Most of us yearn to travel, and the preliminary to travel is to choose a place that others, people or books, say is interesting, then find out more about it. This guide is to help you find out more about Haleakala. It is neither a reference book nor a treatise. It sums up what many have studied and observed. It skims over the myths that the mountain itself created in the imagination of old Hawaiians. It reflects also the labor and thought of the compiler. Its aim is to satisfy your interest while you are here on the brim, or at some other point. For some of you it may be the start of a deeper curiosity, to be satisfied by further reading elsewhere. Think of this booklet as a chatty companion along the way, and a ready reminder after you have left, of your pleasant experience at Haleakala. The system of 29 National Parks contains areas of superlative scenic and scientific grandeur essentially in the primitive state. The National Park Service of the Department of the Interior administers these, as well as 152 other areas of outstanding national significance. The law of the land enjoins us to use them in such manner that they may be passed unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. The story of HAWAII NATIONAL PARK is the story of active volcanism singularly marked by eruptions of very fluent lava. The park is in two sections; that on the island of Maui, discussed in this guide, includes the great eroded crater of Haleakala Volcano; that on the island of Hawaii embraces the summits of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Volcanoes. |