Haleakalā National Park guide · 2 min read
30°F Summit to 80°F Coast in One Day
On a single day, the Kīpahulu coast can reach 80 degrees while the summit drops to 30. Temperatures fall about 3 degrees for every 1,000 feet of climbing, so the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakalā runs roughly 30 degrees cooler than the coast.
Clouds and rain can arrive fast and push aside warm sunshine in either area.
Weather at the top is hard to pin down, bringing chilly air, strong sun and clouds that scud past quickly. Across the year, summit temperatures range from below freezing up to highs of 50 to 65 degrees. Wind and damp, gray skies can make it feel far colder than the thermometer reads. Pack for a wide range of conditions, since forecasts may miss the mark up top.
The Kīpahulu District lies along the windward, or eastern, coast, where rainfall totals 187 inches a year on average. Trade winds and the nearby ocean hold daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees throughout the year. Expect humid air and downpours that can start without warning. Native people have called this coast home for hundreds of years, and visitors can take in waterfalls, wide ocean views and Hawaiian cultural experiences.
The wet season runs from November through April, when more rain falls. May through October is drier both at the summit and in Kīpahulu, and May, September and October are the best months for drier weather and fewer crowds.
The summit and the coast are separate sections with no road linking them directly, so each is reached from Kahului. Hawaii State Road 378 climbs to the summit in roughly an hour and a half on a winding but well kept road. Reaching Kīpahulu means driving 12 miles past Hāna on the Hāna Highway, a trip of about three hours from Kahului. There are no gas stations inside the park, so fill your tank before you set out.
