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Massive shield volcano with a summit over 13,000 feet, offering rugged backcountry trails, remote cabins, and panoramic views of the island’s volcanic landscape.
General Information
Hours:
Accessible year-round
Backcountry trails open daily, weather permitting
Visitor access may be restricted due to volcanic activity
Backcountry trails open daily, weather permitting
Visitor access may be restricted due to volcanic activity
Fees:
No entrance fee for Mauna Loa
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park entrance: $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per pedestrian or bicycle
Backcountry permit: $10 per group (up to 12 people)
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park entrance: $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per pedestrian or bicycle
Backcountry permit: $10 per group (up to 12 people)
Pet Policy:
Pets are allowed on Mauna Loa Road but not on trails or in wilderness areas
Closest cities with hotels:
Volcano (30 mi), Hilo (40 mi)
Seasons:
All year (best in dry season: April–October)
Location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/maunaloa
Website:
How to Get There
From Hilo (40 mi): Take Highway 11 south to Mauna Loa Road, then follow the road to the Mauna Loa Trailhead at the top of the scenic drive.
Overview
Mauna Loa (“Long Mountain”) is one of the five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaiʻi and the largest active volcano on Earth by mass and volume, at about 18,000 cubic miles. Its peak stands about 125 feet lower than neighboring Mauna Kea. It is an active shield volcano with gentle slopes, and its lava is very fluid and usually non-explosive. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park covers its summit and southeastern flank.
Eruptions and Monitoring
- It erupted in 1984 and again in late 2022. Recent eruptions have caused no deaths, but those in 1926 and 1950 destroyed villages, and part of Hilo sits on 19th-century lava flows.
- The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has monitored it since 1912, and the Mauna Loa Observatory and Solar Observatory sit near the summit.
- Mauna Loa has erupted for at least 700,000 years and will become extinct as the Pacific Plate carries it away from the hotspot in 500,000 to one million years.
Reaching the Summit
- From Kīlauea: the trail from park headquarters via Red Hill, built in 1916, became the preferred route because of its easier access and gentler slope.
- ʻĀinapō Trail: the historic route, reopened in the 1990s.
- Saddle Road: a third route up to the Mauna Loa Observatory at 11,135 feet, a few miles north of Moku‘āweoweo caldera and the North Pit trail.
- A summit shelter was built in 1934 with stones from Wilkes’ campsite.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mauna Loa", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
