Maui Volcano Quest

DEPARTURE & DURATION

Morning departure 8am
Duration is approximately 8 hours

About:

• Start at sea level, then traverse through a variety of terrain including sugar cane fields, rolling countryside, green pastureland and old lava fields
• Arrive at Haleakala Crater – approximately 10,000 feet above the ocean!
• Peruse the Haleakala Visitor Center which showcases cultural & natural history exhibits, books and maps
• Walk the Pa Ka’oao Trail (.4 mile round-trip, 20-minute trail) to observe ancient rock walls, shelters and an outstanding crater view
• Drive to Pu’u’ula’ula where we explore the summit (15-minute walk) and examine the highly endangered, endemic Silversword plant
• Gaze at the horizon, revealing the outer lying islands of Lana’i, Kaho’olawe and Hawai’i (Big Island)
• Enjoy a light refreshment of fresh pineapple & banana bread
• Take a stroll through a cloud forest featuring a hundred-year-old grove of cedar, pine, spruce & eucalyptus (.5 mile, 30-minute trail)
• Study flora, fauna and the effects of invasive species
• Watch for native birds and listen to their calls
• Descend the mountain and delight in a leisurely luncheon at the Kahului Food Truck Park (lunch not included)
• Drive into 'Iao Valley - the sunken caldera of our western volcano
• View a 2,200-foot natural basalt tower used as a watchtower in times of war
• Explore a path that features Maui's largest stream, flora & fauna, lookouts and native Hawaiian agricultural system
• Visit a cultural garden created in tribute to the ethnicities that arrived to pioneer the plantation