Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
when the sun is low - in the hour after sunrise or before sunset - can create hazardous
blinding conditions.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Saddle Road
Several exceptional hikes are possible from Saddle Rd. The most legendary and reward-
ing is the Mauna Loa Observatory Trail - the only way to get to the top in a single day.
Mauna Loa Observatory Trail
HIKING
This trail is the most recommended way to summit Mauna Loa; those who prefer a chal-
lenge above all else might consider taking the daunting, multiday Mauna Loa Trail
(
Click here
)
. However, make no mistake: the Observatory Trail is a difficult all-day ad-
venture, but few 13,000ft mountains exist that are so accessible to the average hiker. This
is a rare and unforgettable experience.
Day hikers do not need a permit, but if you would like to overnight at Mauna Loa
Cabin, register the day before at the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Nation-
al Park.
To reach the trailhead, take the unsigned Mauna Loa Observatory Rd near mile marker
28 on Saddle Rd; it's nearly opposite the Mauna Kea Access Rd and adjacent to Puʻu
Huluhulu. The single-lane, 17.5-mile asphalt road is in good condition but full of blind
curves; the squiggled white line is to aid drivers in the fog. The road ends at a parking
area just below the weather observatory at 11,150ft. There are no visitor facilities or
bathrooms. From the observatory, the Mauna Loa Observatory Trail climbs up to the
mountaintop.
Begin hiking by 8am; you want to be off the mountain or descending if afternoon
clouds roll in. The trail is marked by cairns, which disappear in the fog. If this happens,
stop hiking; find shelter in one of several small tubes and hollows along the route until
you can see again, even if this means waiting till morning.
It is nearly 4 miles to the trail junction with the Mauna Loa Trail. Allow three hours
for this gradual ascent of nearly 2000ft. If it weren't for the altitude, this would be a
breeze. Instead, proceed slowly but steadily, keeping breaks short. If you feel the onset of
altitude sickness, descend. About two hours along, you re-enter the national park, and the
old lava flows appear in a rainbow of sapphire, turquoise, silver, ochre, orange, gold and
magenta.
