Highs 37 to 61. The forecast predicts periods of snow and freezing rain to impact summits above 10,500 feet. Watch as the guides use lasers to point out constellations, star clusters, and other stunning celestial bodies. Click here for more information on how the see the sunset from both locations. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Read more about driving to the summit here. Our advanced weather models allow us to provide distinct weather forecasts for several elevations of Some expensive mugs, water bottles and sweatshirts. Maunakea, sometimes referred to as White Mountain, is a dormant volcano on the Big Island in Hawaii and is the largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. Following afternoon pickup, travel in a 4x4 van to the summityou can change into a warm jacket and pair of gloves, and sip a hot beverage, as the sun starts to set. 44-5400 Daniel K. Inouye Hwy, Waimea, HI 96743, USA. SCUBA divers MUST wait at least 24 hours before ascending Mauna Loa to avoid getting the BENDS. Hikers are required to pack out everything they pack in. Mauna Loa information from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Wear warm clothes. To see the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the At 9,200ft (2,800m) elevation the visitor center is a great place for stargazing, especially if you visit during the free weekly stargazing events (currently unavailable due to COVID restrictions). Both Mauna Kea and Maunakea refer to the same place on the Big Island. Telescopes of the MaunaKea Observatory, Hawaii. Mauna Kea Summit Trail. In fact for the official summit tour provided by the Mauna Kea Visitor Center, you must provide your own 4-wheel drive . Not 2021, but we were there in Nov and they didnt have the park guide providing the free talks. Geography of Mauna Kea The sunsets from MaunaKea are out of this world, making a trip to the summit even more attractive. Hawaii National Park An optional TIP of $5-10 per person for good service is customary in Hawaii and is very much appreciated by your guide. Southeast winds up to 10 mph in the morning becoming light. The visitor center has potential - it shares a bit about the sacred grounds and native uses and a little about the observatories and telescopes. Make also sure to bring warm clothes and a windbreaker to stay comfortable as it can get cold and windy. If you have had AMS, HACE, or HAPE before, you are very susceptible to getting it again -- check with your personal physician before hiking on Mauna Loa. For more information on the visitor center follow thislinkto their website. Temperatures can reach near freezing some nights at the visitor center. The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Center, located at the 9,200-foot basecamp, and provides information . It was a cloudy night with a very bright moon, but we still enjoyed it. Mauna Kea is: A dormant volcano that erupted 4600 years ago. Be sure to fill up on gas before you leave though. Good to know: a 1-hour stop at the visitor center halfway up the mountain will let your body acclimatize and greatly decreases the chance that youll experience altitude sickness while going to the summit. The average temperature on top of Mauna Kea is 30F and wind is common. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a must-visit destination on the Big Island. ), MaunaKea last erupted more than 4,000 years ago and is no longer considered an active volcano. The following list contains all the telescopes that are currently in operation on the MaunaKea summit. From left to right: the Subaru Telescope, the W. M. Keck Observatory (2 domes), and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. For more information on the geography of Mauna Kea follow thislinkto Nat Geo. It was a beautiful night, and we were lucky enough to see a rare phenomenon. Early Hawaiians named the behemoth Maunakea, or "white mountain," for the snow that caps its broad slopes for parts of the year. You can reach the visitor station with any car. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you can join a free escorted summit tour, offered 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, from the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station (Onizuka Center). THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH. The complete list of permitted commercial tour companies is (last updated: January 2023 from source): You can compare several of the above tours to the Maunakea summit on the HawaiiActivites1 website. UH 88-Inch Current Weather. There is no more free stargazing unless you want to risk it and hope there's an amateur astronomer with a telescope there when you go. The latest road and weather information are available at the upper right corner of this page. Consider stargazing tours that do not go to the summit (see below) if there are young stargazers in your group. 177 Makaala St, Hilo, Island of Hawaii, HI 96720. A dusting of new snow. We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location. For a wider overview of the weather, consult the Weather Map of Hawaii, United States. Reason enough to be grateful that, on every evening since 2000, the VIS has been hosting stargazing on Mauna Kea for the rest of us. Expect the tour to last an average of 8 hours. We strive to strengthen the future of Maunakea as a natural, cultural, and scientific environment. The stargazing program is organized four nights per week between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm. You will likely need your phone flash light to get back to your car. The Mauna Kea access road is blocked right now - you cannot go up the mountain - you can see stars from all over from the Big Island, but the higher you go, the clearer they are until about 8,500 foot elevation - above that your eye distorts due to low pressure - make sure you are clear where they are taking you star gazing and to what elevation - anywhere is good except Mauna Kea mountain - you can also drive by yourself to one of the mountains and look up with an iPhone app which identifies the stars through the iPhone camera, . Hilo, HI 96720-5108. Experience University of Hawaii managed lands on Maunakea from anywhere with this flyover 3D-perspective animation. Enjoy a sunset and stargazing experience like no other on this small-group trip to Mauna Keathe highest point in the Hawaiian islands. 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. This table gives the weather forecast for Mauna Kea at the specific elevation of 4205 m. The snow is wind swept into interesting patterns (DON'T touch-not for snowballs). Take extra clothes and pack it on in layers as it can be chilly and snowing at the summit. It's a pain for packing, but definitely bring a warm jacket! Rangers providing safety briefing for hikers. There is a campground in the mountan pass and access to the two peaks (by road or trail) and that is all. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Yes! 5 Forecast Elevations: Peak: 13797 ft 11484 ft Mid: 8203 ft 4922 ft Base: This table gives the weather forecast for Mauna Kea at the specific elevation of 4205 m. Our advanced weather models allow us to provide distinct weather forecasts for several elevations of Mauna Kea. Thick fume, image pixel size and other factors often result in image temperatures being lower than actual surface temperatures. The summit of Mauna Kea (one of the Big Island's five volcanoes-it's dormant) sits at 14,000 feet above sea level. One star for clean restrooms. It was a daytime visit on a tour so not a lot to see needs to be a night sky to make it interesting. The 4WD requirement is for good safety reasons (brakes overheating on the way down) and park rangers often check the cars on the summit road. Facebook Pinterest Twitter Instagram Subscribe to our Newsletter, On Top, Volcano Summit Maunakea Big Island Hawaii, favorite stargazing locations on all Hawaiian islands, click here to go to our instagram account, ATV Tours on the Big Island (BIG list of all tour operators), BIG LIST of Kona Coffee Tours on the Big Island, Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boarding: Rentals, Classes and Tours, Hawaiian Haoles, inc. dba Hawaiian Eyes Tours (, Roberts Hawaii Tours (currently not organizing their own tours), Super Vacation Hawaii LLC (LA based travel agency and wholesaler) reachable by email at, United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), University of Hawaii 88-inch (2.2 m) telescope (UH88), University of Hawaii 36-inch (910 mm) telescope (Hoku Kea), One receiver of the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Let us know about trail, cabin, or campsite conditions. These operators are guaranteed to employ knowledgeable guides and bring their own portable telescopes. We chose not to keep going due to the high winds and lack of oxygen. For more information about the event or to reserve a spot for an upcoming tour, visit https://kamaainaobservatoryexperience.org/ or call Imiloa Astronomy Center at (808) 969-9703. Mostly cloudy with frequent rain showers with possible snow showers, freezing rain and thunderstorms likely in the evening, then partly cloudy with frequent rain showers with possible snow showers, freezing rain and thunderstorms likely after midnight. See Visiting Maunakea Safely and Responsibly for important safety information. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Do you need to book in advance to visit Maunakea Visitor Information Station? Wouldnt recommend stopping unless you are doing the summit hike or have 4WD and can go up to the top. More than a foot of new snow fell atop Maunakea . our vision. Winds were strong around 20-30 mph and the temps were around 40 degrees F. The visitor information station is a must stop just to get used to the altitude and throw on some extra clothes. Lows 26 to 42. The Maunakea: Heritage and Natural Resources Guide shares additional information about Maunakea. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Temperatures are below freezing at night all year round. Actually, Mauna Kea is considered one of the most ideal . There were a total of 12 in the van. 95% of travelers recommend this experience. It's very peaceful and beautiful to see the stars, this was the favorite stop of my trip. This park is home to two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, and it offers a variety of activities and experiences for visitors.You can hike on the trails that wind through lava fields and forests, take a scenic drive along Crater Rim Drive, and explore . 320 helpful votes. If you are overseas you can call our office at 01-808-322-2366 or submit an online reservation request.. How far out in advance do I need to make my reservation? Seeing the sunset from the summit is more spectacular but the visitor information center is a good alternative if you cannot make it to the summit. Mild temperatures (max 48F on Tue afternoon, min 45F on Mon night). Luas are available twenty-four hours daily. Northeast winds 10 to 20 mph. The trail is marked with ahu (stacked rocks) and can be very easy to lose in times of low visibility. For more information on the visitor center follow this link to their website. Book your tickets online for Mauna Kea Summit, Kailua-Kona: See 4,610 reviews, articles, and 3,027 photos of Mauna Kea Summit, ranked No.7 on Tripadvisor among 112 attractions in Kailua-Kona. Yes, this was some 18 years ago I drove up there, not Feb 2019 as indicated below; doubt the view has deteriorated since then! 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