Kapalaoa Cabin

Kapalaoa Cabin is a historic wilderness cabin in Haleakalā Crater, set in a grass field near Kaupō Gap at 7,250 feet. Its 12 padded bunks make an overnight stay possible deep in the crater, but this is a serious hike-in, not a roadside cabin. A reservation is required, and there is no tent area beside it.

The cabin is about 5½ miles one way from Keoneheʻeheʻe (Sliding Sands) Trail and 7.2 miles via Halemauʻu. Both routes cross steep, loose cinder and rocky ground. The climb back out can take much longer than the hike in, so plan the overnight around the return as carefully as the approach.

There is a pit toilet nearby and a non-potable water source that can run dry in drought. Carry enough water or a treatment method; the park recommends 3 to 4 liters per person per day. Bring food, bedding, and a way to light the stoves. Firewood and propane may not be available. A picnic table sits outside, but there is no electricity, cell service, shop, or shower. Weather at this elevation can change quickly, so bring warm and rain layers.

Haleakalā’s 1935 development plan included crater shelters; a standard cabin design followed in 1936, and contract carpenters built the cabins in 1937. Civilian Conservation Corps workers hauled materials by mule and horse and carried supplies on their backs. The cabins still shelter people crossing the crater.

Kapalaoa lies near the crater’s southern end, among cinder cones and open, high-elevation ground. The isolation and broad night sky are part of the stay. Nēnē may be seen in the crater; give them room and never feed them.