Things To Do After Your Haleakala Ride
THINGS TO DO IN PAIA
After you’ve enjoyed the breathtaking views along your Haleakala bike tour, what will you do next? May we suggest sightseeing in the beautiful town of Paia. This charming little town is really the heart of the North Shore and offers a paradise of shopping and dining experiences along with outstanding art galleries and awe-inspiring beaches.
Go To The Beach
Unwind after your Maui volcano bike ride through Haleakala at the beaches near Paia. Both Baldwin Beach Park and the famous Ho’okipa Beach Park are just outside the town of Paia. Ho’okipa Beach is known as the “windsurfing capital of the world.” And Baldwin Beach is one of Maui’s most beautiful white sand beaches. So, after your Haleakala bike tour, relax at one of these gorgeous Maui beaches and soak up the sun.
Tropical Rain Forest
If you crave even more adventure after your Maui bike tour, set off for the fascinating rainforests found on the famous Road to Hana. Stop to see the gorgeous waterfalls and pools. Hike through lush jungles. See the amazing rainbow eucalyptus trees along the route. Beauty and adventure await you on the winding Road to Hana amid these captivating tropical rainforests.
HALEAKALĀ or UlaPalakua Sunset
Sunset is our recommendation.
It’s as beautiful as sunrise (if not MORE) and much warmer, way less people (no reservation needed) and so much less of an ordeal, like waking up at 2am on vacation.
Our recommendation would be to join us at 9am for your downhill ride. Enjoy Paia and the beaches after the ride, maybe have an early dinner in town or grab provisions for a summit picnic…then drive up and catch sunset. You can enter the park an hour early and explore the park, hike around a bit and see it more than you would at sunrise. Bring a towel, bottle of wine or beverages of choice, Hawaiian treats and see the spectacular sunset!
It’s also warmer at the crater waiting for sunset than it will be waiting for the sun to rise. You can also look up the volcano and see if the weather is to your liking to view sunset, where as with sunrise it is all or nothing at 3am! Keep in mind all the sunrises and sunsets are 50/50 that you will have incredible views due to our tropical weather and clouds that come through. At least for sunset you can decide if it’s worth it but for sunrise it’s all or nothing, due to your reservation and its dark outside so you can’t see the weather.
HALEAKALĀ Sunrise
To book a sunrise tour with any operator these days will cost you about $200-$220 per person! Our tour is only $70! We share with our guests the option to catch the sunrise on your own for only a $25 park entrance fee per car and a $1.50 online reservation fee through the National Park website. (book ahead!)
For 2 people you will already save $265 that you could use to go out for a great dinner! You will need a reservation as mentioned above, it is very crowded and you do need to wake up around 2am on vacation to get up the volcano in time. It will be cold so dress warm & bring layers.
Since our tour starts at 9am, guests that still want to experience sunrise on their own and save a bundle of money, go up on their own and then drive down immediately following sunrise. It takes about an 1 hour 15 minutes to come down and reach our shop in Paia (Leave no later than 7:30am, keep in mind everyone leaving at the same time after sunrise). Once you arrive in Paia, Park your car for the day and we will shuttle you up for your bike ride.
HALEAKALĀ CRATER
From the summit of Haleakalā, Maui’s largest volcano, you can look down to see the famous crater of Haleakalā. Walk through a cinder desert and see the many volcano cones spread throughout this massive volcanic depression that’s 7 miles long, 2 miles wide, and 2,600 feet deep. See another world as you hike in this unbelievable volcanic landscape.
The Haleakalā Crater is part of what the Haleakalā National Park refers to as the “Wilderness Area.” Hikers can take two main trails into the richly-colored crater from the summit area: Halemau’u or Sliding Sands trails. Nēnē or Hawaiian geese can sometimes be seen in their natural habitat in the Haleakalā Crater. “The mountain summit is one of the only easily-accessible areas of Hawaii where our rare and endemic species survive and thrive,” The Haleakalā National Park Service noted. The park itself is composed of more than 30,000 acres of public land, the most famous aspect of which is the Haleakala Crater. At this high of an altitude, the weather is cooler and can be unpredictable, so it’s good to wear layered clothing as well as sunscreen and closed-toed shoes.
Haleakalā Summit
The peak of Haleakalā stands at 10,023 feet above sea level and is the highest point on the island of Maui. As one of the most popular Maui activities.
Haleakalā is known as the “house of the sun” because as Hawaiian legend has it, the demigod Maui lassoed the sun here as he stood on the Haleakalā summit in order to slow its descent and lengthen the day. Haleakalā is a dormant volcano that last erupted around 1790. More than one million people visit the summit of Haleakalā each year.
The summit offers a once-in-a-lifetime view across an amazing landscape of rolling mountains, surrounding islands, and the ever-expansive ocean. Gaze across the water at the island of Hawaii with its peaks of 14,000 ft. along with views of Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe.
The clear skies and excellent viewing conditions at the Haleakala summit attract many visitors who bring their telescopes to gaze at the stars and other celestial bodies. In fact, the University of Hawaii’s Haleakalā Observatory is located near the visitor’s center but is not open to the public.
As Featured on Adventure Hawaii
