Standing at the top of the world, we could see everything. Nearby, volcanic cones in varying shades of orange created a primeval landscape. Lower on the mountain, a lei of puffy clouds ringed the slopes. And in the distance, sister volcanoes rose over the blue horizon. We stood very nearly at the top of Mauna Kea.
We weren’t in Hawai’i very long before a trip to Big Island was in the works. Of course, we loved our new home on O’ahu. And we had big plans of returning to Kauai for the famed Kalalau Trail. Molokai and Maui also beckoned. But it was Hawai’i Island that captivated our imaginations most. With lava looking and manta ray magic at night, coupled with not one but two alpine peaks…we knew we had to go!
One month after we moved to paradise, it was time to plan an anniversary adventure in another, nearby paradise! In July 2022, we took a short flight to the Big Island and had one of our favorite getaways ever. We walked the newest beach in the world at Pohoiki. Under the stars in Kona, we swam with those graceful dancers of the sea, mantas. A rainbow and a spray of positive ions greeted us on a road trip to ‘Akaka State Park. We admired all kinds of lava features at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, from tunnels to sea arches – and, best of all, Kilauea’s active lava lake! And, of course, we climbed Mauna Kea.
Measured from the sea to the summit, Mauna Kea is the highest peak in the islands at 13,803 feet (4,207m). Measured from the seafloor to the summit, and the scale is even more impressive: by this metric, Mauna Kea is arguably the tallest mountain on Earth!
A summit of this towering, beautiful and sacred mountain was high on our list of awesome adventures in Hawai’i. We made no set plan for which day to climb it, but rather let weather dictate the day of our trek. As it turned out, July 9th dawned perfect for an expedition!
Not that you would have known it from our jungle abode, though. It rained on and off all night – and it was drizzly when we hit the road in the early hours of the morning. A thick bank of clouds blotted out the night sky above Hilo and obscured Mauna Kea. But by the time we reached the Visitor Information Center on the flanks of the mountain, we’d climbed above the clouds.
After checking the forecast, we hit the Humu’ula Trail in the first golden light of dawn. The view looking back over our shoulders was stunning!
But man, it was cold. Even at the start of our hike, we were already high: nearly 10,000 feet (~3,000m). Used to living in the comfortable climes of sea level, we had to hustle if we wanted to warm up!
The trail provided us with a nice climb right off the bat to help with that. The next time we paused to look back from whence we’d come, we couldn’t! We’d turned a corner on the mountain’s flank, and our view was instead a panorama of Mauna Loa in all her glory. (On this particular trip, we’d been keen to climb both peaks – but alas, did not get to. We’d be back for Mauna Loa, however…)
Humu’ula Trail follows a steady incline up through a moon-scape of jagged orange rocks. After a while, we were at a height where we could look back and out at the various cinder cones that dot Mauna Kea’s slopes. Sometimes, we could see the gravel access road that runs roughly parallel to the hiking trail. One thing we could never see during our hike, was the summit. Like many massive mountains viewed up close, the top hid out of view behind other features for most of our climb.
Just when I’d finally warmed up enough to shed a few layers, we reached an exposed stretch of ground where icy winds whipped around the mountain, chilling us to the bone. I was so happy I’d brought both gloves and hand-warmers, as I needed them desperately! I deployed both for the middle section of our trek.
After four hours of slow and steady hiking, we reached Lake Waiau! I’d been incredibly excited to visit this rare, high alpine lake. Along with the summit of Mauna Kea, this lake has long served as a sacred site to native Hawaiians. When we stopped by, there was evidence of both ancient ahu and more modern offerings around the circumference of the lake.
We sat beside and respectfully tread around these waters without touching them. This little lake is fed only by precipitation. How it holds onto the melt, in a region of extremely porous rock, is still something of a mystery. That, and the lake’s greenish hue, add to the allure of this special stopover!
After a snack attack, it was time to continue on up to our peak. Now, we had it in our sights!
But before we reached Mauna Kea’s sacred summit, we entered the realm of the observatory. Mauna Kea’s location, in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, is home to some of the cleanest air on Earth – making it an ideal place to study the stars. Numerous observatories have sprung up over the years, with more in planning. These structures, and access to them, has been a local point of contention for decades. Many argue that important astronomical research is being done here – but others say it’s sacrilegious, violating a kapu that forbids summit access to most mortals.
Debates aside, it’s a crazy place to find oneself after hours of hiking in what feels like an off-world wilderness. You come around a giant cinder cone to suddenly see these shining silver domes at close range. This is also the place where the trail joins the road for the final uphill – and it’s paved! It really feels like rejoining civilization at this point.
All the more so for us when we encountered a ranger! As we started to stride up the easy terrain of the road, a truck driving downward actually pulled us over. The ranger jotted down our names in a notebook and asked us several questions, ascertaining our fitness to continue. Even while I coveted his position, I was absolutely delighted the encounter. We’ve seldom come across rangers on hikes or runs, and it was nice to see their commitment to pedestrian safety.
Onward! Although we were still climbing, the road wrapped around Mauna Kea’s upper flanks in gentle switchbacks. Furthermore, the footing was incredibly smooth compared to the trail. We made good time through this section, chatting and laughing about all the signs that looked like they’d been attacked by an enormous hole-punch. In fact, these are designed to withstand the wild winds that sometimes sweep over the summit!
Just before we reached the topmost observatories, we encountered a sign gently suggesting we not go further. I paused here to really think this through. Before setting out on this journey, we’d intended to go all the way – but we hadn’t known much about the Mauna Kea’s mythology, then We wanted to go on to the top, but I suddenly felt unsure.
Ultimately, we came to a kind of compromise. We decided to go on, but treading as lightly as we could: we’d avoid the ahu at the very highest point, save our snacking for later and skip the summit selfie. Was this right? I had my qualms.
But we hadn’t come up to visit the observatories, after all. I justified my decision-making with the fact that we’re not casual tourists, but genuine peak aficionados who’d flown here to take on this climb. Ultimately, it’s a choice every hiker and other visitor must make for themself. My two cents: if you’re driving up, don’t do it. Give it a serious think if you’re hiking – and only go if you can travel lightly and treat the mountain with the respect it deserves.
I gave Mauna Kea my full attention and reverence as we trekked quietly around the small summit crater. For the twenty or so minutes we spent silently walking around the roof of the world, I felt deeply grateful.
Reunited with the tarred road, it was time for a few photos before we returned the way we’d come. We ran down the road (finding it easier than maintaining a slow-speed hiking descent) – but stopped short at a hairpin turn in the road. This was where we reveled in some alternative summit celebrations!
Afterwards, there was naught to do but get back on the trail and head downslope. We’d seen just one other hiker (a trail runner, in fact!) on our ascent. Coming down around 11 am, we expected to meet many more. But there were precious few! We only crossed paths with maybe a dozen other people.
Compared to our leisurely ascent, the descent felt zippy! This was probably helped by the fact that we did a not insignificant amount of sliding on the final, gravelly portion towards the VIS. By around 2 pm, we were enjoying the facilities and signing out on the visitor’s log with a great feeling of satisfaction.
Mauna Kea had been quite a climb! Even with road access to the high parking lot, the altitude change coming from sea level is massive. Thanks to the tricky terrain and the remaining thousand meter ascent, it is a significant trek. It felt like an achievement, but more than that, it was an awesome, one-of-a-kind experience.
The copper-color cones that decorate the flanks, the incredible views of Mauna Kea and the rugged, rocky trek made this an unforgettable hike. I loved every minute on the majestic Mauna Kea!
Know and Go! Mauna Kea
TRANSPORTATION
Step 1: Do yourself a favor and get thee to Hawai’i! There are direct flights to both Hilo and Kona from the mainland, but more options into Maui and Honolulu. From either of the latter, it’s a short and inexpensive hop over to the Big Island for Mauna Kea magic.
Step 2: You will almost certainly need a rental car for this particular adventure. I am not aware of any public transit options that regularly stop at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Center – or even Saddle Road. Unless you have a very accommodating friend on island, a rental is probably mandatory. Driving to the VIS takes 45 minutes from Hilo and 1 hour 10 from Kona.
Yes, you can also drive to the top of Mauna Kea – but I personally think there’s more fun in foot travel. On another trip, we did drive up (to see Mauna Loa’s eruption!) and enjoyed it – but my heart will always be in hiking.
HIKE & RUN
Perhaps this section should read ‘Hike, Bike & Run’ in the case of Mauna Kea. Road access to the summit makes this a big challenge for cyclists as well! In addition, some folks choose to run/hike one direction or both on the road – probably because it’s easier.
I, however, strongly recommend the trail! Not only will you skip the dangers of traffic (there’s not a lot of cars, but there are blind corners and the risk of overheating brakes), you will be treated to some truly spectacular solitude and scenery that can only be found on the single-track. Additionally, you can visit Lake Waiau, which on a spur trail on your way to the summit!
Mauna Kea via Humu’ulu Trail is a 22.5 kilometer out-and-back round-trip with 1,400 meters (4600 feet) of gain. The steepest section is right near the beginning of the trail – but it is a steady climb all the way to the top. The terrain is mixed: some sections of gravel road, some of paved, some rocky bits and some sandy/gravelly bits. This can be a little challenging (poles help!), but is a walk in the park compared to walking on an ‘a’a lava flow or running on beach sand.
Unlike other Hawaiian hikes you may be familiar with, there are no significant obstacles on this route, other than altitude and distance. The distance is totally doable in a day, even at a slow hike, as we demonstrated. The altitude is more insidious. Make sure you take a bivvy break and rest for a while at the VIS before starting your climb. Sign in (and out) of the log book. Be aware of the symptoms of AMS and be prepared to turn around if you need to. In general, it’s always a good idea to have a target top (summit) time, so you know what you need to aim for to get back down safely. If it’s taking you longer than that, consider turning back (the same goes for metering your supply of drinks/snacks).
Weather may also be a factor for your climb! Although Mauna Kea is typically above the cloud inversion layer, it does sometimes experience storms and snow. It can also be wildly windy up top – so try to hike in fair weather and always carry foul weather gear, just in case!
STAY & EAT
That’s really up to you! There’s nowhere to stay near Mauna Kea, so folks tend to divide neatly into two camps: Hilo or Kona. Kona is a bit more beachy – but, as a direct result, a bit busier. Hilo is in the rainforest and has a more local vibe. But both have options for your stay, good grindz and accessible airports!
If you’re combining a Mauna Kea climb with active vulcanism exploration, the town of Volcano might be your best best. But note that this will add an hour of driving time to reach Mauna Kea – it’s about 1:45, going through Hilo to Saddle Road.
OTHER NOTES
Mauna Kea is a 4,207 m (13,803′) peak that tops Hawai’i Island. It’s the highest mountain in the state, and contender for tallest on the planet when measured from the seafloor.
We covered 22.5 kilometers on Mauna Kea in just under eight hours. The route can definitely be done faster: indeed, we saw somebody running it on our trekking day. If you’re a speedgoat, make sure you’re well-acclimatized before you set out. Alternatively, consider taking it easy and making a day of it in order to soak up all the awesome on offer here.
When we were planning our visit to Mauna Kea, we liked this helpful trail guide from Big Island Hikes. We also checked the weather in advance, and checked on the trail conditions at the VIS. I strongly recommend you do the same!
Be safe, take it easy, and have a wonderful day out on Mauna Kea! Amazing adventure guaranteed.
Want more of Hawai’i? Please visit my Hawai’i main page! Looking for other adventures in the US? Options abound on this page! Enjoy your own epic adventures!