Haleakalā (pron.:
/ˌhɑːliːˌɑːkəˈlɑː/; Hawaiian:
[ˈhɐleˈjɐkəˈlaː]), or the
East Maui Volcano, is a massive
shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the
Hawaiian Island of
Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by the
West Maui Mountains.
Early Hawaiians applied the name
Haleakalā ("house of the sun") to the general mountain. Haleakalā is also the name of a peak on the south western edge of Kaupō Gap. In
Hawaiian folklore, the depression at the summit of Haleakalā was home to the grandmother of the
demigod Māui. According to the legend, Māui's grandmother helped him capture the sun and force it to slow its journey across the sky in order to lengthen the day.
The tallest peak of Haleakalā, at 10,023 feet (3,055 m), is Puʻu ʻUlaʻula (Red Hill). From the summit one looks down into a massive depression some 11.25 km (7 mi) across, 3.2 km (2 mi) wide, and nearly 800 m (2,600 ft) deep. The surrounding walls are steep and the interior mostly barren-looking with a scattering of
volcanic cones.
