Mauna Kea at a Glance
The Highest Point in the Pacific
Rising 13,796 ft (4,205 m) above sea level, Mauna Kea is the highest point in Hawai‘i and across the Pacific.
A Dormant Volcano
Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano whose most recent eruption occurred about 4,500 years ago.
A Sacred Mountain
Mauna Kea holds profound cultural and spiritual significance for Native Hawaiians and is regarded as one of Hawai‘i’s most sacred places.
A Window to the Universe
With exceptional conditions for observing the night sky, Mauna Kea is one of the world’s premier sites for astronomy and home to internationally renowned observatories.
Cultural Significance
Mauna Kea holds profound spiritual and cultural significance for Native Hawaiians. The upper regions of the mountain have long been regarded as a sacred landscape associated with deities, ancestors, traditional practices, and connections between the earth and the heavens.
Cultural sites and archaeological remains found on the mountain reflect generations of Native Hawaiian presence and tradition and continue to hold great importance today.
The Observatories
Mauna Kea’s high elevation, dry atmosphere, clear skies, stable air, and low levels of light pollution have made it one of the world’s most important locations for ground-based astronomy.
The summit region is home to internationally renowned astronomical facilities, including the Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Its 8.2-meter primary mirror allows astronomers to study some of the most distant objects in the universe.
As part of the long-term stewardship of Mauna Kea, older observatories are being decommissioned, with plans calling for fewer astronomical facilities on the mountain in the future.
Culture, Science & Stewardship
Mauna Kea is both a sacred cultural landscape and an internationally important center for astronomy. The presence and development of observatories on the mountain have also been the subject of longstanding debate.
For many Native Hawaiians, protecting the cultural and spiritual significance of Mauna Kea is paramount. For astronomers, its exceptional observing conditions offer opportunities to explore some of the most fundamental questions about our universe.
The future of Mauna Kea continues to involve important conversations about culture, science, conservation, and responsible stewardship of the mountain.
Onizuka Visitor Center
Located at 9,200 ft (2,800 m), the Onizuka Visitor Center is an important stop on our journey to the summit. We spend at least 30 minutes here to help your body adjust to the higher altitude before continuing up the mountain.
The center is named in honor of Ellison Onizuka, the Hawai‘i Island-born astronaut who became the first Asian American in space. He died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.
Cinder Cones
The distinctive reddish-brown hills surrounding Mauna Kea are cinder cones, formed during past volcanic eruptions. More than 100 cinder cones can be found across the mountain, giving its summit landscape its remarkable appearance.
A Shield Volcano
Mauna Kea is a shield volcano, formed over hundreds of thousands of years by repeated lava flows. Its broad, gently sloping profile is characteristic of Hawaiian shield volcanoes and was created largely by fluid lava that traveled considerable distances before cooling.
These gradual slopes are also one reason a road can reach elevations close to Mauna Kea’s 13,796-foot summit.
