Mauna Kea
No admission feeStop at the visitor station at 9,200 feet, then take a four-wheel drive road to Hawaii's highest summit and its observatories.

Photo: en:User:Siowl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
High-elevation state park at the base of Mauna Kea, offering permitted bunkhouse and cabin stays along Saddle Road.
Hawaii County, HI
The park sits at roughly 6,500 feet on the southern flank of Mauna Kea, reached from Saddle Road between the 34 and 35 mile markers. Conditions are cool, dry and breezy, with strong sun at high elevation, occasional high winds and heavy rain, and freezing nights in winter. Qualifying groups of up to 48 people can stay in unheated bunkhouses with an approved permit, and cabins are also available. Facilities include a children's playground, picnic areas, a walking path with adult exercise equipment, parking and public toilets. Services are distant, so visitors should plan supplies in advance.
The closest stops to Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Stop at the visitor station at 9,200 feet, then take a four-wheel drive road to Hawaii's highest summit and its observatories.
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