Hiking Haleakala

Can anyone suggest a nice 4-6 mile hike in Haleakala, closer to the Lahania port.

There are two sections of Haleakala - the summit and the coastal area which is called Kipahulu.

The summit is about a 2 hour drive from Lahaina, and Kipahulu is past Hana, so about a 3 hour drive from Lahaina ( I think you've ruled out doing the RTH because of time constraints.)

On the summit, you could do part of Sliding Sands, but it descends into the crater, so it's a slog going back up due to the decreased oxygen levels, hiking uphill and hiking in soft volcanic sand (very easy going down though) ... rather than going by distance, for this hike I would do it by time ... you need to allow about 2-3 times what it takes to hike down, so if you're looking for a 2 hour hike, then hike down for 40 minutes or, then head back up the same way. You'll want to allow time to stop and admire the views of the crater. Take a good amount of water. Also, it's usually a lot colder up there than at sea level and often very windy, so you would want to have appropriate clothing.

Another hike part way to the summit is Halemau'u - I'm not sure exactly how long it is (we did it as part of Sliding Sands and Halemau'u, as the two connect.) You would park at the Halemau'u trailhead, hike to where the trail descends on switchbacks ... or keep going down on the switchbacks, and then hike back the same way.

The Haleakala National Park website has good info on hiking, and if you go to the visitor centres (either the one just past the entrance to the park or the one at the summit) you can get information on hikes.

A hiking book for Maui that I really like is this one.

This is not an 'easy' walk...Haleakala is FAR from everything.... It's freaking COLD at the top...it's mighty high!...and clouds are frequent...it IS a mountain of epic proportions!

You can't do this in 2 hours.

Susan Thank You for your help

You're welcome syr101.

CB ... the OP is renting a car, so getting to the summit won't be a problem for them. A lot of people hike on Haleakala ... it's an amazing experience and most people of average hiking ability would be able to handle some hiking up there. Some might feel the effects of the altitude, but unless you had other health complications, it probably wouldn't be a concern.

The OP is in port for 2 days and wouldn't have a problem fitting in a hike at the summit on one of their days. Regarding weather - in April last year we were hiking up there in short sleeves and shorts ... but usually you need a jacket and long pants. If it's too cold and/or cloudy, you can go with 'plan B' ... it's always a good idea to have a couple of options of things to do based on the weather that day. On one of our trips up there we couldn't see anything at the summit because of the clouds, but on other trips up there we've had clear blue skies.

The OP didn't say that they were looking for an 'easy walk', and I'm also confused by your comment that "You can't do this in 2 hours" as the OP didn't mention a two hour time frame.