What's on in Haleakala National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Rule

  Sunrise reservation required

  1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

  Entering the summit district between three and seven in the morning needs a reservation booked on recreation.gov, released sixty days ahead and again forty-eight hours ahead, one per household every three days. Turning up without one does not work. Source ↗

• Rule

  No swimming at the Pools of Oheo

  1 Jan – 31 DecClosures

  The pools in the Kipahulu district are closed to entry on safety grounds and can only be looked at from the Kuloa Point trail. Flash floods and rockfall come without warning here, and help is an hour away down the Hana road. Source ↗

Still on: Nene breeding season (1 Oct – 31 Mar), Winter storms at the summit (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Nature

  Hawaiian petrel nesting season

  1 Feb – 30 Nov · usuallyBirdlife season

  The endangered 'ua'u nest in burrows around the summit from February to November, and chicks fledge at night in October; after dark near the crater you may hear the adults calling as they fly in from the sea. Source ↗

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Nene breeding season (1 Oct – 31 Mar), Winter storms at the summit (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Nene breeding season (1 Oct – 31 Mar), Winter storms at the summit (1 Dec – 31 Mar (usually))

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Silversword flowering

  15 Jun – 31 Oct · usuallyWildflowers & blooms

  Each silversword flowers once in its life, sending up a tall stalk of reddish-purple flowers before it dies; the summit plants bloom from early summer into autumn, with many in some years and only a handful in others. Source ↗

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Silversword flowering (15 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Silversword flowering (15 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Silversword flowering (15 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Nature

  Nene breeding season

  1 Oct – 31 MarBirdlife seasonRisk

  The Hawaiian goose nests on the ground through the cool half of the year, across a range of habitats and elevations inside the park. Pairs walk the summit road and the car parks in these months, so drive slowly and give them room. Source ↗

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Silversword flowering (15 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Hawaiian petrel nesting season (1 Feb – 30 Nov (usually)), Nene breeding season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Winter storms at the summit

  1 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyWinter storms & galesClosures

  Winter storms can bring gale winds, ice and even snow to the summit, and the park closes the road up and cancels sunrise reservations until crews clear it; keep a summit day flexible when a Kona low is forecast. Source ↗

Still on: Sunrise reservation required (1 Jan – 31 Dec), No swimming at the Pools of Oheo (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Nene breeding season (1 Oct – 31 Mar)