$30 per private vehicle, good for 3 days, covering Summit and Kīpahulu. Motorcycles are $25. If you arrive on foot or by bicycle it is $15 per person aged 16 and over. There is no separate charge for the Pīpīwai Trail and no second gate at Kīpahulu. Pay by card, because cash is not accepted anywhere in the park.
| Pass | Cost | Valid for | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle | $30 | 3 days | Everyone in the car, Summit and Kīpahulu |
| Motorcycle | $25 | 3 days | Rider and passenger, both districts |
| Walk in or bicycle | $15 | 3 days | Per person, age 16 and over |
| Hawaiʻi Tri-Park annual | $55 | 12 months | Haleakalā plus the two Hawaiʻi Island parks |
| America the Beautiful | $80 | 12 months | Accepted here and at every national park |
| Sunrise reservation | $1 | One dated slot | Summit only. Not an entrance fee and not needed for Pīpīwai |
How much does it cost to hike the Pīpīwai Trail?
The entrance fee and nothing else. $30 gets your car and everyone in it into Haleakalā National Park for 3 days. There is no trail fee, no parking charge, no per-person surcharge on top of the vehicle rate, and no guide requirement.
The per-person rates only apply if you arrive without a car. Cyclists and anyone dropped off pay $15 each if they are 16 or older, and under-16s are free. A motorcycle is $25 and covers the rider and a passenger. For a family in one rental car, the vehicle rate is always the cheaper answer.
Does the fee cover the summit as well as Kīpahulu?
Yes. One pass, Summit and Kīpahulu, and that surprises people because the two districts are on opposite sides of the mountain with no road between them inside the park. Kīpahulu is the coastal district that holds Pīpīwai Trail. The summit is the crater and the sunrise. You pay once.
The 3 day window is the part worth planning around. Drive up for sunrise on Monday and the same receipt gets you into Kīpahulu on Wednesday, which is the sensible way to do both, since attempting the summit and the Hāna Highway in one day means eleven hours of driving.
Keep the receipt somewhere you can produce it without a signal. It is the pass. A confirmation email you cannot load past Hāna is not much use at a self-pay machine.
How do you pay at Kīpahulu?
Credit or debit at the entrance or a self-pay machine. Cash is not accepted, at either district, at any hour. This is the single most common way people get caught out here, usually the ones who brought cash specifically because they assumed a remote coastal entrance would want it.
There is not always a ranger in the booth at Kīpahulu. When there is not, you use the self-pay machine, take the receipt, and put it on the dashboard. Nobody waves you through because the booth was empty.
Which annual pass makes sense?
If you already own an America the Beautiful pass, use it. It is accepted, it covers the vehicle, and you are done.
If you do not, the $55 Hawaiʻi Tri-Park annual is the one to weigh. It covers Haleakalā plus Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau for a year, so it pays for itself the moment your trip includes the Big Island, or if you are coming back to Maui inside twelve months. For a single visit that stays inside the 3 day window, the $30 vehicle pass is enough.
Is the $1 sunrise reservation part of the entrance fee?
No. It is a separate $1 booking through Recreation.gov that lets you drive to the summit between 3am to 7am, and it does not include admission. If you book it, you still pay the $30 entrance fee at the gate.
It has nothing to do with this trail. Summit only. Not required for Pīpīwai. Kīpahulu has no entry reservation of any kind, at sunrise or any other hour.
Are there fee-free days?
A handful each year, and they move. The park waives entrance fees on a short list of dates that usually includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first day of National Park Week in April, the Great American Outdoors Act anniversary in August, National Public Lands Day in September, and Veterans Day.
Free entry does not mean an empty lot. Kīpahulu parking is the constraint, not the fee, so a fee-free day is a reason to arrive earlier than usual rather than later. Fourth graders get a year of free entry through the Every Kid Outdoors program, and there are free lifetime passes for US military, veterans, and people with permanent disabilities.
Questions
- How much is the Pīpīwai Trail entrance fee?
- $30 per private vehicle for 3 days. Motorcycles are $25, and it is $15 per person aged 16 and over if you arrive without a vehicle.
- Does the Haleakalā entrance fee cover Kīpahulu?
- Yes. One pass covers Summit and Kīpahulu for 3 days, so a summit sunrise and the Pīpīwai Trail can share a single fee.
- Can you pay the Haleakalā entrance fee with cash?
- No. Credit or debit at the entrance or a self-pay machine. Cash is not accepted at either district.
- How long is the Haleakalā park pass good for?
- 3 days from purchase, covering both districts. Keep the receipt, it is the pass.
- Is the $1 sunrise reservation the same as the entrance fee?
- No. The $1 Recreation.gov reservation only books summit access between 3am to 7am. You still pay the entrance fee, and it is not required for Pīpīwai.
- Is the America the Beautiful pass accepted at Haleakalā?
- Yes, and it covers the whole vehicle. The $55 Hawaiʻi Tri-Park annual is the other option if your trip includes the Big Island parks.
Sources: https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/fees.htm · https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/kipahulu.htm · https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/conditions.htm