sg92

Haleakala at dawn was the most memorable sunrise I've ever seen. It was probably an hour from the time the sky began to lighten to when the sun crested the horizon, very slowly revealing the otherworldly moonscape.

If you really pay attention, any sunrise is beautiful -- but Haleakala's summit is a really special canvas.

If you're coming from the mainland, go early in the trip before your body has made the time change -- you'll be awake anyway!

(Don't go if you're looking to commune with nature -- it gets crowded up there at sunrise!)

hotzim

I went twice, but not at sunrise. You may not have felt well due to altitude sickness. The second time we went we stopped for a picnic about halfway up which slowed our ascent and we felt better as a result. The last time we went there were protea farms at the base of the mountain and I really enjoyed seeing these exotic flowers. I liked the cool weather and the kind of other worldly sense of the landscape.

kcunningham1999

Second on the hiring a tour guide and leaving the driving to someone else. They pick you up, you sleep. The tourguides who drive are entertaining folk to boot if you want to stay awake for the ride.

If you can afford to flop into a van and sleep - you should roll the dice and go up for sunrise. Bring blankets and sweatshirts, gloves too. Amazing. After you go, you'll be glad you did it. The first step out of bed is the hardest.

dusty56438

Yes.

The sunrise at the top is spectacular most of the time.

Drive the road yourself. No need to pay for expensive tours & you can stop anywhere you want on the way back.

emcash

We went during our honeymoon during the day- i think late afternoon. If you're there for a while- say over a week, and need a break from the sun and beach , it's a nice excursion. We saw a lot of wildlife on the way up. I think it was a bull (my memory is foggy) that came almost right up to our car on the way up. Once we got to the top, it was neat, but not life-altering. I'm sure it would have been amazing at sunrise, but we just didn't want to do it.

If you're coming from the mainland, maybe do it on your first day when your body clock is several hours ahead of the time?

bubba_in_ky

You can sleep in when you get home.

It is worth it.

Go on one of the first days from the mainland to take advantage of the jet lag.

anneryan

I was just there with my husband and two teens (who HATE to get up early). We drove up to Haleakala in the afternoon and had a wonderful time. The views are spectactular no matter when you go and my family was much happier not getting up at 3:30 am. We spent quite a bit of time up at the top and even hiked a little bit on some of the trails. The scenery is surreal--unlike anything you've ever seen, so do go, but I don't think you have to go at sunrise to have a great experience. Have fun!!

Linleedo1

We did not want to get up early for the sunrise during our vacation. We drove up the mountain approximately 9am.We thoroughly enjoyed the trip.We pulled over to view the beautiful vistas & felt the unbelievable sensation of feeling like we were on another planet. We have no regrets. Pictures still give us chills. The only thing I wish we had booked the bike trip down. We saw many people enjoying the ride of their life. It looked like alot of fun. Have fun & enjoy your trip.

GirlHouse

We did the sunrise. I had a painful inner ear infection and some issues with the fish I age the night before and I was STILL moved!!
It is a beautiful experience. After sunrise we ate breakfast in the car, did very very short hike (and I use the term hike loosely) on the Sliding Sands trail, and were back by noon-1 o'clock.
We weren't looking forward to getting up early to catch the sunrise either, but because of coming from the mainland we were pretty restless anyway.
If you decide to go, do it early in your trip.

GirlHouse

And yes, it will take 2 hours to drive.