Haleakala sunrise reservation at Haleakalā: what applies in 2026?

Exact conditions

Status

Required under the listed conditions

Applies to

vehicles

Place or corridor

Summit District of Haleakala National Park, covering the four highest parking lots: Summit (Pu'u'ula'ula), Haleakala Visitor Center, Kalahaku Overlook, and Leleiwi Overlook

Effective dates

January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026

Published fee

$1

Release model

rolling window

Release detail: Two releases, both at 7:00 am HST. Main tranche: 60 days in advance. Second tranche: a portion of each day's reservations is released 2 days (48 hours) in advance. Recreation.gov states it as "available for booking 60 days and 2 days in advance at 7:00 am HST." Hawaii does not observe daylight saving time, so 7:00 am HST is fixed year-round.

Fee detail: $1.00 reservation fee per vehicle. This is IN ADDITION to the park entrance fee — the reservation does not include entry, and a park pass does not include the reservation. Non-refundable.

Exceptions and limits

• No reservation is needed to enter the Summit District at any other time of day — arrive after 7:00 am and you need only the entrance fee.
• The reservation is valid only on the single date printed on it and cannot be moved to another day.
• It is issued per vehicle, not per person.
• A visitor may only purchase one sunrise reservation per three-day period.
• Visitors who arrive between 3:00 am and 7:00 am without a reservation are turned around at the entrance and cannot enter the Summit District until after 7:00 am.
• Calling the park or showing up in person will not produce a reservation — park staff cannot make one for you.
• Visitors may walk or bike up without a reservation, though the park does not recommend it because the summit road is dark and crowded at that hour.
• Reservations are non-refundable and are not exchanged for bad weather.
• Commercial sunrise tours operate under a Commercial Use Authorization instead; the reservation system applies to non-commercial visitors.
• The Kipahulu (coastal) District is unaffected — this rule is Summit District only.