Haleakala Summit
Haleakala, located in the Hawaiian Island of Maui, is a dormant volcano that forms over three-fourths of the island. The summit of Haleakala—meaning “house of the sun” in the Hawaiian language—occupies the western end of the Haleakala National Park, and consists mainly of dry, barren-looking terrain that lies at an elevation of 10,023 feet (3,055 m) above sea level. The park is always open from entrace to summit, but a reservation system is in place to access the summit from 3 am to 7 am HST. There are cabins available for lodging, as well as camping areas that are available via reservation. The night skies are rated at about class 2 in the Bortle scale, meaning that they are optimal for amateur stargazing. The nearby Haleakala Observatories lie less than a mile from the summit (just outside of the park); and although the observatories are closed to the public, regular events for stargazing are done near the summit, hosted by Haleakala Amateur Astronomers.