What to wear

How cold is it at Haleakala sunrise?

Usually between freezing and about 50°F, and it feels colder in the wind. The park puts the summit about 30°F below the coast.

The park's weather page gives summit temperatures from below freezing to highs of 50 to 65°F, cooling about 3°F for every 1,000 feet you climb. Sunrise is the coldest hour. What guests report on recent tours: "the temperature at the top is around 30 degrees", 45 and 47 degrees on autumn mornings, 55 on a warm August day. One guest had 62 degrees on the thermometer and wrote that it "felt like 30 with the wind".

Winter mornings, December to March, bring frost and sometimes ice on the summit. Our winter sunrise post has the season's details.

What should you wear to Haleakala sunrise?

Layers you can add in the dark and take off by 9 a.m.: a base layer, a fleece, an insulated jacket, a wind or rain shell, long pants, a beanie, gloves and warm socks.

• A warm hat: a beanie that covers your ears. Most heat goes from the head.
• Gloves: the item guests most regret leaving behind. You will hold a phone in the wind for an hour.
• An insulated jacket: down or synthetic, over a fleece or sweatshirt.
• A shell on top: rain jacket or windbreaker. Clouds blow through and soak cotton.
• Long pants: leggings under jeans or sweatpants work. Shorts don't.
• A scarf or neck gaiter, and a hotel blanket if your tour allows it.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen for after sunrise. The park calls the solar radiation intense.

Do Haleakala tour operators provide warm clothes?

Some do. Valley Isle guests report fleece-lined ponchos, and the stargazing tour lists warm outerwear. The Polynesian listing names none, so bring your own.

What each tour hands out, from the listings and from guests:

A loaner is a top layer, not a plan. A Valley Isle guest: "They had wind proof fleece capes that kept us toasty and warm while waiting for the sun to rise. There were many up close here that froze!" Another: "If you have a really warm coat you won't need the fleece but if your coat is not keeping you warm, the fleece is so helpful."

Sunrise at the summit with a smaller group, fleece ponchos handed out, then breakfast at a plantation-style venue.

★ 4.8 · 8 hours · from $264

Explore the Majestic sunrise tour → Tour details

What if you didn't pack warm clothes for Hawaii?

Buy cheap layers in Kahului before the trip. No food, clothing or gas is sold inside the park.

Most people pack for the beach. A Polynesian guest had a practical fix: "If you didn't pack warm stuff for Hawaii, you can do what we did, which was pick up sweatpants and a warm layer workout top at Target." Kahului has the island's big stores and you pass close by on the way up. A hotel blanket and a second pair of socks cost nothing.

Don't count on the Visitor Center either: it is a shelter with exhibits, not a shop, and it opens at sunrise.

What shoes should you wear for Haleakala?

Closed shoes with warm socks. Sneakers are fine for the lookouts; hiking boots only if you plan to walk the crater trails.

The lookouts sit on loose cinder and rock, and the ground is cold. Flip-flops leave toes numb in minutes. One guest wore "a beenie, gloves, sweats, socks and Uggz boots. Tennis shoes would have been ok as well." A stargazing guest adds: "Make sure to wear closed toed shoes and pants."

Heading onto Sliding Sands after sunrise? Then you want grippy soles and ankle support. See the crater hike guide.

What about rain and wind at the summit?

Expect both. Clouds blow across the summit and wet everything, and gusts of 30 to 40 mph happen. A waterproof outer layer matters more than a thicker sweater.

A Polynesian guest from Chicago put it well: "You are also in the clouds so you will get wet which will only make the cold worse. I suggest a rain jacket over a hoodie or anything that doesn’t repel moisture." Another described heavy mist and 30 mph winds and being "absolutely soaking wet and cold for the 60+ minutes waiting for sunrise".

If the forecast is bad, the reservation is not refunded and tours run rain or shine; only park closures stop them. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before lets you move a tour if you check the forecast early.

How does the altitude at Haleakala affect you?

At 10,023 feet the air is thin. Walk slowly, drink water, and see a doctor first if you are pregnant or have heart or breathing problems. Wait 72 hours after scuba diving.

The park lists nausea, headache, dizziness and shortness of breath as signs of altitude sickness; the cure is going down. The tour listings add the rules: Polynesian Adventure Tours asks elderly visitors, pregnant women, young children and anyone with respiratory or heart conditions to consult a doctor, and to wait at least 72 hours after scuba diving. The stargazing tour also turns away anyone with sinus congestion, because clearing your ears on the way down can hurt.

Valley Isle carries an oxygen generator on board. Cold makes altitude feel worse, so the warm layers help twice.

What should kids wear, and can children go to Haleakala sunrise?

Dress children warmer than yourself: hat, gloves, two warm layers, a blanket. Both sunrise tours sell child fares from age 3 and seat infants on laps; the stargazing tour starts at 7.

Small children lose heat fast and sit still a long time in the dark. Pack a spare dry layer for the drive down. The listings ask parents of young children to check with a doctor first because of the altitude. Ages on this site: sunrise tours with child fares from 3, the stargazing tour from 7, the crater hike from 8, the bike tour from 15.

For many families sunset is the easier choice: see sunrise or sunset.

Frequently asked questions