Kipahulu Visitor Center - Haleakalā National Park

About a dozen miles beyond Hāna is the Kipahulu District of Haleakalā National Park.  Although the road continues around the south side of Maui, part of it is not paved and narrow so we made Kipahulu the turn-around point on on February 2014 visit.  The visitor center at Kipahulu is small, but has a more open floor plan than the Headquarters Visitor Center described earlier.  Inside the center are exhibits, an information desk and a small bookstore.  A large deck provides additional room for visitors and nice views of the Pacific Ocean and Haleakalā.  There is no theater or video presentation at the Kipahulu Visitor Center.  Restrooms with running water are in a nearby facility.  The visitor center and restroom facilities here are much more in line with what we have come to expect from the park service than what we found at the Headquarters Visitor Center.

Kipahulu Visitor Center

Exhibits along the walls of the visitor center

An outrigger canoe in the visitor center

Pacific Ocean view from the visitor center deck

Mountain view from the visitor center

Outdoor exhibits include this replica Hale Kū’ai or house for storing, displaying and trading

Another view of the Hale Kū’ai

An entrance fee of  $10 provides a three-day pass to visit the park.  Other entrance options include an America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80 for twelve months or a Senior Pass for a one-time fee of $10 for those age 62 or over.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm.