At this overlook, you’ll see the crater floor from a completely different perspective. It’s definitely worth a stop!

Most visitors pass up leleiwi overlook unknowingly. But  it’s actually one of the best overlooks  on haleakala. The panoramic view of the crater is absolutely spectacular, and is from a completely different vantage point from the ones you’ve seen so far.

At the lookout, you will notice that the mountains are greener than at the summit. This is because moisture in the clouds brought in by the winds are trapped inside  the volcanic basin. If you just stand there for a few minutes, you can actually watch the clouds form. It’s a very unique and awesome experience, to witness weather happening right before your eyes! (Amazement)

To get to this overlook you will need to follow a short path that starts on the opposite side of the parking lot ahead. It’s a short, half mile  walk. On the way back, you will see a wall of stacked stones. This is the  remains of a ranch wall made in the late 1800s. At one time, it stretched for about 2 miles, and was intended to guide cattle to more fertile pasturelands on east maui.

About a minute past the visitor center at the end of the road, you’ll find an overlook called Pu‘u‘ula‘ula or Red Hill. This is the actual summit of Mount Haleakala at 10,023 feet above sea level. From here, you can watch as the sun sets for the night into the arid, mars-like landscape of Haleakala.

In just a few short minutes we will be coming up on the visitor center and overlook. Pause from there you will get a breathtaking view of the crater floor.

When you see the haleakala crater from the summit, you’ll get a sense of its vastness. In fact, the crater is so large and deep that you can fit the entire island of manhattan inside it. Add pickup of joke. Rising up from the red and black sands of the crater floor, there  are nine cinder cones, the tallest one is around 1000 feet (or 300 meters) high.

One thing you  will notice immediately, are the many different hues and shades of color in the crater. The yellow comes from sulphur deposits. The black is from cooled lava. The various shades of red are from the oxidation of iron, which means that the mountain is literally rusting before your eyes! Wow! Isn’t that something!

To some, the haleakala crater is a desolate type of beauty to others it’s a rare glimpse of heaven on earth. Well, in just a few minutes you can judge for yourself.

While driving the way up the mountain there are many large shoulders for you to pull over and take pictures. Feel free to stop whenever you want. In preparing this driving tour, I have identified the best viewpoint on the drive up. Feel free to pull over and stretch your legs a bit and takes some pictures here. As you continue to drive the views just keep getting better and better with many other opportunities for pictures along the way. In the tour I also direct you to a great viewpoint on the way down the mountain.

As you make your way back from the summit, you can return to the visitor center parking lot to hike Sliding Sands Trail. It is a rigorous 11-mile hike, but we recommend you just hike to the first switchback or until you get tired.

You don’t need to travel far to see the expansive view of the massive crater open up before you! When you are ready to return, just retrace your steps back the same way you came. If you plan on doing the whole hike, or a large portion of it, remember to bring water. The area isn’t shaded and you’ll be walking for a long time. Note: we recommend you do this hike during the day.

Hosmer Grove is located just outside the national park entrance at an elevation of 6,800 feet. Here you will see trees here from all around the world, including juniper and fir from North America, cedar and seigi pine from Japan and eucalyptus trees from Australia. This is a short, relaxing, half-mile loop trail. It’s a great spot to stop and breathe in the fresh air from all the foliage around you. It’s also a completely different landscape from the ones you’ll see later in the tour.

The first one hike I recommend is called the halemau’u trail. This trail is actually a monster 11-mile all day hike, and should not be attempted unless you are prepared. But I recommend the ‘condensed version’– hiking only the first mile or so of the trail…. Here, you’ll get a great view from the crater rim. This is a much greener perspective of the crater that will literally take your breath away when you first see it. When you are done at the crater rim, just head back the way you came, before the trail starts to go down into the crater. Round trip is about 2 miles or about 45 minutes. If the weather is cloudy and wet when you go there, just be patient. The weather changes fast as the wind blows the clouds over haleakala.

This mini hike starts at the visitor center and takes you to an overlook with a great view of the crater. The walk is just .5 miles, and it’s well worth it. If you’re thinking to yourself, “another overlook?” Yes, but we promise -- this one has great views!

If you want to pick up some snacks, food or drinks for the drive, there is a foodland grocery store that’s open 24 hours a day. Remember, there is no food or fuel in the national park. So be sure to stock it up here at pukalani before you start your drive up the mountain.

Right next to the foodland is a starbucks  that’s open from 4:30 am to 9pm. So if you woke up super early to watch the sunrise, a hot cup of coffee will help you to wake up and stay warm! Remember, there is no food or fuel in the national park. So be sure to stock it up here at pukalani before you start your drive.

This is located just past the Pukalani Shopping Center on the main road. They offer all of your standard hamburgers and breakfast options. If you are in a hurry to get to the summit you can’t beat McDonalds drive thru! And don’t forget to grab some coffee or hot chocolate to help keep you warm. As you climb higher the weather gets cooler.

Did you know that goats know how to surf in  maui? If you are into cheese, you will enjoy checking out the surfing goat dairy. Here a german immigrant established a thriving goat farm. It has a petting zoo, and a dairy that sells gourmet goat cheese and chocolate goat cheese truffles. This is a great stop if you have young kids. A visit to the farm is free but if you want to take a tour they are $12 or so a person. They take you around the farm and give you a chance to see them milk the goats! You also get to sample their goat’s milk and award winning cheese!

If you are hungry they have a simple menu featuring their cheese served in a variety of ways. The Panini sandwiches are good but you may need to order two to get full.

The only downside, is a visit to the farm is  a decent little drive down a long windy road. So be prepared for about a 30 min drive once you are in Kula. But hey, if you are into gourmet cheese, the drive is definitely worth it!

Surfing Goat Dairy

651 Omaopio Road

Kula, Hawaii 96790

Phone: 808.878.2870

www.surfinggoatdairy.com

For those of you who are plant lovers, you will enjoy the kula botanical garden. In this wet tropical upcountry area pretty much everything grows! At these gardens there’s a variety of plants and trees that are each labeled for your benefit. Plan on spending about 45 minutes meandering through the peaceful pathways. There is also an admission fee per person of $10 that allows you to browse the garden. If you would like a guided tour, there is an additional $45 per person.

Kula Botanical Garden

638 Kekaulike Avenue

Kula, Maui,Hawaii 96790

(808) 878-1715

On the fertile and wet slopes of Haleakala lavender grows very well here. This is the original lavender farm in Maui and was started in 2001. A visit to this farm gives you a chance to browse their lovely gardens and some of their lavender fields for a general entrance fee of $3. If you would like a guided tour to see all of their farm, there is a fee per person of $12. Either way, you have to check out their wide variety of lavender products at their gift shop. If you get a chance take a sprig of lavender and leave it in the car as you drive, the fragrant smell of lavender will fill your car!

Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm

1100 Waipoli Road

Kula, HI. 96790

Phone: 808-878-3004

If you are into trying some great local wine then you need to check out the maui winery. It’s located quite a ways down the road (about 30 minutes from kula) but it may be worth a stop if you love good wine. This winery is famous for its pineapple wine made of locally grown maui pineapple. There are wine tasting tours available throughout the day. You may want to call in advance to schedule a tour. If you just want to stop by and take a look, they do have a wine tasting room that is open most of the day. Here you get a chance to taste some wine before you buy. They do ship within the united states.

Maui Winery, Ulupalakua Vineyards

14815 Piilani Hwy

Kula, HI 96790

Phone: (808) 878-6058

This country style theme gift store has lots of fun locally made products that may be fun to take home as souvenirs. But the main even here at the store is the outdoor restaurant and grill. The Chef has brought a refined and fresh menu with a variety of burgers and grilled fish. If the weather is good here, which is usually is, the outdoor seating overlooking the lush green pasture lands makes for a great reward for enduring the drive out there! (Plan on about 30 minutes of drive time once you get to Upcountry Kula). This ranch store is just across the street from the Maui Winery.

Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill

37 Piilani Hwy

Kula, HI 96790

Phone: (808) 878-2561

This General store is actually a fine dining restaurant that is known throughout the islands for it’s excellent food. The award winning Chef serves up some local favorites with a diverse twist of ethnic flavors and fresh ingredients. The menu is a little pricey but well worth it. Go prepared to enjoy the wonderful ambiance while having a foodie type experience. Call ahead to make reservations in advance. Also be aware that this restaurant is not technically in Makawao but about 10 minutes down the road. It is in fact, in the next town over called Hali’imaile.

Hali’imaile General Store

900 Haliimaile Rd

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone: (808) 572-2666

Open today 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 9:00 PM

This quaint little restaurant is a casual dining environment with nice artwork, clean open restaurant where you can see into the kitchen, as well as outdoor seating if weather permits. The food here is made from fresh local ingredients and served at a reasonable price. They have a wide variety of sandwiches and salads. The only odd part of this restaurant is you have to order and pay at the register before you are given a number and sit down. But the food makes up for it. It is located next to Hot Island Glass Blowing.

Market Fresh Bistro

3620 Baldwin Ave

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone: (808)-572-4877

Makawao is known for its grass fed beef! So if you want to try a really good steak, you should stop by this steakhouse. It is a little nicer dining and reasonably priced. If you are into good steak than you should stop and try it out! Be aware that they are only open for dinner from 4:30 - 9pm.

Makawao Steak House

3612 Baldwin Ave

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone: (808) 572-8711

This place serves up some great salads and sandwiches in a lovely outdoor eating environment. The only downside is they are only open from 11-3pm during lunch hours, so plan accordingly if you want to try this place. The sandwiches here are to die for! They are located just off the main road between two buildings.

Makawao Garden Cafe

3669 Baldwin Ave # 1101

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone : (808)573-9065

If you are feeling a little snacky, there is the  historic komoda bakery. This bakery was first opened in 1916 by a japanese plantation worker who quit his job to open the bakery. In fact, the bakery is still operated in the same family today, some 4 generations later. And let me tell you, their cream puffs are so ono! Be aware that they sell out quickly during the day, so if you go in the afternoon they may only have limited options.

Komoda Store & Bakery

3674 Baldwin Ave

Makawao, HI 96768

Phone:(808) 572-7261

Have you ever seen an artist blow glass? Well, here in Makawao next to the Market Fresh Bistro , follow the signs where it says glassblowing. This is Maui’s oldest hand-blown glass studio and gallery. Here you will find a small store and a work area where artisans make glass vases and other works of art right in front of you! In order to do this they heat the glass to over 2,000 Fahrenheit and slowly mold the glass to its desired form, adding in color as needed. The store is open most all day but the live demonstrations vary from hour to hour.

Hot Island Glass

3620 Balwdin Avenue #101A

Makawao, HI 96768

This non-profit is completely run by community volunteers who absolutely love Makawao and all of its rich history. THe museum is small but a treasure trove of pictures, books, paintings cowboy antiques that showcase the rich cowboy culture of this small town. There is no admission to browse the museum but donations are welcomed. They are open 7 days a week during the day.

At this overlook, you’ll see the crater floor from a completely different perspective. It’s definitely worth a stop!

This is the first restroom you will see since you started the drive. The restrooms here are clean with flushing toilets. Just outside of the restroom there is a Nene Goose viewing area. If you are lucky you may seem there grazing!

Since this restroom is located in high elevation and in remote area, the bathrooms try to use little or no water when flushing. I will let you figure out how to use the toilet. But remember that this is an open air restroom and the cold air blows in here continually making it for a pretty chilly potty experience!

This 8-mile trek is actually rated hard, but we suggest you just hike the first mile, then turn around the way you came. You’ll still get a great view of a crater rim in the condensed version and you'll have more time for the rest of the activities on this tour!