The summit of Mauna Kea is one of the best places on Earth to see the starts. Which is why scientists have built some of the biggest, most powerful telescopes ever created atop this sacred, often-snow-capped, dormant volcano which looms huge over the western half of the Big Island. Why? The air is thin and skies often cloud free. Light pollution from civilization is minimal. Unfortunately, mere mortals can’t peer through the big scopes (which is actually done remotely for the most part via fiber-optic links). But visiting the summit for sunset is in the realm of earthly possibilities. The rough road up the mountain requires a 4×4 and its best to stop for a bit to get used to the altitude at the 9,000 market where the Onizuka Visitor Center resides in the saddle between Mauna Kea and the other big peak, Mauna Loa. The sunset itself is a spectacular show of brilliant orange, an eerie vista that allows you to see the sun setting from above the clouds on many days. Then comes the main attraction – star gazing on powerful portable scopes that take one closer to the cosmos with the naked eye than is possible anywhere else on terra firma.

Mauna Kea Summitt Adventures