One of the best places to stargaze in the world is atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Not only are you able to see an immense number of stars, but you are also above the clouds while you watch the sun set and the stars begin to shine. You will want to give yourself plenty of time to make the drive up the mountain. The drive up is really neat, as you will be driving through clouds as you are nearing the visitor center. Parking is limited and it is first come, first serve. You will also want to give yourself enough time to climb the hill in the photo below for the best view of the sunset. We made the climb in 15 minutes, but it is steep and rocky, especially near the top. Not everyone makes the climb, many people watch the sunset from the visitor center, it is just a better view if you decide to climb up.
Winter coats in Hawaii! The hill to the right is the one many people climb to get a better view of the sun setting.
This is one place in Hawaii where you may need a winter coat. My husband teased me for packing a winter coat, but I knew that the temperature at the visitor center would be 38 degrees after sunset, not including windchill. The temperature during the day at Onomea Bay was in the 90’s, so a 50+ degrees drop in one day is a bit rough. I also packed hats and gloves and wore them all and was still freezing. As my teeth were chattering my husband apologized for teasing me about my coat and bought me a blanket from the visitor center. If you do not heed my advice about the proper clothing, there is a visitor center that sells blankets, coats, hats, gloves, hot chocolate and snacks. The visitor center is open everyday from 12 pm – 10 pm. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday they set up telescopes from 6-10pm for free public viewing of the stars. There is also a bathroom available here. The visitor center is 9,200 feet and it is possible to suffer from altitude sickness. When you plan your trip you should definitely check out their website for information on altitude sickness and current weather conditions.
After we parked we made the climb up the ‘hill’ and through the clouds to arrive at this spectacular site.
Above the Clouds on Mauna Kea
This was one of my favorite things that we did in Hawaii. I had never hiked through clouds before. It was surreal to stand above the clouds while clouds are blowing right through you as you watch the sun set behind the peak of Mauna Kea.
My husband and I on Mauna Kea
We had enough time to snap some great family photos above the clouds while the sun was just beginning to set.
My children above the clouds on Mauna Kea
We stayed on top of the ‘hill’ until the sun had set. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring our flashlight, it was sitting in the hotel room, and the climb down was rocky at the top. We decided to climb half way down, past the rocky section to get to the dirt path, before it got too dark. We stayed at the half way point for about 30 minutes watching the stars get brighter and brighter. I have never seen so many stars, for every one star I can see at my house there were at least one hundred stars I could see here. If I wouldn’t have been so cold I could have stayed there for hours.
My daughter was freezing so we climbed back down to the visitor center to buy both kids gloves (they did not heed my packing warnings about the temperature). She toughed it out for another 10 minutes before she headed to the car to turn on the heat while we looked at the stars through the telescopes. I lasted another 10 minutes before I was too cold. I think my son and husband could have stayed out for hours, as they both are usually hot and thought the cold air felt great. They stayed out for another 10 minutes or so before they were ready to head to the car.
There are cabins available located next to the visitor center which would have been really nice to stay in. You would be able to go inside and warm up and keep popping back out throughout the night. I did not realize they were there and did not look into staying there. From the planning I am currently doing for Maui, the cabins run by the state all seem to lack sheets, pillows, etc., so if that had been the case we wouldn’t have been able to stay there anyway, as I would not have been willing to pack all of those items. I am also not sure if the altitude would have bothered us had we spent an entire night there.
We did not go up to the summit, which is 13,796 and was below freezing and covered with snow. There were several reasons for this choice. First, the stargazing is actually better at the visitor center because the lower level of oxygen at the summit (40% less) impacts your vision. Second, we did not rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle and the drive is very steep and requires 4 wheel drive. Third, the companies that drive you up were over $200/person. Fourth, there were so many health and safety warnings and I was not sure if the low level of oxygen would set off an asthma attack for me, that we decided it wasn’t worth it. If you do decide to make a trip up to the summit, it can even be hiked, to help combat altitude sickness you must stay at the visitor center for a minimum of 30 minutes, and they recommend staying a limited time at the summit. Again, check out their website for more information. If you are interested in a tour you can check out Mauna Kea Summit Adventures or Arnott’s Famous Lodging and Adventures. I did not use either of these companies, so I can’t recommend them, but it gives you a place to start your own research.
An interesting thing we learned is the Armed Forces use the summit of Mauna Kea as one of their training grounds for extreme cold weather training. Who would have guessed that extreme cold weather training takes place in Hawaii!
The drive down the mountain and back to Hilo is very dark with a lot of curves in the road. Take your time getting back. Viewing the sunset on top of Mauna Kea was the perfect ending for this day’s adventure, the next day was spent hiking across an active volcano! As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
(All pictures are available as Fine Art Prints or Digital Downloads for purchase at full resolution through Alamy. If you see something you like, click on the link. If you are unable to find it, use the Contact Me page and I will make sure the image is available.)
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All You Need to Know About Star Gazing Above the Clouds Mauna Kea Hawaii
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