Hike the Mighty Sliding Sands Trail at Haleakala National Park
tanding at the summit of Mount Haleakala is already an unworldly experience for anyone visiting Hawaii for the first time. The mountain is already very well known to be one of the best places on Earth to watch the sunrise.
Haleakala means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian and the name is well earned. If you’re ambitious enough to wake up early on your vacation and make your way to the summit you’ll catch a beautiful birth of a day unlike any you’ve ever seen. Cameras cannot capture the magnificence of the first rays of the new day sparkling across the landscape transforming a dark world into a painter’s dream of vivid colors and magnificent mountainous faces.
Haleakala National Park
There’s still so much more to appreciate at Haleakala National Park and staying to explore the trails is well worth the experience for anyone interested in making the journey to Maui for a Continuing Education Company CME conference. If you have a free day or even just half or part of a day to explore the park it will be well worth the investment. If you feel overwhelmed at the visitor’s center or can’t decide on which path to take consider choosing the mighty Sliding Sands Trail. This trail is widely considered to be one of the best hiking trails in the entire country and will take you past landscapes beyond your wildest imagination. Just be sure to bring along plenty of sunscreen, water, a snack, and of course your camera to take plenty of pictures along the way.
Sliding Sands Trail
The trail is easy to find located right beside the park’s visitor center. Don’t let the relative ease of finding the trailhead fool you into thinking the trail isn’t at all strenuous. Although the trail can be difficult at times and take you through a variety of elevation changes the hike is perfectly fun and achievable if you come prepared and well-rested. The Sliding Sands Trail begins at the mighty Haleakala summit towering well over ten thousand feet. You then begin to descend along a path that carves its way down the summit. With every step you take, you’ll descend further and further down the mountain and towards the valley. All in all, you’ll descend almost three thousand feet to the valley crater below before winding your way back to the starting point on the mountain where you began your journey.
The descent and ascent of this hike can feel more like a trip around the solar system than a trip around a national park. The mountainous views are akin to that of an alien world and you get a calming sense of drifting through space as you traverse past shifting mounds of sand the color of Mars and white rock craters that wouldn’t be out of place on the surface of the moon. Don’t let the beauty of geology distract you from the incredible sight of the sky. The altitude on some places of the journey gives you astounding views of clouds collecting across far off summits and the sun casts far-stretching and surreal shadows that pull across the colorful sands.
Be prepared
If you plan on tackling the mighty Sliding Sands Trail, please come prepared with the correct equipment, comfortable clothing, and plenty of time. The trail takes approximately half of a day to complete if you decide to take the complete loop. Although this may seem like a massive investment of time the journey is well worth the effort. Hiking this trail is the dream of many outdoor enthusiasts and the views and pictures you’ll capture along the way are sure to build memories that will last you a lifetime.
Upcoming CME Conferences & Online Learning
Want to attend a live CME conference in a beautiful locale or complete an online course from the comforts of home?
At Continuing Education Company, we provide you with options to make your medical continuing education fun, engaging, and relevant. Check out our conference calendar to view the dates and locations of upcoming conferences as well as the online learning courses and live streaming that are currently available. And, for a limited period of time, take advantage of our Special Offer! Attend one of our LIVE conferences in person and you will receive a FREE online 15 credit CME course from CME365™.