Pele’s Paint Pot Lookout

Haleakalā National Park


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


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Haleakalā National Park attractions

1. Kawilinau

0.23 MILES

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

2. Haleakalā National Park

1.57 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…

3. Kalahaku Overlook

2.72 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…

4. Leleiwi Overlook

2.78 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…

5. Kaupo Gap

3.38 MILES

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…

6. Haleakalā Summit Area

3.4 MILES

Perched on the crater rim at 9745ft, the visitor center is the park’s main viewing spot. Sun, shadow and clouds reflecting on the crater floor create a…

7. Magnetic Peak

3.49 MILES

The iron-rich cinders in this flat-top hill, which lies immediately southeast of the summit building (in the direction of Hawaiʻi, the Big Island), pack…

8. Waikamoi Preserve

3.55 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…

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