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Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

Photo: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Pollard / CC BY 4.0 · source

🌋 Volcanoes

Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station

Hilo, HI · Hawaii Island, Hawaii

About

Public stargazing on Mauna Kea happens at the Visitor Information Station, 9,200 feet up the access road, not at the 13,803 foot summit. That distinction matters: the summit is open to the public only from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, and the unpaved road above the VIS requires 4WD. The station sits above the inversion layer, so the marine clouds usually hang below the parking lot. On a clear moonless night the sky reads Bortle 1 to 2 and the Milky Way shows structure. After twilight, staff step outside for a laser guided tour of Greek constellations and Hawaiian starlines. The nightly telescope program ended in 2019, though a free telescope night runs once a month by reservation, so bring binoculars. Admission is free, doors 9am to 9pm daily, and winter snow can close the road. Target a new moon, arrive before dark to acclimate and let your eyes adapt, and bring a red flashlight.

Highlights

Bortle 1 to 2 skies9,200 ft elevationFree, no reservation neededOpen 9am to 9pm dailyTelescope nights monthly, by reservationPaved to the VIS, 4WD above

Getting there

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