This extremely strenuous trail descends 2,800 ft. in the first 4 miles to the valley floor. The Keoneheehee (Sliding Sands) Trail starts at the bulletin board by the entrance to the Haleakala Visitor Center parking lot. For a good half-day (and yet still moderately strenuous) hike, we recommend the first 2.5 miles of the trail to the Ka Lu'u o ka O'o cinder cone before turning around and taking the trail back out. The round trip is a 5-mile trek, and given the elevation, it'll feel like it's longer. The final climb back up Haleakala's crater rim will also be more than enough hike for one day. Total elevation gain/loss between the trailhead and the cinder cone is approximately 1,400 ft.
