Pull over to gaze at this dramatic volcanic rift that drops down the southern flank of Haleakalā. The Kaupo Trail descends through here from the crater of the volcano.


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1. Kawilinau

3.33 MILES

Legend says that the pit leads down to the sea, though the National Park Service says it’s just 65ft deep.

2. Pele’s Paint Pot Lookout

3.38 MILES

Along the loop trail south of Kawilinau, and accessible via Halemauʻu Trail and Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail, this is the crater’s most brilliant…

3. Haleakalā National Park

4.65 MILES

No trip to Maui is complete without visiting this national park containing the mighty volcano that gave rise to East Maui. The volcano's floor measures a…

4. St Joseph Church

5.61 MILES

Established by Catholic missionaries in the 19th century, St Joseph Church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012. The church offers a noon Mass on the…

5. Leleiwi Overlook

5.83 MILES

For your first jaw-dropping look into the crater and its cinder cones, stop at Leleiwi Overlook (8840ft), midway between the Park Headquarters Visitor…

6. Waikamoi Preserve

5.93 MILES

This windswept native cloud forest supports one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, the 8951-acre preserve provides the…

7. Kalahaku Overlook

5.94 MILES

Don’t miss this one. Kalahaku Overlook (9324ft), 0.8 miles beyond Leleiwi Overlook, offers a bird’s-eye view of the crater floor and the ant-size hikers…

8. Waimoku Falls

6.3 MILES

One of the tallest waterfalls on Maui, the soaring, 400ft Waimoku Falls tumbles dramatically down a jungle-lined lava-rock face into a boulder-dotted pool…

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