The East Maui Volcano, more popularly and commonly known as Mount Haleakala is responsible for 75% of Maui’s land mass and is one of the largest shield volcanoes in the world.  The mountain’s name is derived from the Hawaiian meaning “house of the sun,” likely because of its location on the western portion of Maui where the sun would be seen rising up over the eastern half of the mountain.  According to legend, Haleakala was also the home to the grandmother of the demigod Maui.  Estimates of Haleakala’s last eruption range from the late 1700s to as recently as 1790. Today, most of the mountain is encapsulated as part of the Haleakala National Park that is 30,183 acres in area.  In addition to being a tremendous tourist destination where bikers descend the mountain roads or visitors watch the sun rise in the early morning, Haleakala is also the home to a lot of astrophysical research.

Similar to the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, a number of telescopes are based atop Haleakala, including the Space Surveillance Systems of the U.S. Department of Defense.  Even more important is the large number of native and endemic species that call the slopes of Haleakala home.  Additionally, several of the finest Maui homes have been built on the mountain’s lower slopes and feature a convenient distance from downtown Kahului and scenic views of the island and the oceans.