HAWAII NATIONAL PARK
_A Guide for the
Haleakala Section
Island of Maui, Hawaii_
by
George C. Ruhle
_illustrated by Donald M. Black_
[Illustration: HAWAII · NATURAL · HISTORY · ASSOCIATION]
PUBLICATION OF THE
HAWAII NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION
JUNE, 1959
[Illustration: On the Sliding Sands Trail]
_Preface_
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.