It's worth every bump you hit! In our last visit we were…read moreunaware we needed four wheel drive and didn't attempt with 2 wheel. This time we made sure to take 4 wheel drive up to the observatory. Please bring warm clothes including earmuffs and mitts. You will be thankful to yourself for getting it. It may be cloudy when you drive up with ring of clouds around both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa but many a times sky above at 13k is clear. You would also see Haleakala in west in distance if its clear. - BONUS! At 9k visitor center there is a restroom and then there are porta potties where observatories are. The road is 25% grade so be kind to your breaks and use 4L with m2 to drive up and 4L +drive while coming down. The rangers checked tank plus if the car is 4wheel and have instructions. Mind you! They also checked break after we reached down. That's good for you and your car! Now up at the summit you might be lucky to see the observatories rotating and opening for their nightly duties. They used to allow admissions in the past and sky gazing program at visitor center but not anymore. So you might have to check with them. No drones allowed - fyi! The rangers will also be everywhere and make everyone leave 10 minutes after sunset. Key point- bring enough water for all the members with you. Water has oxygen which helps you breathe and keeps you hydrated. Coming back to experience... The views are ethereal. This was one of the topmost points in my list ( pun intended) in big island. Sunset hues are out of the world. If you go on moonless nights and clear days you might get to see more stars and planets.

I don't like cold. I don't like snow. It was not my idea to come here. I could only be out of the…read morecar for 3 min. Being in Hawaii on the tallest mountain in frigid conditions is not what I want in a Hawaiian vacation. You have been warned, come prepared. It was pretty but if you're not prepared you will not like it. Bring snow pants and a parka with thick gloves. I could have skipped this excursion entirely but my husband wanted to go and he can wear shorts in a blizzard. The drive up and drive down is tedious. I had no idea that this would take 5 to 6 hours. You can only go up in all wheel drive or four wheel drive. If your brakes are too hot on the way down you have to pull over at the visitors center and wait over 30 minutes to leave. It was one of the worst times I've had on vacation. I may have a bad attitude but people should know the reality of it. I'm a big fan of looking at pictures of this place rather than actually going.

We brought warm clothes, chairs,flashlight,blanket and hot chocolate with us. We hiked up the…read moremountain to see the sunset and the stars. It was a beautiful view and experience.

We fully planned to hit the visitors center and go no further (rental car, no 4x4). We came prepped…read morewith hoodies (it hit maybe 50°? A little chilly for the Midwest, but I loved it so much!) Catching sundown on the way up was absolutely beautiful. Some conversations heard inside: "You can pay someone $20 per person to go up, up to $200. But you get what you pay for, and the more expensive ones will drive, clothe, and feed you, and it's totally worth the price." Chilling at the visitor center - the staff was crazy knowledgeable about the stars, the area, their books - and made great recommendations (and prevented me from buying the wrong star chart for the wrong location and the wrong language!) - so be sure to ask them questions if you have them! Managed to catch some constellation discussion outside (he used a green laser pointer which made it easy to follow along!) But for the love of Superman - please don't turn in your BRIGHT LED LIGHTS at night when people are trying to enjoy the darkness and look up. They have red light flashlights there, or maybe let your eyes adjust and go slow - there's no reason to run!

I didn't rate this place only because I came here to pick up my Son from work to eat out for lunch…read more So this review will be as short as short can be because there's nothing much to talk about this except that it was easy to find. Oh well, have a great day and keep on Yelping Oh darn, it won't let me post unless it's longer. Hmmmm, I used the app Waze to find my Sons Workplace and it was right on point. The landscaping is beautiful and simple. As I texted him that I was in front. There he was. Ready to go and so off we went. But before leaving he noticed that I had a sensor light on for my tire and told me where to drive and he went ahead and brought me to something like a mechanic shop on the premises to blow up my tire and guess what! The light went off lol and off we went. What? All I had to do was give it some stars and now it'll let me post my review. Au-we! Lol

Look - you won't be visiting this place unless you are a professional astronomer. But if that's…read moreyou, and you do visit, it's about as nice of an astronomical facility that you'll find. Lots of parking - visitor parking is just outside the front door. Facilities are large, and very, very quiet. Remote (Subaru) observing capability, and lots and lots of outstanding support. Washrooms have a bidet - a nice "touch". 'Imiloa is a 2 min walk down the hill, with a great cafe and gift shop (7am - 4pm + dinner Thurs-Sun) and wonderful overall facility.

Tip1: stop at the observatory for 30 minutes or so to acclimate to high attitude. Plenty of useful…read moreand good posters about the observatory. Tip2: Need an all-wheel drive vehicle to go up to the Mauna Kea summit beyond this point. If don't have all-wheel drive vehicle, one can hike up the Sunset Hill to watch sunset and/or stargaze. A must visit place.

when you stargaze at mauna kea, you have been beholden to one of the most marvelous sights in the…read moreworld. normally, in the bay area on a clear night, you can probably see 100 dimly lit stars. when we were in yosemite and the grand canyon, we could see hundreds of stars and at that time i thought it was stunning. however, at mauna kea, you are lit beneath the sky of probably 2000-2500 stars. it's so amazing it almost looks fake. it almost takes you back to the age of exploration of the 15th and 16th century and you can understand how those sea faring explorers could triangulate their position. yes, the stars are just that bright and you can make out constellations and even see the milky way. our tour guide from Hawaii Forest and Trail noted several characteristics which make mauna kea ideal for stargazing such as the big island's position at 20 degrees north latitude so you can see the southern and northern hemispehers, being up at 14000 feet which is above the inversion layer, and the low population density of the big island so that there isn't much light population (they only use yellow street lights on the big island). seriously, this is as good as it gets ... and then some. it makes you feel small.

Paniolo BBQ is a hidden gem that offers a wonderful experience for both kids and adults. They have…read morefun stories, live music, majestic views, enjoyable games, and the food is amazing!

This was our second time attending the Paniolo BBQ dinner, this time with our family group of 18…read more It was fantastic as usual! The view from the top of the mountain is incredible! The historical storytelling, the gracious staff, the food, all just wonderful!! I highly recommend attending!!

We drove to the Mauna Kea visitors parking bellow the observatories. Without a 4x4 vehicle it's a 8…read morehours hike. We didn't go prepared so we didn't hike up. But that said the drive and views even at the visitors center were amazing. The visitors center does open until NOON.