Haleakala Crater Sunrise Overlook

The drive up Haleakala’s summit road takes you from sea level to 10,023 feet in 38 miles — one of the steepest gradients on Earth. At the visitor center overlook, you’re standing on the rim of a massive volcanic depression, 7 miles long and 2 miles wide, filled with multicolored cinder cones that look like Martian hills. The silversword plants scattered across the crater floor exist nowhere else on the planet.

Sunrise reservations are required year-round and sell out weeks ahead. The 3am drive up is brutal — 2+ hours of switchbacks in the dark — but watching the sun break over the cloud layer is worth it. Temperatures can drop below freezing even in summer. Afternoon visits skip the crowds and reservations, with equally dramatic light and clearer views into the crater.

10,000-foot volcanic crater with legendary sunrise views