Indian Chief Travel Guides

Mauna Kea: The Highest Point on the Island

Saddle Road (Highway 220) traverses the center of the island, passing between Hawaii’s two tallest volcanoes, Mauna Kea (13,796 feet) and Mauna Loa (13,679 feet). It journeys some 28 miles westward from the outskirts of Hilo to Summit Road, which then heads north another 15 miles or so to the summit of Mauna Kea.

Among the principal attractions here is the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, situated approximately 5 miles south of the Mauna Kea summit, at an elevation of 9,300 feet. It houses a variety of exhibits and displays centered around the natural history of the cosmos, as well as astronomical facilities. The center also offers star-gazing programs on the weekend nights, with viewing through an 11-inch Celestron telescope.

On Mauna Kea summit is the Mauna Kea Observatory Complex, an international astronomical observatory complex with no fewer than 10 different observatories and 13 of the world’s most powerful telescopes located there, trained on the stars and galaxies. This is also one of the best places in the world to view the universe, situated above 40% of the Earth’s atmosphere, in a low population density area, which minimizes surface light and enhances viewing.

The Mauna Kea summit is part of the 3,894-acre Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Reserve, which also includes in it Lake Waiau, situated at an elevation of 13.020 feet, with the distinction of being the highest perennial lake on earth.