Haleakalā Sunrise: Worth the 3 A.M. Start
The alarm is awful. The drive is dark and winding. Then the stars come out, the clouds sit below you and the sky starts to glow. This one is worth the effort.
Go earlier than you think
We would not arrive just in time for sunrise. Part of the experience was being high on Haleakalā while it was still dark enough to see the stars. We used headlamps for a short walk to our viewing area and watched the entire sky change.
Reservations + logistics
A vehicle reservation is required to enter the Summit District from 3–7 a.m. for sunrise. Current reservations are released up to 60 days ahead, with another portion 48 hours ahead. The reservation is separate from the park entrance fee. The road from the entrance gate to the summit takes about 30 minutes and has no streetlights or guardrails.
Dress for a mountain, not a beach
The summit is over 10,000 feet. Pre-dawn conditions can be windy, wet and near or below freezing. Bring more layers than you think you need.
Sunrise or sunset?
You can watch sunset without the sunrise reservation, but sunrise was spectacular enough that we would choose it again. Seeing the stars first and then watching the light appear above the clouds made the early start part of the experience rather than just an inconvenience.