Unusual Places: The Mauna Kea Volcano

When you think of Hawaii, you’re not really picturing snow. But if you want to see one astonishing Hawaiian sunset, you better throw on your parka. It starts with a drive outside of the famous tropics of the island. The landscape slowly starts to resemble a road trip through the middle of New Mexico. The odd experience continues as you make your trek up to the peak of Mauna Kea, parka in hand, thinking, “Really?!”. Yes, really. When you’re going from sea level to nearly 14,000 feet, it can get cold, even below freezing. Brave this attraction and you’ll be rewarded with a view that no one would expect from an island vacation.

Standing 13,796 ft  above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of Mauna Kea is below sea level; when measured from its oceanic base, its height is 33,500 ft more than twice Mount Everest's.

With its high altitude, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation, and one of the most controversial. Since the creation of an access road in 1964, thirteen telescopes funded by eleven countries have been constructed at the summit. The Mauna Kea Observatories are used for scientific research across the electromagnetic spectrum from visible light to radio, and comprise one of the world's largest facilities of their type.

Mauna Kea's coastline is dominated by the Hamakua Coast, an area of rugged terrain created by frequent slumps and landslides on the volcano's flank. The area includes several recreation parks including Kalopa State Recreation Area, Wailuku River State Park and Akaka Falls State Park.

Multiple hiking trails exist, including the Mauna Kea Trail, over 100,000 tourists and 32,000 vehicles go each year to the Visitor Information Station adjacent to the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy. One study reported that around a third of visitors and two thirds of professional astronomers working on the mountain have experienced symptoms of acute altitude sickness; visitors traveling up the volcano's flanks are advised to stop for at least half an hour and preferably longer at the visitor center to acclimate to the higher elevation. It is strongly recommended to use a four-wheel drive vehicle to drive all the way to the top. Between 5,000 and 6,000 people visit the summit of Mauna Kea each year, and to help ensure safety, and protect the integrity of the mountain, a ranger program was implemented in 2001.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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6008 West Bell Rd # F105
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