Hawaii National Parks: Haleakala and Volcanoes Fees, Sunrise Reservations and Pearl Harbor

Somewhere on a lava field above Kona, or in the dark at the foot of a Maui volcano, a traveler stops and asks the same question: which of these places is actually a national park, and what does it cost to get in? Hawaii has only two with the title, Haleakala on Maui and Hawaii Volcanoes on the Big Island, plus a handful of other sites run by the same service, some of them free.

How many national parks are in Hawaii?

If you go by the strict definition, Hawaii’s two national parks are Haleakala National Park, which sits on Maui, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which sits on the Big Island. The National Park Service lists nine units in the state, and its own page headlines eight national parks, so the count depends on what you include. Only those two carry the words National Park in their names.

The nine units are Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Haleakala National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Honouliuli National Historic Site, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site. Most of them are historical sites, trails and memorials rather than scenic parks. Together these units draw more than five million visitors, a reminder that the crater rims and the memorial at Pearl Harbor are rarely empty.

Haleakala National Park entrance fee

Getting into Haleakala costs $30 for a private vehicle, and that ticket covers three days, so you can come back for a second look at the crater or a hike in the Kipahulu side. Youth 15 and under enter free.

The summit is cold and often cloudy, and the weather changes quickly with altitude. January afternoons at the top are in the low 60s with chilly nights, while August is a little milder and drier. Bring layers even if Kihei was hot at breakfast.

Haleakala sunrise reservations

To drive into Haleakala National Park between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., you need a sunrise reservation for each vehicle, and it costs $1.00 on recreation.gov. It comes on top of the entrance fee, so a car heading up for the sunrise pays both.

The booking window opens 60 days ahead and runs until 2 days before the date. Sunrise slots are popular, so planning ahead helps. The reward is a long drive in the dark, a cold wait at the rim among strangers in borrowed blankets, and the sky turning orange over a sea of clouds.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park entrance fee

Hawaii Volcanoes charges $30 per private vehicle, and that covers the passholder plus up to 14 passengers. A motorcycle pays $25 and is valid for 7 days, while anyone on foot or on a bicycle pays $15. Visitors 15 and under are free.

This park is cooler and rainier than the coast, especially at the crater rim. Showers are frequent in both winter and summer, so a light rain jacket is as useful as a hat. Steam vents, lava tubes and the long drive along Crater Rim Drive make it a day outing rather than a quick stop.

Is the Hawaii Tri-Park Annual Pass worth it?

For most one-island vacations, no: it pays off when you visit both Haleakala and Hawaii Volcanoes, since the pass costs $55 and one vehicle fee at either park is $30. Two park visits in separate trips, or on a multi-island vacation, put you ahead.

The pass runs for 12 months from the month of purchase and applies at both parks. A traveler who sees only one park, once, is better off paying the single vehicle fee. A family doing Maui and the Big Island in the same year is the clear case for buying it.

Is Pearl Harbor free to visit?

Yes, Pearl Harbor National Memorial is fee free. Parking is the only charge, at $7 per day, paid through a mobile app.

The memorial is a quiet place, with water, white buildings and a hush among visitors, and it deserves more time than a quick photo stop. Reservations for the USS Arizona Memorial program are a separate matter and are covered on their own page.

Other National Park Service sites in Hawaii

The other six units are historic sites and trails, and they tell the human side of the islands. On the Big Island’s Kona coast, Puuhonua o Honaunau is a place of refuge beside the sea, Kaloko-Honokohau holds old fishponds and trails, and Puukohola Heiau is a temple built on a hill above the water.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai preserves the story of the island’s leprosy settlement, and Honouliuli National Historic Site on Oahu recalls a World War II internment camp. Ala Kahakai is a long trail that follows the Big Island coast. At these places treat the stones and the ground as sacred, and keep to the paths.

Good to know before you go

The Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and trade winds can pause for days in winter when fronts or Kona storms pass nearby. Windward slopes catch the clouds and rain while leeward sides stay sunnier, so pack both a jacket and sunscreen for the parks.