Is Mauna Kea summit tour worth it?

The summit of Mauna Kea is definitely worth visiting! Don’t let the rental car company make you miss out on this great experience! Couple years ago we took a rental car to the visitors center. Signs said proceed at your own risk higher and you could see the paved road above you.

Can you go to Mauna Kea on your own?

If you are planning to visit Mauna Kea independently, definitely rent a four-wheel-drive car. This way you will be allowed to drive all the way to the clouds. The road to the summit is steep graded-gravel road so a four-by-four Jeep is the safest option for independent travellers.

Can you go to the summit of Mauna Kea?

Keep the Maunakea Rangers informed. The visiting hours to the summit area are from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset. For your safety we ask that visitors leave the summit once it becomes dark. If you are visiting the summit area, please leave the landscape as you find it.

Is Mauna Kea open to visitors?

The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station (VIS) on Maunakea is open every day of the year from 9am to 6pm at the 9,200 foot (2,800 meter) level. They provide health, safety, and other information about Maunakea. Visit their website for more information about upcoming events.

Do you need 4 wheel drive to go up Mauna Kea?

The summit is at 4,205 m (13,796 ft) elevation and high altitude carries serious health risks, most of which can be mitigated by a short stop. You need a 4WD vehicle to drive to the summit of MaunaKea. No 2-wheel drive vehicles are allowed past the end of the paved road just above the VIS.

Is Mauna Kea closer to Hilo or Kona?

It takes 1-hour and 40-minutes to drive from Kona to Hilo. That is the shortest route, taking you between the massive shield volcanoes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, on the aptly named Saddle Road. Kailua-Kona to Hawai’i’s Volcanoes National Park is a 2-hour (83-mile) drive. From Hilo, the drive is 50-minutes (30-miles).

Can I drive a rental car to Mauna Kea?

One of the highest lakes on the planet, Lake Waiau, just 750 ft below the summit. You are welcome to drive your vehicle on the Mauna Kea Summit Rd to the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station. None of our major rental car companies allows their vehicles, Jeeps included, beyond the visitors center.

Is the Mauna Kea summit open?

After being blocked most of the year 2019 during protests against the construction of a new telescope, the MaunaKea summit road is now open again.

Is it bad to go to Mauna Kea?

Maunakea is considered the most sacred of all Hawaii’s volcanoes, and is known by Hawaiians as a region of the gods. For this reason and for safety concerns, visitors are discouraged from traveling beyond the Maunakea Visitor Information Station (VIS).

Is there a bathroom at Mauna Kea?

The bathrooms, located next to the administration building at the park’s entrance, are now available for public use and […] MAUNA KEA, Hawaii – Work on a new restroom facility at the Hawaii County-managed Mauna Kea Recreation Area has been completed.

How difficult is the drive up Mauna Kea?

The road to the summit, with asphalt and gravel sections, is called Mauna Kea Access Road. It’s a 14,7-mile narrow road built in 1964. It can be dangerous, particularly in bad weather. This is one of the toughest drives in the world.