• A view of the cinder desert

    Haleakalā

    National Park Hawai'i

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Water shortage at summit

    The visitor center nearest the summit is very low on water. Please use the toilets at Headquarters Visitor Center near the park entrance if possible.

  • Drive cautiously - Endangered birds land on roadway

    Nene (Hawaiian geese) and 'ua'u (Hawaiian petrels) are nesting in the park and may land on or frequent park roads and parking lots. Drivers are reminded to drive at the posted speed limits and exercise caution.

  • Haleakala Visitor Center Parking Lot Rehabilitation In Progress

    During construction, parking spaces at Haleakala Visitor Center (near the summit) will be reduced by at least 50%. Construction is scheduled for May 20 through June 6. Visitors and tour operators may experience delays. More »

Environmental Factors

Soil erosion caused by rooting pigs--non native to the park.
Soil erosion is colossal in a rainforest climate where non native pigs have ravaged the ground cover on steep slopes.
NPS photo by Bryan Harry
 

Rainforests on Haleakalā's steep windward slopes receive as much as 120 inches of annual rainfall. These forests are stable and enduring when not subject to depredation by pigs and goats. Ungulate's rooting and grazing quickly break down the native plant cover triggering devastating erosion. Such landscape scale erosion on tropical mountain slopes devastates both the native biodiversity and the island's precious groundwater reserve.

But Haleakalā upper elevations are now free of pigs and goats, and serves as a core area in the East Maui Watershed Partnership to protect this native rainshed and its groundwater from this destruction.

  • Silverswords Silverswords

    You can help these unique plants flourish at Haleakalā... Read More

  • Birds of Haleakalā Birds of Haleakalā

    An illustrated guide to the birds of Haleakalā National Park Read More

  • Inventory & Monitoring Program Inventory & Monitoring Program

    Pacific Island Network webpage Read More

Did You Know?

Photograph of a seagulls white face with yellow bill

Haleakalā National Park has more endangered species than any other park in the NPS, including species that are listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service but not native to the park.