Lodging · Haleakalā National Park
A historic crater cabin for a demanding overnight hike.
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The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Haleakalā Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Haleakalā National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Leleiwi Overlook“You're nearing the walk to Leleiwi Overlook, with a view through Koʻolau Gap toward Maui's north shore when clouds allow.”
Plays on the road 0.8 mi from Hōlua Cabin in the Parkwolf Haleakalā Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Hōlua is a historic wilderness cabin at 6,940 feet inside Haleakalā Crater, near Koʻolau Gap. It is an overnight base for hikers staying in the crater or walking farther across it. The shortest approach descends 3.7 miles one way on Halemauʻu Trail; the return is a steep climb up switchbacks. This is a substantial backcountry trip, not a roadside cabin. Reserve the cabin separately from the nearby tent area; neither reservation includes access to the other, and a cabin booking does not include park entry. The cabin is generally available year-round, but can close for maintenance or resource protection. Pets are not allowed on the park’s wilderness trails.
Inside are 12 padded bunks, a wood stove and a propane stove, but no electricity or cell service. Bring a sleeping bag, food and your own essentials; firewood and propane are not guaranteed. A pit toilet is nearby. The water is non-potable and must be treated, and drought can leave the supply unavailable, so check its status before hiking and be ready to pack in all the water you need. Pack out your food and garbage. Weather at this elevation can turn cold, wet and windy quickly.
The park’s 1935 master plan proposed cabins in the crater, and a standard design followed in 1936. Contract carpenters and Civilian Conservation Corps workers built Hōlua in 1937, carrying materials with pack animals and on their backs. The cabin still serves hikers much as it was intended to. The surrounding crater was designated wilderness in 1976.
Hōlua is the Hawaiian sled, and one explanation connects the name to sledding slopes. An older oral-history account offers another possibility: Hoʻolua winds associated with Laʻamaomao, said to rush down Koʻolau Gap. The park says the name’s origin may never be settled.
The cabin sits in native shrubland on lava near the crater wall. Nēnē may be seen in the area; give them room and do not feed them. Hōlua also works as a base for day hikes deeper into the crater, including the Silversword Loop and a loop around Halaliʻi cinder cone.
Wildlife
446 sightingsHawaiian GooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
28 sightingsHawaiian Short-eared OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
22 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
648 sightingsʻIʻiwiMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
363 sightingsʻApapaneMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
209 sightingsHawaiʻi ʻAmakihiMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Haleakalā. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyLeleiwi Overlook Trail0.3 mi · 30 min · 0.8 mi awayA short uphill walk to one of Haleakalā’s crater views.
ModerateHalemauʻu Trail2.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 1 mi awayA short trail to a natural bridge at the crater rim.
ChallengingSilversword Loop via Halemauʻu Trail10 mi · 8 hr · 1 mi awayA long crater descent to the silversword loop.
EasyKalahaku Overlook Trail0.1 mi · 30 min · 1.1 mi awayA short crater-rim walk to a historic shelter and huge views.
EasyHosmer Grove Nature Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 2.2 mi awayA quick birding loop with a forestry story from 1909.
ModerateSupply Trail4.6 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steady shrubland climb to the Halemauʻu Trail junction
EasyPā Kaʻoao Trail0.4 mi · 36 min · 2.8 mi awayShort climb, crater views, and a hillside of old stone enclosures.
ChallengingKeoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail7.8 mi · 8 hr · 2.8 mi awayDescend into the crater; save some strength for the climb out.
Campground · 0.1 mi awayHōlua Wilderness CampgroundQuiet crater camping, reached by trail; the sandy hike out takes longer.Sight · 0.7 mi awayLeleiwi OverlookA short, rocky climb to the crater’s north-shore gaps.
Sight · 1 mi awayRainbow BridgeA natural bridge between Koʻolau Gap and the crater floor
Sight · 1.1 mi awayKalahaku OverlookA short walk to another angle on the crater and its cones.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayPele’s Paint PotA bright patch of cinders halfway through a full-day crater crossing.
Sight · 2 mi awayKawilinauAn 11-mile crater crossing with a 65-foot pit halfway through.Sight · 2.1 mi awayHosmer Grove Birdwatching ViewpointA quiet pause for native birds, with a fixed viewfinder.
Scenic pullout · 2.2 mi awayHeadquarters Pull-OffA roadcut lets you read ʻāʻā lava from rough edges inward.Parkwolf’s Haleakalā ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
