Haleakalā National Park Entrance Fees & Passes (Summit & Kīpahulu)

Before you worry about sunrise alarms, crater hikes, or the Road to Hāna, you’ll need to sort out one simple thing:

👉 How much does it cost to get into Haleakalā, and which pass do you actually need?

This page breaks down entrance fees, passes, sunrise reservations, and how tours fit in – in plain language, without the fine-print headache.

Quick answer (as of 2025):

• Private vehicle: $30 – valid 3 days, covers Summit + Kīpahulu
• Motorcycle: $25 – valid 3 days, covers Summit + Kīpahulu
• Walk-in / bicycle (per person 16+): $15 – valid 3 days
• Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass: $55 – Haleakalā + Hawaiʻi Volcanoes + Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (Big Island)
• America the Beautiful passes: accepted for entry
• Sunrise reservation (3–7 am Summit): $1 per vehicle, in addition to the entrance fee

Haleakalā has gone cashless, so plan to pay with credit/debit or digital payment at both entrance stations or buy in advance on Recreation.gov.

Popular Ways to Enjoy Haleakala National Park
— Haleakala summit sunrise experience above the clouds: magical, otherworldly
— Exciting downhill bike ride along the slopes of Haleakala
— Haleakala summit sunset tour with dinner: twilight experience
— Hiking the Pipiwai Trail in the Kipahulu District (self-drive or small group Road to Hana tour)

Entrance fee vs sunrise reservation vs tours (what’s what)

Let’s separate three things that often get mixed up:

1. Entrance pass
   • Required for any visit to the park.
   • Valid 3 consecutive days from purchase, for both districts: Summit and Kīpahulu.
2. Sunrise reservation (Summit, 3–7 am)
   • Required per vehicle if you drive into the Summit District between 3:00 am and 7:00 am.
   • Costs $1 per vehicle, booked on Recreation.gov, and is not covered by any pass or free day.
3. Guided tours (sunrise, downhill bike, Road to Hāna + Kīpahulu, etc.)
   • Run by private companies.
   • You pay them for transport, guiding, and the overall experience.
   • Some tours include or bundle entrance fees; others don’t – details are on the tour listing.

Big picture:

• You pay entrance fees to the National Park Service (NPS).
• You pay tour costs to operators (often via trusted resellers like Viator / GetYourGuide).

For more on tours vs DIY, hop over to /tickets and /best-tours once you’re done here.

Haleakalā entrance fees at a glance (standard visitors)

These are the standard entrance fees shown on the official NPS fee page.

Important: Fees can change. Always reconfirm on the official NPS site or Recreation.gov before you go.

Pass type	Price (2025)	Validity & coverage
Private vehicle (standard)	$30	3 consecutive days, Summit + Kīpahulu, one non-commercial vehicle (≤14 seats) and all occupants.
Motorcycle	$25	3 consecutive days, Summit + Kīpahulu, one private motorcycle.
Per person (walk / bike)	$15	3 consecutive days, Summit + Kīpahulu, one individual (16+). Youth 15 and under free.
Annual Haleakalā / Hawaiʻi Volcanoes / Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau (Tri-Park)	$55	12 months, covers passholder + occupants in one private vehicle at these three Hawaii parks.
America the Beautiful passes	Varies	Accepted at Haleakalā; covers entrance fees according to pass rules (vehicle or per-person).

Credit/debit only at:

• Summit District entrance station
• Kīpahulu District entrance station

How the 3-day Haleakalā pass actually works

This is where you can save some money and stress if you plan smart.

• Your $30 vehicle pass (or $25 motorcycle / $15 per person) is good for 3 consecutive days, counting the day of purchase.
• That same pass gets you into both:
  • Summit District (crater, sunrise/sunset, Sliding Sands, etc.)
  • Kīpahulu District (Pīpīwai Trail, ʻOheʻo Gulch, Kūloa Point).

So a simple win is to plan your summit and Kīpahulu visits within that 3-day window.

Example:

• Day 1: Summit daytime visit (no sunrise)
• Day 2 or 3: Road to Hāna + Kīpahulu (Pīpīwai Trail & coastal views)

One entrance fee, two big experiences.

Pro Tip
Keep your receipt or pass handy. You’ll need to show it again if you re-enter within those 3 days, whether you’re switching districts or coming back for a second summit sunset.

Sunrise reservation: small fee, big confusion

Sunrise above the clouds is legendary, but the permit system trips people up.

Here’s the clean version:

• What it is: A $1 per vehicle reservation to drive into the Summit District between 3:00 am and 7:00 am.
• What it isn’t:
  • It is not your entrance fee. You still pay the standard pass at the gate or online.
  • It is not covered by fee-free days or annual passes.

Key rules from the NPS sunrise FAQ and Recreation.gov:

• Reservations are required year-round for vehicles entering from 3–7 am.
• You can book up to 60 days in advance, with a small batch held and released 2 days before the date.
• You can usually only hold one sunrise reservation in any 3-day period.
• Reservations are online only via Recreation.gov – none are given at the gate.

If you arrive after 7:00 am, you do not need a sunrise reservation – just your regular entrance pass.

Parent / planner tip
If you’re nervous about the permit scramble or driving in the dark, look at guided sunrise tours on trusted resellers (Viator, GetYourGuide, etc.). Many include the permit and handle timing and parking, and a lot of them offer free cancellation if the weather looks grim. Check our /sunrise and /best-tours pages for hand-picked options.

Which pass should you choose?

You basically have four broad choices:

1. Standard 3-day Haleakalā pass

Perfect if:

• You’re visiting only Haleakalā on this trip,
• You’ll do Summit + Kīpahulu over 1–3 days,
• You don’t expect to hit Hawaiʻi Volcanoes or Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau this time.

Use this if you just want a straightforward, one-trip solution.

2. Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass ($55)

This pass covers:

• Haleakalā National Park (Maui)
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Big Island)
• Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park (Big Island)

It’s valid for 12 months, for the passholder + occupants in one private vehicle.

It can be the better value if:

• You’re visiting both Maui and the Big Island on this trip, or
• You plan to return to Hawaii’s national parks within a year.

3. America the Beautiful Passes

These national passes work at all fee-charging U.S. national parks and many other federal sites.

Options include:

• Standard Annual Pass – $80
• Senior Annual/Lifetime, Military, Access (disability), 4th Grade, Volunteer – various discounted/free options

If you have one already, you do not need to buy a separate Haleakalā entrance pass.

Great if:

• You’ll visit multiple U.S. national parks in a year (Hawaiʻi or mainland).

4. Let a tour handle it (indirect “pass”)

Some guided tours:

• Include the entrance fee in the price
• Or clearly state that you’ll pay the park fee at the gate

You’ll see this in the “What’s included” section on Viator/GetYourGuide listings – use our /best-tours, /sunrise, and /sunset-stargazing pages to find options with:

• Free cancellation (usually up to 24 hours before)
• Clear wording about entrance fees and permits
• Hundreds of recent reviews

This isn’t a separate pass type, but it’s effectively a way to bundle transport + guiding + park access logistics into one click.

Where and how to buy your entrance pass

You have two main choices:

Buy online (recommended if you like to prep)

• Purchase a standard pass or annual/digital pass via Recreation.gov ahead of time.
• Save confirmation to your phone and/or print it.

This cuts down on time at the gate and keeps everything in one place.

Buy at the park (card only)

If you prefer to decide on the day:

• Pay at the Summit District entrance station or Kīpahulu District entrance station, credit/debit only.

If the gate is unstaffed when you arrive:

• Use the after-hours automated self-pay machine beside the entrance station (card only).
• If you already have a valid 3-day receipt or pass, you can just drive through.

Fee-free days & upcoming changes (worth knowing)

Fee-free days

On certain days, U.S. national parks waive entrance fees. Haleakalā participates – but:

• Fee-free days do not cover sunrise reservations or early-morning entry between 3–7 am.
• You’ll still need the $1 sunrise reservation if you’re going up for sunrise.

If your trip coincides with a free day, you’ll save on entrance fees but not on permits or tours.

2026 changes for non-US visitors & motorcycles

The NPS has flagged changes to entrance fees and passes for non-US residents and motorcycles starting January 1, 2026. Details may shift, so if your trip is in 2026 or later, check the official Haleakalā fee page shortly before you travel.

Do I still need to pay the park if I’m on a tour?

Short answer: Yes, indirectly – but how it’s handled depends on the tour.

Most Haleakalā tours fall into one of two buckets:

1. Entrance fee included
   • The operator covers your fee and builds it into the tour price.
   • You won’t pay anything at the gate; just bring ID and your ticket/voucher.
2. Entrance fee not included
   • You’ll pay the standard entrance fee at the park gate (or show your pass), and the tour cost is separate.

When comparing tours on our /best-tours, /sunrise, /sunset-stargazing, and /downhill-bike-tours pages, look for lines like:

• “National Park entrance fee included”
• Or “Entrance fee to Haleakalā National Park not included”

If you already have an America the Beautiful or Tri-Park pass, tours that exclude the fee can be better value.

What to do next

Use this page as your fee & pass checklist, then:

1. Confirm your dates and style
   • Going for sunrise? Read /sunrise next.
   • Prefer sunset & stars? Jump to /sunset-stargazing.
   • Want both summit and Kīpahulu? Open /itineraries and /map.
2. Pick the right pass
   • If Haleakalā is your only park: standard 3-day Haleakalā pass is usually best.
   • Visiting Big Island parks too: consider the Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass.
   • Hitting several U.S. parks this year: check your America the Beautiful options.
3. Decide DIY vs guided
   • Check /tickets and /best-tours to compare self-drive costs vs sunrise, sunset, downhill bike, and Road to Hāna + Kīpahulu tours.
   • Prioritize tours with clear fee inclusions and free cancellation, especially in shoulder or wet seasons.
4. Book sunrise reservations early if you’re driving
   • Set a reminder for the 60-day window and use Recreation.gov to grab your spot.

Get this piece right, and the rest of your planning gets easier. The fees become predictable, logistics snap into place, and you can shift your attention back to the fun stuff: which crater viewpoints, which hikes, which waterfall stops – and which tours will turn Haleakalā into one of the standout days of your time on Maui.

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