalayas, sugi trees from Japan, and eucalyptus from Australia. There are also different kinds of pine, spruce, cypress, and fir trees from North America. Native Hawaiian plants are also here, but they don't get much sunlight because of the taller foreign trees.

Stargazing and Wildlife

Haleakalā is famous for its volcanic landscapes and a long, scenic drive. It also offers incredibly clear views of the night sky. It is one of the best places in the United States for amateur astronomy. You can even rent binoculars and telescopes from local shops.

You might also spot Nēnē (Hawaiian geese, Branta sandvicensis) in their natural home inside Haleakalā Crater. These birds had completely disappeared from the park. But in 1946, they were brought back with the help of the Boy Scouts. The Scouts carried young birds into the crater in their backpacks!

Protecting the Park's Environment

The park faces some challenges to keep its nature safe.

Protecting Native Plants

Wild goats and pigs that roam freely have been harming the native plants. They walk all over the ground and break the plants. This also causes the soil to wash away. This damage affects the variety of plants and animals in the park. It also impacts the underground water supply.

Helping the Endangered Nēnē Bird

The Nēnē bird is on the endangered species list. These birds used to live on all the islands of Hawaii. But people hunted them, and their numbers dropped a lot. By 2010, only about 2,000 birds were left. To help them, these birds were kept in special places to help their population grow.

Saving the Silversword Plant

The Silversword plant is very special to Haleakalā. It only grows here and nowhere else on Earth! Climate Change is a threat to this plant because of hotter weather. Also, tourists and local people sometimes take the plants as souvenirs, which further harms their numbers.

Exploring the Kipahulu Area

Kipahulu region, Haleakalā National Park

The second part of the park is the Kipahulu section. You cannot drive directly to this area from the summit. Instead, you must take a winding coastal road around the island. This part of the park is in the lower Kipahulu Valley. The upper part of the valley separates it from the summit area. This upper area is called the Kipahulu Valley Biological Reserve. It is closed to visitors to protect the rare plants and animals in this delicate rainforest.

This section of the park has more than two dozen pools along Palikea Stream. These pools are called ʻOheʻo. They are home to rare native freshwater fish. Visitors can swim in these pools. Or, they can hike a trail that leads to the base of Waimoku Falls.

Amazing Plants and Animals

Haleakalā National Park has more endangered species than any other national park in the United States. When more people started visiting this part of the island, some native species were harmed.

One example is the ʻāhinahina (Haleakalā silversword, Argyroxiphium sandwicense macrocephalum). This plant used to cover Haleakalā Mountain so much that it looked like snow. Another endangered plant is the Haleakalā schiedea (Schiedea haleakalensis).

The park is also home to many tiny creatures called tardigrades. These amazing animals can survive in the extreme environment near the mountain summit. In the 1980s, a biologist named Sam Gon III found 31 different tardigrade species here. He called Haleakalā the "richest place on Earth for tardigrades."

Haleakalā Observatory: Watching the Skies

Haleakalā Observatory viewed from the Haleakalā visitor center

The Haleakalā Observatory is a special place for looking at space. It is located near the visitor center. This observatory is above the tropical inversion layer. This means it has excellent viewing conditions and very clear skies.

For over 40 years, the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy has managed this site. They do important experiments about stars and space here. One of its jobs is the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS). This system tracks satellites and space junk orbiting Earth. The observatory buildings are on a gated road just past the summit. They are not actually inside the park boundary.