![]() Beware that parking is available for up to 115-vehicles on a first-come, first served basis. You can stargaze at the information station on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm – 10pm (weather permitting). ![]() We sipped hot chocolate and looked at the stars through massive telescopes operated by staff and volunteers. ![]() There’s also tea, coffee, soup, hot chocolate, and astronomy books you can buy.īut mostly we enjoyed the stargazing activity after getting back to the centre from the summit of Mauna Kea. We really enjoyed snooping around and investigating the interactive displays. The staff here are very welcoming and knowledgeable and Mauna Kea rangers will do their best to answer all your questions. When heading to the summit, leave enough time to visit the Mauna Kea Information Station. It sits in the subalpine forest, surrounded by native Hawaiian Mamane trees. When you get to the Visitor Information Station, pay attention to the surroundings. The Hawaiian word “ahinahina” means “grey-grey” and was the best description of this rather beautiful plant by a society that didn’t know metals. One of the most impressive surviving plants is Ahinahina (aka Silversword) – a plant, that grows on the slopes of Mauna Kea and the East Maui volcano Haleakala! It has nearly every kind of climate zone from tropical and rainforests to alpine desert.įlora and fauna here are quite remarkable, but the winds, snow, and rain are the main factors that are constantly affecting and eroding Mauna Kea’s fragile ecosystem. It is considered a dormant volcano, but not entirely extinct. It’s a one-million-year-old volcano that has last been active just 4,600 years ago. It’s a Living Mountain with Every Kind of Climate Zone As always, we recommend saving your destination on Google maps on your smartphone before heading out and then following the instructions. It will take you over an hour or so to reach Mauna Kea from Kona, Hilo or Waimea (Kamuela). If measured from the bottom base in the ocean right up to the top, it would be the tallest peak on the planet, twice as tall as Mount Everest. Revered across the world alongside its counterpart, Mauna Loa, it reaches over 13,800ft above sea level in height making it the tallest volcano on earth. Located on the Big Island, Mauna Kea is one of the five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii. Where is Mauna Kea and Why It’s So Amazing? To this day, watching sunset atop this ancient volcano is one of the most cherished memories from all of our travels. Our whole trip to Hawaii has been inspired by the snowy Mauna Kea and its iconic white-dome stargazing telescopes. ![]() Are you planning a visit to the Mauna Kea summit for the sunset of your life on your next Big Island adventure? Then this post is for you. ![]()
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