United States
Summit the Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is one of Hawaii's five volcanoes. It has been dormant for a while but was last active 4,600 years ago. The summit of Mauna Kea is a wonderful highlight of your trip to Big Island, but be sure to take safety measures and pay respect.
Drive to Mauna Kea base camp
Step 1: Rent a four-wheel drive car Step 2: Make yourself comfortable in the car. The road can be steep and gravelly, so a four-by-four Jeep is the most suitable vehicle if you prefer driving yourself. If you rent a small vehicle, you won't be allowed to continue past the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station for safety reasons. Before you head out, check with your rental company to see if driving up to the Mauna Kea summit is permitted. Step 3: Drive to Mauna Kea. It takes about one hour from Kona / Hilo. Step 4: Head up to the 'base camp' aka the Visitor Station. Follow Saddle Road until you get to the Mauna Kea access road and visit that road up. The visitor centre is located halfway up the volcano. This stop is a must: you have to acclimate before reaching the peak of Mauna Kea, otherwise you will get sick from the sudden altitude, since you will be going from sealevel to a staggering 4207 meters.
Summit the Mauna Kea
The Mauna Kea summit is one of the best places to see the sunset on Hawaii. You can see the sun dip below the clouds in a spectacular explosion of color, framed by (snowy) peaks, old volcanoes, and futuristic world class telescopes. The summit visiting hours are from half an hour before sunrise until half hour after sunset. For your safety, leave the peak soon after sunset. Also: be respectful. To Hawaiians the summit of Mauna Kea is sacred: it is the place where Poli‘ahu (the goddess of snow) lives.
Galaxy gazing on your way back
Stationed on top of Mauna Kea are several telescopes. In order for them to work best, the surroundings of the volcano are intentionally left dark. No streetlights, no highly lit bars or houses. This makes the area around the volcano a perfect place for stargazing. Get out of the car, lie on your back in the grass and marvel at the thousands of stars, nebulas and the wonderful view on our galaxy. Once a month staff member at the visitor centre organize a free stargazing event. These events are free to attend for locals and visitors, but reservations are required and availability is limited.
