Headquarters Visitor Center - Haleakalā National Park

Our February 2014 trip to Hawaii started on Maui with a visit to the Summit District of Haleakalā National Park.  The 34.9 mile Haleakala Highway begins at an elevation of 90 feet above sea level at its junction with Hawaii route 36, the Hana Highway, near the Kahului Airport.  After starting as Hawaii route 37, the route turns left in 7.7 miles and becomes Hawaii 377.  After another six miles, the route turns left again and acquires Hawaii route number 378.  Hawaii route 378 starts at an elevation of 3428 feet and climbs for another 20.6 miles.  Just before entering the parking area for the summit visitor center, the route turns right and steepens for the final 0.6 miles to reach the 10,000 foot elevation at a parking area near the summit of Haleakala.  A total of 11.1 miles of the route is in the national park.  Most of the road is two lane with very limited passing opportunities. Unless you arrive very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, expect to be following one of the dozens of daily tour buses at least part of the way up the mountain.

The headquarters visitor center is located one mile inside the park and after the fee collection station.  A small paved parking lot is provided for visitors and a bus parking lane has been constructed in front of the visitor center.  Offices are located at the northeast end of the building while restrooms with running water are located at the southwest end.  In the middle is a very small bookstore, museum, and information desk.  Several short videos can be played on a small screen located on one wall of the museum area.  Due to the very small space and large number of visitors, we did not have an opportunity to watch any of the video presentations.  For a park that has attracted over one million visitors each year for 28 of the last 30 years, the visitor center built in 1958 seems grossly undersized and outdated.  I realize that federal funds for upgrades are very limited and I don't understand the local cultural and political priorities, so the current arrangement may be making the most of a bad situation.  It does seem rather odd to me that several of the national historical parks in the state have larger and better equipped visitor facilities.  Since most visitors come here for the scenery, the lack of adequate facilities may not be an issue.  One nice addition to the restroom facilities is the ability to refill water bottles instead of using disposable bottles.

Stunning view from near the visitor center

Office end of the visitor center

Front of the visitor center from the bus parking lane

Picnic area

Headquarters area from higher on the mountain

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 https://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm.