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Mauna Loa Observatory

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Waimea, United States

esrl.noaa.gov
Observatory· Tourist attraction

Mauna Loa Observatory Reviews | Rating 4.7 out of 5 stars (8 reviews)

Mauna Loa Observatory is located in Waimea, United States on 44-2441 Mauna Loa Access Road. Mauna Loa Observatory is rated 4.7 out of 5 in the category observatory in United States.

Address

44-2441 Mauna Loa Access Road

Phone

+1 8089336965

Accessibility

No wheelchair-accessible entrance

Open hours

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C

Chastity schweigert

Very beautiful being above the clouds. We stayed late to see the beautiful stars.

B

Barry Sullivan

Top of the world. Cold, dress warm. Stunning, beautiful vistas, and great sunsets. A must do.

M

Moto Giant

Crazy, twisty and dangerous road (also know as The Cheese Grater) but totally worth the drive out and back - bring warm/wet weather gear if you want to hike!

A

Abijit Gowda

The drive from saddle road is hazardous and intimidating. Drive slow and carefully, infinite number of blind spots. Drive at your own risk, don't think rental car agencies would cover any damages even though the road is paved. The views from the Observatory are worth the drive. Wonderful views of Mauna Kea from here. Wouldn't drive here after dark, very very isolated.

Y

Yu-Tai Chang

It was quite a strenuous 45 min drive to this place at 3400 meter in height. You can definitely feel cold breeze here. The view to Mauna Kea is overwhelmingly awesome. The site was not open to public though. Along the drive, you will pass multiple lava flows with different color and texture. The road is well paved. Highly recommended if you have spare time.

C

Colin MacKie

Beautiful. Stay for sunset if you can. Afterwards, you must vacate the peak 30mins after sunset. Drive back down to the visitor center, park, and walk a little ways for some of the best stargazing in the world. Do not attempt this drive without 4x4 low. This is not due to the roads, which are both asphalt and gravel, and are very well maintained. This is because the way back down is very steep, and using 4x4 low allows you to coast down without using your brakes. There have been many cases of non-4x4 vehicle brakes failing, which leads to very spectacular crashes. Do not become one of these statistics. The recommended 30mins at the visitor center to acclimate is, in my opinion, not enough. We spent about an hour at the visitor center before continuing the drive up. You don’t want to get nauseous, lightheaded, or headachy on the drive up, and end up not enjoying this spectacular place.

J

Julian Contreras

Pretty intense, boring, and tiring hike. Maybe that's why it is not that popular. You won't see that much, but lava everywhere you look. This is a good conditioning if you are planning to go higher than 12,000.' Take good hiking shoes, pants, warm jacket, gloves, sunglasses, and a vinnie hat. The cold wind will bother you if you go unprepared.

W

Wai-Hin Tung

While Mauna Kea is closed, this is the best place to stargaze. The drive takes about 45 minutes from the main highway. Start at around 2pm, so you can stop along the way for photos of lava rocks. Amazing view along the way. Prepare dinner, so you can have food while waiting for the sun to go down. Just sit in the car while waiting. It get crowded starting 5pm. Be warned, it's stupid cold and windy up there. Prepare full on winter jacket. You will be above the clouds, so nothing is blocking you for the stars. You can even see the Milky Way. Cell phone single is weak up there, download a sky map before hand if you want to get the most out of it.

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