The Guide · Reservations
What needs booking. What doesn’t. No mysteries.
The road itself is free and reservation-less. Two gates want money, and exactly one wants a reservation. Here’s the whole system.
The one true reservation: Waiʻanapanapa
The black sand beach at MM 32 is the only stop on the route that requires advance booking — and it’s strict. Non-residents reserve and prepay online: $5 per person plus $10 per vehicle for a 3-hour window. Slots open 30 days ahead, release daily at midnight Hawaiʻi time, and mid-morning windows go first. No walk-ups, rangers check, refunds up to 3 days out, Hawaiʻi residents with ID exempt. Set one alarm 30 days before your drive and this paragraph never becomes your problem.
The national park: pay at the gate
ʻOheʻo Gulch and the Pipiwai Trail sit inside Haleakalā National Park’s Kīpahulu District — $30 per vehicle at the gate, card only, no reservation needed. That pass runs 3 consecutive days at BOTH districts, so the same receipt covers a summit trip. One separate wrinkle worth knowing: watching SUNRISE from the Haleakalā summit requires its own advance reservation on recreation.gov — that’s a summit rule, not a Hana one, but it bites people who try to combine both.
Everything else: just show up
Twin Falls, the eucalyptus, Keʻanae, the banana bread, Three Bears, the wayside, Nahiku, Hana town, Koki and Hamoa, Wailua Falls — no reservations, no permits, no tickets. Parking fees and early arrival are the only currency. The Garden of Eden takes admission at the gate ($20 adult), no booking needed.
Keep planning
- Waiʻanapanapa — the full guide →
- ʻOheʻo + the park pass →
- The Haleakalā combo + pass →
- All the guides →
Written and shot on the route by Shane Perry, Maui resident.
Straight answers
Take the whole plan with you.
The Glovebox Copy — every stop, marker, and fee on printable paper. Free.