Driving time from Makena to Haleakala Summit?

[leipoppy]

Hi All,

 

We have just booked to go on the Maui Eco Tour's Xperience Kyak Trip on the morning of our second day in port. We are wanting to go to Haleakala Summit after the tour finishes at 11am and the ship departs Kahului at 9.30pm. Can someone please tell me the driving time from Makena to Haleakala Summit and also whether they have done the drive mid-morning/early afternoon? I have been before but only early morning so I don't want to be stuck up there as it is getting dark and having to rush back to the ship!

 

Thanks!

[sceptic]

You have to go all the way back to Kahului, which from Makena at mid-day is at least an hour, then two + hours to the summit. It's certainly doable, although you'll probably be driving for close to 6 hours total. One thing - you have the advantage of seeing how clear the mountain is before heading up. Sometimes the entirety of the summit is awash with clouds by mid-day. Going up under such conditions is intriguing (we were there once when the whole crater went from totally socked it to totally clear in less than five minutes - amazing!) but you WILL be driving in clouds for part of the way if you see clouds on the mountain. If the whole mass of the mountain is clear of clouds you're in for a bit of a treat.

 

If that happens, why not just find a nifty beach down there and kick back for a few hours? pu'ulenalena comes to mind...