Haleakalā National Park (Cabin Permits)

Amazing experience. Cabin was cleaned and well stocked.

Cabins are rustic, and outhouses are precisely what you think they would be, so be prepared for the smell and conditions. Usually, there is toilet paper, but if you are concerned, bring one roll to help your peace of mind. You need to carry everything in and out, so consider that when packing food. Summer stays could be dry, and water catchments might not have water. Be prepared to carry water on your hike for your time in the crater.

We love the hike in and out. The stars we amazing. The flys in the cabin were prevalent this trip! But that is okay. BRING YOUR OWN DISH RAGS. Just a helpful hint. Those rags up there are disgusting.

It was good. The propane and wood logs were stocked. It was great weather so that added to the experience. They resident Nene kind of like people too much and defecate all over the picnic area. Other campers probably feed them which is too bad, otherwise they are pretty cool. Peaceful beautiful area. Magnificent at night watching the full moon and listening to the resident Hawaiian petrels fly above.

Getting to enjoy this cabin is such an amazing gift!

Aloha, our group of 12 had the opportunity to stay at the Paliku cabin this past Saturday. After hiking 10 miles in heavy mist, wind and rain, it was nice to be able to spend the night indoors. Here are some details about our stay that I thought might be helpful for future visitors. The cabin had four triple bunk beds and a great large table for the group. The kitchen was stocked with large pots for boiling water, a kettle, pans, bowls, plates, utensils, and mugs. There was a large propane burner stove with propane provided lined through the wall with a master shut-off switch; four small wood logs for the wood burning stove; and plenty of toilet paper in the nearby outhouse. I mention these last three items because when our group arrived at the summit trailhead we were greeted with a temporary NPS sign saying the cabins would not have propane, wood or toilet paper. We packed two small gas stoves and some TP to be safe. Given that I received three emails regarding my trip the week prior, including one the day before, it would be nice if the NPS could confirm 24 hours in advance if there would be propane/wood/toilet paper available so groups could plan accordingly. The NPS also recommends bringing your own cleaning supplies to sanitize the cabin. I also highly recommend bringing in some Clorox wipes, dish soap and sponges to wipe down the kitchen area and table as we found mice turds on the counters. There is a hook in the ceiling to hang your trash and hooks of the bunkbeds to hang your packs overnight so that the mice don't get into them. The wood burning stove worked alright once we got it going but the logs provided were not enough to dry out our gear and were done in a few hours. The NPS recommends buying additional logs and I do as well, although given the wet conditions often found at Paliku, maybe they could provide a few more and just build it into the nightly rate. Overall our group enjoyed ourselves and a big Mahalo to the NPS for providing this experience!

Phenomenal, otherworldly setting. The bunk pads were suitably comfortable, and there were plenty of utensils and and cooking gas for meal prep. We went to sleep to the sound of ua'u (Hawaiian petrels) serenading us and woke up to a flock of nene (Hawaiian geese) outside the cabin. The best experience from my whole trip to Maui.

Magic ✨️

This was a father and daughter trip and we couldn’t have asked for a better time! The stars were quite literally out of this world and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city was exactly what we needed. The cabin was clean and well maintained. There was plenty of water and propane, however there was no fire wood. The park rangers at the top advised us to expect none of these since the layoffs, the cabin hasn’t been able to be restocked. We were fortunate enough to have at least the water and propane but if you’re going in the near future I would pack accordingly. Thank you to the park rangers for all your help and guidance and to the kind ranger that is still sending the combination codes to get into the cabin! We truly appreciate you all.

Staying at Kapalaoa was an amazing experience. We hiked in and out on Sliding Sands and, honestly, we found the downhill hike more challenging than the reverse. Our hiking time was actually shorter returning to the rim, and we weren't exactly hustling. Don't misunderstand—it's still a hard hike. we stayed 2 nights, which was perfect for us. we only hiked a short distance the middle day to keep us limber.

The cabin was spacious for two of us. The equipment in the kitchen was helpful, especially the propane stove to boil water. I would recommend not just bringing the water to a boil, but letting it boil for a good long time. There were handy items of "trail magic" left behind by others (food, soap, spices) but you shouldn't count on that. Thanks to whoever left the popcorn before us!

I realize belts are tightening at the Park Service, so not a criticism, but a few more logs for the woodstove would help get through the night, but we were fine with our cold weather sleeping bags.

We were there on a nearly full moon. It felt like broad daylight outside. Still, there were plenty of stars to see. If one were there on a moonless night, I'll bet the starscape is spectacular.