Keoneheʻeheʻe Overlook

Keoneheʻeheʻe Overlook is a signed wayside on the first stretch of the Sliding Sands Trail near Haleakalā Visitor Center. The round trip is half a mile from the trailhead. I’d stop here for a first crater view without taking on the much longer route across the crater.

Even this quick walk starts in the summit’s high, exposed country, where cold, wind, strong sun, and fast weather changes come with the territory. Stay on marked trails; pets aren’t allowed on park trails. The park has no food, supplies, or gas. Drinking water is available at visitor centers.

The summit crater is about 7.5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, with 14 multicolored cinder cones. On a clear day, look for Koʻolau Gap on the left and Kaupō Gap on the right, the broad breaks where lava once flowed out. Clouds can hide the view, so a clear window makes this short walk pay off. The wayside sign also makes a good foreground for a photo of the cones.

Native Hawaiians crossed the crater for centuries as a route across the island. Ranchers later drove cattle through it toward pasture and summer water. The current trail dates to 1937, when Civilian Conservation Corps crews built it as part of a 20-mile network of crater trails.