Altitude sickness can put a damper on your visit to the stunning Haleakalā Hawaii. But fear not; we've got you covered. In this quick guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about Haleakala altitude sickness and provide five expert tips to avoid altitude sickness.
Haleakala altitude, also known as Haleakala National Park altitude, sits at 10,023 feet above sea level at the peak. Haleakala is the third tallest mountain (volcano) in Hawaii, just under Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Haleakala Altitude:
If you count the mountain below water under the sea, Haleakala is technically taller than most mountains in the world including K2, Mount McKinley, and Mount Kilimanjaro.
The elevation of the Haleakala Visitor Center is 9,740 feet above sea level. It sits in the summit area of the Haleakala mountain.¹⁰
Haleakala Visitor Center Altitude:
A second visitor center, named Haleakalā National Park Headquarters Visitor Center, is at 7,000 feet above sea level.
Yes, at 10,023 feet Haleakalā is considered high altitude.
According to Mountain Medicine, high altitude ranges between 4,900 to 11,500 feet.³
Yes, you can get altitude sickness on Haleakalā.
Since you ascend in elevation relatively fast going up Haleakalā, this puts high strain on your body with regards to altitude sickness.
It is estimated at 10,000 feet that up to 50% of people will experience altitude sickness. A this elevation range, this puts Haleakalā in a very high risk category of altitude sickness.
Mauna Kea is taller than Haleakalā, and is considered the tallest mountain in Hawaii at 13,803 feet.
Haleakalā lands at the third tallest mountain in Hawaii at 10,023 feet, below both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Haleakala altitude sickness, also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), is caused by the lower oxygen found at high-elevations.
With little time to adjust, the body is burdened with oxidative stress and other physiological stress. This lack of oxygen can quickly lead to symptoms such as headaches and nausea.
Haleakala altitude sickness symptoms can include:
These symptoms of altitude sickness when climbing Haleakala can kick in as fast as 6 to 10 hours. You should be well prepared before conquering the Haleakala volcano, read our top five expert tips below.
Hiking Haleakalā can be extremely hard especially as you climbs to heights of 6,000 to 8,000 feet high. Coming from Colorado, we know that these elevations can be very difficult for people coming from sea level.
The low oxygen levels put a lot of stress on the body potentially leading to altitude sickness, and if you make it to the summit the risk gets even worse, sometimes up to 50% of people feeling symptoms.
Action Tour Guide advices that it takes about three hours to drive to the top of Haleakalā.¹¹ Based on this, you're looking at about a 6 hour round trip.
While you may be exposed to the high altitudes for less time than hiking Haleakalā, altitude sickness can still be a threat when driving it.
Visiting the beautiful Haleakalā in Maui Hawaii is a memorable trip that you don't want to be set back by altitude sickness.
As a company with over 10 years of high-altitude experience, we'll share with you our top expert tips so that you can have a more enjoyable Haleakalā visit or climb.
Here's 5 Tips To Avoid Haleakala Altitude Sickness:
By following these five tips, you can enjoy a better experience visiting the altitudes of Haleakalā National Park.
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SOURCES:
1. Haleakal Elevation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakal
2. Haleakala National Park Maui Altitude
https://www.gohawaii.com/islands/maui/regions/upcountry-maui/haleakala-national-park
3. Effects of high altitude on humans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_high_altitude_on_humans
4. Patient education: High-altitude illness (including mountain sickness)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/high-altitude-illness-including-mountain-sickness-beyond-the-basics
5. Altitude Sickness - Hiking Haleakala
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/altitude-sickness/
6. Why Do You Need to Drink a Lot of Water at a High Altitude?
https://www.livestrong.com/article/360485-how-to-train-for-high-altitude-hiking
7. High altitude and oxidative stress
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17482529/
8. Oxidative Stress and Diseases Associated with High-Altitude Exposure
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8868315/
9. Effect of high altitude (7,620 m) exposure on glutathione
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11320641/
10. The Haleakalā Visitor Centers Elevation
https://www.skylinehawaii.com/blog/the-haleakala-visitor-centers
11. How Long Does it Take to Drive to the Summit of Haleakala?
https://actiontourguide.com/2023/04/17/how-long-does-it-take-to-drive-to-the-summit-of-haleakala/
12. Hiking Haleakala National Park
https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/hiking.htm
